The Gwen, A Luxury Collection Hotel

Highly recommend The Gwen to anyone who travels or is planning to travel to Chicago!!! I was extremely nervous about this trip because I have never been and it always worried me not getting a good hotel. I definitely wasn’t disappointed at all. They catered to all our needs even though I just had questions about if they had certain items and planned to get them if they did. They always addressed me by saying miss and my last name. They helped with directions and let me know what was around the area as well. Everyone there was absolutely wonderful and so kind! Anytime I go to Chicago or plan on going I will be going here!!! They set my standards very high for other hotels!

I booked a double superior room for Memorial weekend to attend a friend’s 50^th birthday celebration. Another friend also staying in Chicago for the birthday weekend and I decided to share a room — thus I was happy they had a double superior (two separate beds) available at the time I purchased my stay (I prepaid the room.)
When we arrived, we were very impressed by the beautifully decorated lobby. We were not very happy when we went up to our room. It was a single king bed. I immediately called the front desk to correct the mistake. They said they didn’t have any double rooms available (even though I specifically booked it).
To make matters worse, the room was one designed for disabled access. The closet’s hanging bar was only 4 feet above the ground (which meant the bottom of our dresses draped on the floor and became wrinkled) and worst of all… The shower had no barrier (as to be wheelchair accessible). Thus all the water from the shower head hit the shower curtain and fell directly onto the bathroom floor — flooding the entire bathroom. It took a call for a dozen extra bath towels to wipe up the mess.
I called to at least get a non-​disabled room and was told that was the only thing left. Very, very disappointed considering how much we paid for the room.
Also ate breakfast down in their restaurant the following morning. Good food but overpriced ($ 90 for two people — no alcohol) and the service was slow and inattentive.
Considering the price, I probably wouldn’t stay in the Gwen again. There are so many other lovely establishments in the same area…

Great location, but rooms do not justify the $ 400/​night premium. I was in town for a large tradeshow and had to switch floors in the middle of night due to loud party. No big deal, but new room on 12^th floor had an open coke can and wine bottle upon entry which made me question what else was overlooked during cleaning. The fridge was also sputtering which led to being awoken throughout the night. Overall, I wanted to like this property given the location, but the several room deficiencies didn’t live up to the traditional experience of staying in a SPG luxury collection hotel.

I stayed here with my boyfriend while he was on business. For being a «luxury collection resort» I must say I was very disappointed.
First of all, the staff did a really great job of making me feel totally unwelcome. They don’t smile and they stand around looking irritated whenever I would walk through the lobby. The staff at the front desk, whenever I would approach them with a question, I was lucky if I even got eye contact from any of them.
We stayed here for 2 nights. The first night, while my boyfriend was at work all day, I decided to go down and have breakfast in the «Circa Lounge» restaurant attached to the lobby. The guy who sat me just appeared to be irritated with his job, didn’t smile at all and barely said a word to me. He actually acted like he didn’t know what I wanted when I came up to his host stand to be seated in the restaurant. I sat there for 2 hours with cocktails and my audiobook and did not order as the food was SUPER overpriced. I mean, 20 bucks for a burger? No thank you. I did enjoy their screwdriver and they had an EXCELLENT Bloody Mary at Circa.
The second day while my boyfriend was working all day, I decided to order room service. I got the big breakfast that came with eggs, potatoes, sausage, and toast. I also ordered another Bloody Mary as the first one I had in circa was great and I assumed it would be the same thing. My breakfast was AWFUL. First of all, I ordered my eggs over easy. Everybody knows that means that the eggs are slightly cooked on top but the inside is pure yolk. My eggs came out, one was over hard and the other was over medium. I have no idea how the chef was able to achieve that but needless to say– my eggs very overcooked. The potatoes were fine, the sausage was fine. The toast was fine. I was ticked about the eggs given that this breakfast was freakin 25 dollars and they also include an 18% service fee to the meal and then on top of that you should tip the guy who brings it. Now let’s talk about the Bloody Mary. Have you ever had a Bloody Mary with CHUNKS of stuff floating around in it? I have not until this particular Bloody Mary came into my life. I can’t tell you what these chunks were, I hope it was just a part of the mix and not something soured in my drink but it actually made me feel like I was drinking chunks of vomit. It also tasted absolutely horrible. Thanks a lot and that Bloody Mary was like 15 dollars. My breakfast bill after that and after tips was 60 dollars for a purely disgusting breakfast.
Later in the day I went down to the lobby for some cocktails to wait for my boyfriend to get off work so we could get out of that place. I sat myself at a table in the lobby but was told I can’t sit where I wanted to because they were working on something behind the table. Fine. I moved. The server (same host from day before who clearly hates life) acted irritated with me once again that I had decided to come down and be waited on. I told him I was looking for a seat with an outlet. He told me there were not seats but guess what I found one in the lobby near a couch (very uncomfortable couch). I sat down with my iPad and a nicer waiter came over where I ordered wine. Since I am drinking I soon need to use the restroom. I had my suitcase, iPad, and everything all set up and really didn’t want to pack it up just to use the restroom so I turned around and asked the lady at the front desk if she could please watch it for 2 seconds while I run to the restroom. When I approached her and said «excuse me» she did not even look up at me! She went, «hm», like meaning what do you want. I was totally shocked at how rude the front desk was. We are paying a LOT of money to stay here and we are here on business and you call yourself a «luxury» hotel? We usually stay at the Westin and are treated MUCH better by staff. She said ok to me running to the restroom but made sure to include annoyance and attitude. Guess what? Lobby restroom– only restroom available– was freaking CLOSED due to maintenance. I was so mad but I skipped the sign and used the bathroom anyways as none were available in the hotel besides our room which I had already checked out of and was stranded in the lobby until my boyfriend got back.
When I got back to my seat I packed my things up and moved to the bar where the bartender was friendly and I enjoyed my 30 minutes sitting up there.
Overall this hotel honestly has a lot of potential and has a very pretty lobby but they need to retrain their staff as the rudeness and visible irritation of the staff truly ruined my visit. I was honestly afraid to approach any of them to ask for anything. Even the lady on the phone when I called down to complain that my minibar was dirty and dusty was just flat rude. The room does not have a fridge in it either… Had to ask for one to be brought up and of course it was a dirty dinged-​up old piece of crap fridge. Fine.
Stay at the Westin instead. This place needs help.

