The Tremont Chicago Hotel at Magnificent Mile

I visit Chicago at least once a year and have stayed in many hotels. Tremont was always one I avoided based on reviews. Gave it a go as reviews had started to improve.
Normally I am not one for long reviews but the current ones here are so wide ranging thought I should share my full experience. So here goes…
On arrival and to be honest for most of the stay there is no one to help with your cases, arrival etc. Checkin was smooth, easy and friendly. Lifts, there are 2, we had no issues during the stay. Now we start to go downhill. Got to the room which was a reasonable size. The fridge I reserved was not in the room. Rang reception, they said they would get it resolved… Guess what it never appeared. I do not intend to spend my holiday chasing people up to do their job! The bathroom had peeling wall paper, heavily cracked sink. There was only enough towels for 1 person to shower and wash hair. Sticking with the 1 person theme there was only 1 cup for coffee… It almost felt like room had been prepared for 1 person. My husband went to reception to get more towels.
Let’s put some positives in, the bed was really comfy. Liked the heat lamp in the bathroom. Charging ports were good as well. Wi if was OK as well.
Ok back to the dislikes. The windows were not double glazed therefore there was cold draft, lots of condensation and literally iced shut. The tv was a good size but the sound would cut out for a couple of seconds every few minutes which was annoying. Guess what another thing reported but not fixed. Water temperature in the shower was just above Luke warm, no risk of burning. The pressure for the shower was pretty poor as well. If you ran the tap for the sink, it was good.
Housekeeping one day decided they weren’t going to clean. Front desk managed to get that one sorted. Front desk were also really helpful when arranging to send a parcel.
Would I go back? Really depend on price and room, my room certainly had not been renovated. Location was great with ditkas next door and Starbucks over the road.

This review is an up-​and-​down. We had a large group at the hotel. The rooms were about three. Somewhere hot summer summer little dirty.
On the other hand the staff and managers and the front desk were exceptional!
They tried to fix every problem we had and get a halfway decent job.
For that I gave the hotel and overall four star.

First, let me start off by saying that my wonderful review probably has something to do with the fact that I’m an SPG Platinum Preferred Guest. I woke up on a Saturday afternoon and decided on a whim that I wanted to spend the rest of my weekend in Chicago. I got onto the SPG website, and booked a room at the last minute for only $ 149 per night which is a steal given the location of the hotel.
I hopped in my car and arrived at the Tremont 2 and a half hours later. At check-​in, I was greeted warmly and the staff was friendly and very helpful for the duration of my stay. They informed me that my room was on the 16^th floor and pointed me to the elevator. Turns out the 16^th floor is the top of the hotel. When I got to my floor, I realized that there were only 3 doors down the hall. I was given one of the hotel’s 3 penthouse suites! All to myself… for $ 150 per night.
It was a beautifully updated one bedroom, 1 and a half bathroom suite, complete with a baby grand piano in the living room, and that wasn’t even the best part! The windows wrapped around the entire suite, all the way up to the cieling, and showing some great views of the John Hancock building, which is directly across the street, and you can see all the way down to the lake!
The bathroom in the bedroom was updated and gorgeous with a shower and a nice big soaking tub. The bedroom was large with a nice sized closet, and the bed was fabulous. Living room had a couch, a fire place, a dinig room table and a little wet bar with a fridge, as well as a half bathroom. At the last minute, I ended up wanting to stay an additional night which they had no problem accommodating.
There is a restaurant right downstairs that serves great food, and the server gave me some great tips about places to go check out nearby.
Bottom line: my stay at the Tremont hotel was absolutely fabulous, and I will absolutely be staying there again (as long as they promise to put me in the Michigan Avenue Suite again).
I don’t even play the piano, but I sure took pictures on that baby grand as though I do! hahahaha

We stayed here a couple of weeks ago for four nights, and were very happy with everything. The staff was great. The bed was very comfortable and the room was clean and spacious. Obviously location was A+, but the staff all around made it a great stay. We will be staying here again.

