Hotel accommodation provided by Hyatt Regency McCormick Place and The Chicago Auto Show in conjunction with my travel and other consideration.
During my time at the Chicago Auto Show’s Media Preview, I stayed at the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place, a very comfortable hotel that is conveniently connected to McCormick Place, the convention center where the Chicago Auto Show was held. This meant that I could walk right to the show from my hotel without once stepping foot in that cold Chicago snow! But I could certainly admire the snow thanks to the beautiful view:
My room had a large window overlooking the city, so I was treated to a fantastic view of the Chicago cityscape dusted in snow.
In addition to the view, I also enjoyed watching the flatscreen TV in my room! Business trips like this are always jam-packed, so I enjoyed flopping down on the comfortable bed and catching a few minutes of mindless reality TV before passing out for the night. I’d love to stay here again when I have more time to relax, because it’s a great place to stay!
When I stay at a hotel that I plan to write about, I tend to look at it with a slightly more critical eye than I might normally, since I feel it’s important to be fair and think of things that might bother other travelers, even if they don’t phase me. If I stay at a hotel and notice a spot of dust on the baseboards, it makes me personally feel relieved – I’m a perfectionist when it comes to myself and so I never feel like my own home looks good enough no matter how much work I put into it, even though I truly could not care less about how anyone else keeps their home. It makes me feel better to realize that no hotel I’ve ever stayed at has ever matched the museum-quality that I expect of myself, so I breathe a sigh of relief to think that maybe no one care about the dust under my fridge after all. 😉 There was one cleanliness nitpick I had that could have been bothersome, but I didn’t care enough to call anyone to change it so I don’t know that it’s even fair to bring it up. The staff were extremely attentive in responding to any request I had, so if it had bothered me enough to mention, it would have been immediately addressed.
My room had a big mirror and sink adjacent to the shower and commode, so there was plenty of room for my cosmetics. See how nicely arranged my hair items are on the counter? That was how housekeeping had tidied my items when they cleaned the room. I thought that was a nice touch and attention to detail!
One thing I noticed about the shower was that it poured a LOT of water on the floor event though I closed the curtain tightly. It didn’t matter since the floor was all tiled, but housekeeping must have thought I was nuts for using so many towels every day – I just didn’t want to be a huge slob and leave the floors flooded!
I had a lot of other requests for the staff during my stay, which felt weird since I don’t like to be high-maintenance! The first night, the zipper on my purse broke, and I asked the front desk if they had pliers I could use to try and fix it. They called in someone from maintenance who gave me his pliers to try. I wasn’t able to fix my purse, but I appreciated the help!
The second night, I scheduled my first-ever “Wake up call”, which I promptly canceled since I woke up early. I also called the front desk to ask for extra paper products, and someone came to my room very soon with that plus extra and towels. But the area that impressed me the most was the “Convenience Collection” card in my room, which listed a bunch of items that you could call the front desk and ask for. These included larger items you could borrow, like a flat iron, as well as additional toiletries that were yours to keep upon request. I noticed that the list had a sewing kit on it, which I thought might be really handy since my purse zipper was broken! So, I called the front desk and asked for the sewing kit, plus a laundry bag since I had forgotten to bring enough bags for my dirty clothes. I believe I asked for the “Vanity kit” as well since it included a emery board and my nails keep breaking. They advised me that they’d hang a bag with the items on my door shortly, and I’ll tell you what, they must have gotten there fast – I took a shower, and when I was done, my items were already waiting. Did I mention that this was around 4:30 in the morning? But it gets better.
They didn’t just bring me the items I requested – they gave me at least two of pretty much every item on the list. Toothbrushes, toothpaste, mouthwash, makeup remover, deodorant, shaving gel, razors, a small hairbrush and more. These weren’t just “Hotel brand” toiletries – the deodorant and shaving gel were both the exact same brands I am loyal to and buy myself. They even gave me 2 sewing kits! This was one of those small touches that I really appreciated. Next time I stay at Hyatt Regency McCormick Place, I’ll know that I can pack way lighter since they have so many of the things I use already on hand.
In all, I really enjoyed my stay – it’s been a treat getting to spend a little more time in Chicago lately, and I loved the fabulous view and great amenities that Hyatt Regency McCormick Place has to offer. I hope to stay here again in the future!