We stayed here for two nights while attending a meeting and were pleased. The best part of the room was the large bathroom. We also enjoyed the rooftop terrace. If you want to be close to shopping and restaurants, it’s a great location.

Great location. Love that this is a Starwood property now. You can enter the Nordstrom mall without going outside. Tons of restaurants nearby. Great rooms with Bose DVD/​stereo. Bathrooms have large tub and separate shower. Toilet is in a separate enclosure. Self parking is easy in the mall ramp directly across from hotel front door. Getting from street to room involves two elevator rides and can be slow. Restaurant/​bar just about done being remodeled, haven’t tried them yet.

An artist’s dream… the hotel really keeps with the theme of the hotel. Walking through the hotel, you find hidden masterpieces of work on the walls, and even in the meetings… the staff really incorporates art (plates, table pieces — its really creative). I was given an amenity (thank you Gwen), that was quite impressive, it was a canvas with paint… great concept… keep it!!! Chicago, has so much to offer, especially where the hotel is located. Ladies dream, as you can walk literally from your room into Nordstrom… there are local food establishments all throughout the area… the valet and doormen are incredible. Being half asleep — I left my phone at a restaurant, and the doorman, called my phone and was able to retrieved my phone… nevertheless, had a great chuckle and enjoyed my stay.

We are staying at this lovely hotel now. Service is great! Hospitality is very worm! Manager John is awesome! He remembered and addressed me by my name every time i walked in or out of the hotel. Thank you for the great hospitality. I am very impressed. I will be back.

We had a great time at the Gwen last weekend with me, my daughter and teenaged son. The hotel is under construction, but that did not affect our stay. The location of the hotel was perfect because it’s close to many major attractions, but the entrance is off the beaten path.
There were only two cons, but not fixable during our trip. The walk from the lobby to your room requires two elevators. You take the first elevator to the 10^th floor, and then you walk down a corridor to another elevator to your room. Secondly, we opted to move from our king bedded room to a room with two beds instead of taking a rollaway for my son. Big mistake! The double beds were so small that we ended up getting a rollaway for the next night. The king room had a large tub and better view, so that was extra disappointing.
The star rating is because EVERYTHING else was above expectations. We booked through Hotwire, and got a fabulous rate. (I’m paying more to stay in a Holiday Inn in Carol Stream as I type.) my daughter is going to school near Chicago, and she checked in first. When we came down to discuss the one bed, three people situation, they were more than a conflating. The next night when we realized that we couldn’t bear another night cramped in the double bed, they brought up a rollaway within 10 minutes with no charge.
The rooms are large and bathrooms are large, and both of our rooms had nice views. Slippers, robes, bottled water, keurig and the other expected amenities for this type of hotel are there, but I have to say it again, the service was fantastic. The housekeeper even thanked us in the hallway for the tip we left her. I’ve never had that happen.
I’d definitely recommend this hotel.

