I really should have published this much earlier, but my procrastination meant I didn’t start writing until after finals were over... sorry about that. If I hadn’t realized that, if I kept dragging my feet, my Park Hyatt New York trip would be here before this post was done, I probably would have delayed it even longer...
Ahem, on to the main topic: my and LD’s early-April trip to Park Hyatt Chicago.
Image from google
Before the stay
Redemption method: one of the 2FN certificates from the Chase Hyatt co-branded card signup bonus
Stay date: 4/13/2017
Room type: king bed standard room (I didn’t even try for an upgrade; at check-in all I could think about was where the dog at Park Hyatt had gone...)
Room number: 1612 (the building itself is pretty tall, but the hotel only occupies the lower 18 floors)
Status: Discoverist from the co-branded card (I have to complain that the current World of Hyatt logo is really ugly....)
Charges: three minibar snacks for $30 (I even asked around in a few group chats first, and a lot of people said they were free, so I proudly told LD they were complimentary and we could eat as much as we wanted. We opened all three jars, and then when I saw the bill, I almost cried.... Really shouldn’t be so greedy :sad:)
Getting there
Since we live not too far from Chicago, we drove ourselves and specifically asked the hotel about parking fees. In the World of Hyatt mobile app, there’s a contact us feature where you can choose call, FB messenger, or twitter; I picked FB messenger because I’m a night owl and sent the question at 1:52 am, and the hotel replied by 3:30am. That response time definitely deserves credit. As for the parking price... let’s just say I had to find another solution.
6-24 hours: $69. That’s actually not outrageous for downtown Chicago, but for people like us who go to Chinatown several times a month, it’s obviously much cheaper to park there overnight for just $15 (Uber there and back was about 20+, and with the monthly reimbursement from The Platinum Card® from American Express, the cost was pretty low). So here’s a tip as well: if you’re staying at a downtown Chicago hotel and need parking, you can park in Chinatown instead. There are two large parking lots there, both near the train station. If you don’t need overnight parking and you’re eating at a restaurant in Chinatown, remember to ask for the special merchant parking validation when you pay. Then you only need to pay $2 when you leave.
By the way, our lunch in Chicago that day was the city’s famous deep-dish pizza. LD and I originally wanted to order some appetizers in addition to one pizza and wings, but the server stopped us right away: “One deep-dish pizza is already more than the two of you can finish.” Well... that turned out to be absolutely true. In the end, we only ate half the pizza and two wings.... That pizza was seriously packed with filling. If you ever get the chance to visit Chicago, it’s definitely worth trying.
The stay experience
As an animal lover who has to visit the local zoo in every city, the first thing I did after getting out of the Uber and entering the hotel was look for the little dog that lives at the Park Hyatt. But like I mentioned above, when we checked in, all I saw was the blanket and food bowl in the corner by the front desk where it usually rests. The dog itself was nowhere to be found... I was so distracted that I didn’t even care about asking for an upgrade at check-in. The front desk agent politely handed me the key, and with people waiting behind me to check in, I just left a little disappointed. Later, when I went downstairs for dinner, I took a better look around. The hotel lobby was still quite grand.
The hotel entrance, photographed when getting out of the Uber
Walking in through the main entrance, the first thing you see is a small reception desk, but there wasn’t anyone there at the time, so we kept walking inside.
Further in is the main lobby. The front desk is on the left side. It was pretty busy at the time, so I didn’t take photos there.
The little dog bed in the corner by the front desk
To the left of that small reception desk is a large lounge with drinks available and very comfortable seating. I only realized at checkout that the dog’s real main bed was actually in a small room inside this lounge.
Fossils by the lounge, which gave the space an elegant and refined feel
Next up was our room on the 16th floor, which the elevator reached in no time.
First, a few photos of the hallway. Pretty standard, with several paintings hanging along the corridor near the elevators.
And now, time for the room photos~
Next to the king-size bed was a wooden sliding door, and behind it was a whirlpool tub
Everything in the minibar except the water was chargeable... we opened three snacks at $10 each :cry:
The iPad by the bed already displayed my name. From this control panel, you could see the time and weather, and also place simple dining requests and set a wake-up call.
The signature Park Hyatt Chicago lounge chair was incredibly comfortable. I almost didn’t get back up....
Park Hyatt bath amenities brand: Le Labo - SANTAL 33 (thanks to reader Bo for the correction). At first I thought it was some kind of lab reagent :lol:
We had dinner at Typhoon in Chinatown. Since the deep-dish pizza had been so filling, we only ordered seafood, but unexpectedly the eel dish was also very filling........
When we were leaving the next day, I specifically asked the front desk whether I could see the hotel’s beloved mascot. The agent happily agreed. After quite a while, a female staff member gently—very gently; at first I thought maybe her boyfriend was about to come out :mrgreen:—called over a chubby little dog wearing a Burberry scarf. She explained that he had just been woken up, so he was still wobbling as he walked. As soon as he saw me, he plopped down on the floor with a look that said, “Come pet me already, and then let me go back to sleep.” I was more than happy to oblige. Just as I was about to leave and take a photo, two mother-daughter pairs arrived to check in. When they saw such a cute dog, they all gathered around. The dog had just stood up to go back, but when he saw four more people surround him, he immediately flopped back down and gave up resisting, haha. I looked him up online afterward and found out his name is Parker, a one-eyed pug. His coat was very sleek, and you could tell the hotel takes great care of him.
And finally, here’s the Park Hyatt Chicago room key to close out this review. Overall, the experience was excellent: first-rate facilities, friendly service, and best of all, a dog. I also heard Parker was adopted from local PAWS (Pets Are Worth Saving), and the hotel’s pet fee is donated to that organization, which makes it even more meaningful. So I’d definitely recommend that those living near Chicago consider using one of their two free night certificates here for the experience.
Also, I’m looking forward to my August trip to Park Hyatt New York, and I promise I’ll write a review for that one too! If you can’t wait, you can first check out our Boss’s review. It’s extremely detailed and really makes you feel like you’re there. (Flattery complete, I’m out :grin:)