Now that Starwood has had this hotel for a few years some improvements have been made but it’s still an average hotel — there are worse in Chicago for sure but I expect better from Starwood. The Tremont’s rooms are generally small with limited power outlets, but the beds are comfortable and the room is typically clean. Be aware though that the air conditioning units are between the bathroom and bedroom and are often VERY loud every time they’re running — not great if you’re a light sleeper (or in some rooms, any type of sleeper). And the service is always marginal from the valet to front desk. Good luck catching a cab in the morning, and even better luck if you need hotel staff to help out with something or be at all flexible when you ask for assistance. And if you want to exercise, or speak with someone in Accounting for instance, that’s all located a few blocks away at the Westin Michigan Avenue — have fun walking to the Westin in your exercise clothes during winter in Chicago.
I’m okay with some service misses when you’re at a budget hotel, but the Tremont these days is not remotely a budget hotel and they’re generally charging average to premium prices. I will still likely stay here when the rates are right but this is by far one of my least recommended Starwood hotels in the country.

It was the right price and the staff is wonderful but the bathrooms are a timewrap to the seventies. The bedroom seems to have been updated nicely and the bed is terrific! Very convenient location! Skip the breakfast, it’s blah.

I really liked this place. It’s a quiet little boutique hotel a few blocks from The Magnificent Mile. It reminded me of some of the smaller hotels I’ve stayed at in Paris. Yeah it probably doesn’t have all the amenities of a Westin or W but if you’re looking for something unique stay here. And the staff is awesome.

First off, I want you to ignore all the old reviews of this place. It was obviously remodeled very recently.
I have seen a couple of bad recent reviews, but honestly, they seem to be from people who are just the worst type of person.
I stayed here for two nights last weekend and it was perfectly fine. Yeah, the room is small, the bathrooms are a bit older looking, and there are really no frills here. But, the main room is very modern, even including a clock with an Apple Lightning charger, which I have never actually seen even in the most lavish hotels.
This hotel was also half the price of any other hotel in downtown Chicago. It is right in the thick of things with walkable access to the beach, Navy Pier, the red line, and deep dish pizza. It is also very easy to get to Lincoln Park, Old Town, and Wrigley.
If you want a place to sleep that is nice, cheap, and accessible to all the places, stay here. If you need a place where your purse dog Mrs Buttersworth can run around and be coddled, go ahead and spend 600 bucks a night at every other hotel.

NEVER STAY HERE! By far one of the worst hotels I have ever stayed at. First, the doormen/​bellhops were of no service. We pulled up and they never came to unload the vehicle. I thought maybe they were just valet. After unloading 8 bags and bringing them inside, one of them asked if we wanted to use the bell cart. They were actually the bellmen! Upon checking in, we found out that the room was not ready. I expected this as it was 11 AM. The bellmen then asked us if we wanted to store our luggage until our room was available and we accepted. Upon deciding to add our laptop to the bags in storage, I felt I better tip the man after he was watching me load the bag with the computer. I felt it’s better to tip (even though we had no service) than for him to watch me and decide that he was angry for no tip and then steal from our bags.
Upon getting a call at 3:30 that our room was ready, we made it back to the hotel only to find no doormen or bellhops. We even helped an older lady into the building with her bags.
The front desk attendant asked if we wanted help to our room. I would say with 8 bags that would be nice!
The girl who brought them up had obviously no training. She didn’t know where to put our bags and I had to suggest where to put them. She also smashed a roller bag against some long gowns that are delicate.
Once getting into the room, we noticed how small the space is. I sat down and immediately noticed the dirt (which looks like black mold) in the vents. See attached picture.
Walking into the bathroom was the icing on the cake. DISGUSTING. First it’s old and worn out. The lighting above the sink is dim, toilet looked dirty, there was hair on the clean towels, the cabinets have screws drilled into them from the outside. Just look at the pics for yourself. My girlfriend wanted to take a bath and after noticing the bathroom, we both said no way.
They only had 2 bath towels in the bathroom and 2 wash clothes. My GF had to use my towel to dry her hair.
The water to the shower took forever to heat up and the shower won’t shut off.
I also noticed the sheets don’t even cover the mattress/​box springs.
I travel frequently and I have NEVER seen a hotel room in this condition.
Take my advise and run. It is a complete waste of money. Unfortunately we are here for 3 days for a wedding and with Lalapalooza the same weekend, there are little choices left to make a change in hotels.