I stayed at the Gwen for 5 ok but not great nights while in Chicago for work. I really wanted to like it more but a few things were somewhat disappointing. I had actually been upgraded to a top floor suite… but because the hotel sign at the top of the building was banging against the window (amazing right) I had to downgrade to regular room.
1. Their main lobby was under construction. This meant that one has to take two elevators and and walk down one (or two) long halls to get to your room.
2. The fitness room was pretty bad. Low ceiling and no windows. There is also no pool. Pretty depressing.
3. My room wasn’t bad… but compared to the other hotels I stay at in Chicago was pretty unforgettable. I had a lovely view of the Nordstrom roof.
There were some nice things about the hotel particularly how clean my room was. Having bose speakers for the tv was also a nice touch. The complimentary continental breakfast is also not bad. Maybe the best thing going for the Gwen is the staff. They were very friendly.
All in all I’m not sure I’ll be back. The Westin while slightly dated has better views and convenience of a normal (first floor lobby) layout.

We had such a great experience, beginning with the check in. Ryan was so friendly and went out of his way to make our anniversary weekend special. My husband loves the city and we always appreciate a room located on a higher floor so he can admire the view. Ryan got us a room on the top (17^th) floor. The view is amazing :) the room was very comfortable and well appointed.
The pop up bar on the 10^th floor had a great view, great service, and really good drinks. The bartender gave us recommendations for other local bars, we checked those out too and were so impressed with his recommendations.
From beginning to end the staff really went above and beyond to make our stay great.

The hotel was lovely and would have been great — maybe 4 stars… but they were doing middle of the night construction which seems strange for a hotel where people are sleeping in the middle of the night.
They were very accommodating and apologetic and moved my room and left a bottle of wine the next night… I think once they are done with renovations it will be a wonderful property.

I’m really enjoying my stay here at the Gwen. The rooms are very spacious, clean and the bed and pillows super comfortable. I want those pillows at home. Great service and the location couldn’t be better o e block from Michigan Ave you can walk every where no cab needed.
Plus for the breakfast included with eggs, breads, muffins, oat meal, fresh fruit, yogurt. For the price I found was really a great deal in Chitown

This is my second time staying at a Luxury Collection hotel, my first being in San Francisco. The SF location is GORGEOUS. You walk into a marble entrance where there’s a HUGE ballroom where you dine with large skylights. It’s extremely beautiful! In contrast, you walk into this location, and while sleek and contemporary, screams Marriott.
The room itself was nothing to write home about, really. There’s no fridge, which was disappointing. There’s just a bed and bathroom. The bathroom I had at the Sheraton Laval, Quebec location was MUCH nicer (completely marbled with a hot tub). At least you have turndown service here, which includes free slippers (always a plus!) and a couple of chocolates.
I would’ve given two stars for this hotel had it not been for breakfast. There is no club lounge for Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) platinum members, but we can get a $ 31 credit at breakfast. You will need all $ 31 and then some for eggs, bacon, potatoes, toast, OJ, and parfait. The parfait was $ 10 alone! However, the potatoes are probably THE BEST I have had at a hotel! They’re pan fried with caramelized onions — quite tasty!
I will probably stay here again only because it seems this hotel in the area meets company policy. SPG also has a promotion for double bonus points through the end of April. Make sure you sign up and also link your Über/​Delta airlines accounts!
Valet Parking $ 69.00
Room Charge $ 189.00
State Tax $ 22.49
City/​Local Tax $ 8.51
Total $ 289

Loved my two day stay here. A decent view of rush street from the 11^th floor, great breakfast and room service, walking distance to great shopping (attached to a Nordstrom) and a bar with phenomenal service and views. I am willing to stay here again (:

This new Starwood property is nice, in a great location for most, if a bit of a strange setup. The lobby is on the 5^th floor so I can’t imagine the restaurant will be all that successful but the staff seemed nice, the rooms are very comfortable, just don’t expect much of a view. I would stay here again, but I’m not sure that it’s up to the level of most Starwood Luxury Collection properties and I never stayed at the previous Conrad hotel in this location but it seems like everything I saw had been recently redone.
Nice location next to the Marriott in the heart of the Magnificent Mile, but difficult to get to the Michigan Avenue shops if you don’t know where you’re going. I like it, but I wouldn’t pay an exorbitant rate to stay here.

A great hotel conveniently located in River North, one block off the Magnificent Mile. This was my first stay at the Gwen, and I instantly liked the style of the hotel, which I’d call ‘modern classic’ — a clean, contemporary design that’s quite inviting and comfortable.
Speaking of comfortable, the rooms are just that, nicely sized for a city hotel, beautifully furnished in neutral colors and featuring a king-​sized bed that you just sink right into. I usually can’t get comfortable the first night I’m in a hotel bed, but this one practically wrapped its arms around me and I fell fast asleep, waking up quite refreshed in the morning. The room also features a Bose stereo system, and it was nice to just leave the TV off during my stay and listen to some good music, which was really relaxing.
The bathroom is quite spacious, with a huge vanity, large tub, and separate shower, with an enclosed toilet for privacy, a nice feature if you’re sharing the room.
The staff at this hotel is quite friendly and aim to provide excellent customer service, which was immediately evident at check-​in. As an SPG loyalist, the front desk was kind enough to upgrade me to a corner room on the top floor, with a nice view down Rush Street. We also had a pre-​dinner drink at the hotel bar on the fifth floor, which has a nice, casual vibe, and our server Tom was great, making sure we were well taken care of, as well as giving us some suggestions of good places to try out during our short stay in Chicago. The bartender makes a mean drink, with my Manhattan being one of the best I’ve had in a long time.
What I also really liked was that this was a smaller property, with much less hustle-​bustle than you’d normally see at a downtown hotel, adding to the relaxing feel of the property. The hotel is connected to the Shops at North Bridge, with easy access to Nordstrom, Eataly, and Michigan Avenue.
Seeing that it’s December, the hotel’s rates were quite competitive compared to other Magnificent Mile/​River North properties. This hotel has quickly jumped to the top of my list of Starwood properties in Chicago since everything was just right.
All in all, a great stay during our quick 38-​hour trip to Chicago, and I’m looking forward to checking back into the Gwen again next time I visit the Windy City!

Right now The Gwen is hitting a solid A-​OK with me… mainly because of the beds. Yes, the beds were amazingly comfortable. However, they were full-​sized beds! When we made the reservation, I had absolutely no idea that a hotel would even use full-​sized beds instead of Queen.
I travel enough — and have NEVER been given a full-​sized bed before.
We were a family of four sleeping in two full-​sized beds. My husband and I slept with one of the kiddos in each bed. And it easily is one of the worst nights of sleep I’ve ever had.
You’ve been warned.
Beyond that, the Gwen has a fabulous location, just off of the south end of the Mag Mile shopping stretch. It’s off the main drag so you don’t get the same amount of noise you might get off of the street.
The bathroom was spacious. Lobby has clean lines and is inviting. I would consider staying here again… but not if we get full beds again. That’s a deal breaker.

The Gwen has quickly become my favorite Starwood hotel in Chicago, even above all of those other extremely trendy and classy hotels in the area. The Gwen has just the right touch of sparkle and class without looking ostentatious. The lobby of the hotel, located on the 5^th floor, is absolutely gorgeous… gorgeous enough to be the venue in which a wedding party were having pictures taken when we arrived.
Besides the subtle glamour of the lobby the actual hotel room was quite nice itself. The bed was so very comfortable that it felt like I was sinking into a cushy cloud and as for the bathroom — it was very clean. It has a bathtub and a shower so thay you can get clean in whatever tempo you want. Two unique aspects that I enjoyed were that when we walked into our room there was music playing for us and there was some dark chocolate left on the bed, one for each of us. Those were two very nice touches that my fiancé and I appreciated. Oh, and if you’re into reading the news paper then you’re in luck because they keep a stack of the Chicago Tribune at the front desk in the lobby for all the patrons to take free of charge.
If you’re an SPG member then there are some perks that you get, one being the complimentary drink vouchers for the bar located to the left of the lobby. You also can get an early check in at 12 pm and a late check out at 4 pm. For this being a boutique hotel, located in walking distance from everything you’d need or want, the cost isn’t astronomically high. The one thing that is super over-​priced, however, is the food that can be brought to you by room service. Their breakfast menu alone was extremely expensive… I mean $ 10 for Greek yogurt? I think not. I didn’t order room service so it’s not a big deal.
Like I’d said, though, it’s in a perfect location, situated right between the Magnificent Mile and all of the other shopping and foodie stops. Aside from the wonderful locatiln, the staff are also very friendly and welcoming. You will feel comfortable staying in this newly renovated hotel!

CHICAGO, IL: The Conrad Hilton just transformed into The Gwen. Being a SPG guy, this works in my favor and I stayed here for a very low price!
The rooms and lobby area are clean and updated, the bathroom was fine and the staff were friendly. It didn’t have the razzle-​dazzle I would expect from «A Luxury Collection» hotel, but it was like a nice Westin. If their prices jump much higher than the Westin’s, I’ll probably switch.