I have stayed here before and it has always been very nice. The building is old but it has a certain charm about it that I like. I basically come here to get a good night’s sleep in a decent hotel. So far the staff and everyone has been nice and I don’t foresee any problems.
Now it’s time to check out Ditka’s

Great location right downtown within walking distance to lots of cool places. I had a show at the Laugh Factory and was a $ 8 Über ride away at night.
Important to note that there were two different elevators that ran on different buttons, so sometimes you had to check to see which one was closest to your floor before hitting the button.
I stayed on the 14^th floor, and everything was quiet. I got a great night sleep in the comfy bed and the hotel staff at the front was very nice. Some places you check in and the zombie employees show no emotion or care.
The iphone 5 compatible stereo next to the bed was a nice treat. I didn’t even have to break out my phone charger and was able to play some tunes in the room from my phone.
The bed was comfy as always at SPG hotels. Charming hotel. The A/​C wall unit was easy to use and kept the room nice and cool during the summer. Would stay here again if I come back to town.

Disappointed!!! Sent over to the annex building because my confirmed request for an additional bed or sofa bed was not honored. The new room has mold in the shower and the paint in the shower ceiling is bubbled and peeling. Additionally I have a view of a wall and the sound of the HVAC next door humming loudly in the background. If they suggest a room in the Annex, Don’t accept it!!! This not a typical $ 200+ a night Starwood property!

To put it simply, this hotel’s allure is its location. It is just a few minutes away from the Hancock building, the magnificent mile, all that’s offered in the Gold Coast and all of the amazing restaurants in River North. It’s all about the location, location, location!!! Although it is pretty close to all of these landmarks, it is still several blocks away from the closest CTA stop but if you don’t mind a walk then it’s not that big of a problem.
The exterior of the hotel suggested it’s age, but not in a bad way — it looked well kept from the outside view. The lobby of the Tremont also looked well-​kept, though the lobby wasn’t much of a lobby — it was more like a hallway if anything. When my fiancé and I arrived to our room on the 11^th floor — the SPG preferred guest level — I was shocked to see how cramped the room was and that was for an upgraded room. I would hate to see what a «normal» room was like because ours was fit for anyone other than me and my fiancé who average a height of 6“2′.
I realize that I’m taller than most but the toilet seat should not be so low to the ground where it looks to be appropriate for a toddler. Other than that the bed was comfortable, but the bed pretty much took up the entirety of the room so there wasn’t much room to walk around.
Me and my fiancé had gone to the city for a little stay-​cation for the Memorial Day holiday weekend. He is an SPG member so we decided to stay here and use his points. We weren’t entirely disappointed with the hotel, but I cannot say that we would stay here again though the location is superb. The people who work there are also very friendly!
I think that if you want to be close many of the Chicago landmarks then you would perhaps want to try this hotel as it will save your feet from blistering too much.

Nice room. Small bathroom. Comfy bed. Preschool playground next door and traffic cops with whistles in the morning. In room coffee or Starbucks across the street.

I just had a great stay at the Tremont. Can’t beat the neighborhood with most of classic Chicago in walking distance. My room on the Starwood Preferred Guest level was very nice and had a great view of the Fourth Presbyterian Church across the street.
Nice details like the charging station next to the bed. And the bed itself was super comfy. All in all a great hotel.

I Stayed at the Tremont for 4 nights during my stay in the Chi and was very satisfied ! Excellent location, great amenities (modern upgrades from the flat TV in the room & the lobby to iphone chargers –yes, plural-​in the room) and excellent customer service. Clean and very affordable, especially compared to the rest of the hotels around here. I would definitely stay here again and would recommend the Tremont for your stay in Chicago!!! Btw, there’s a nice little restaurant/​bar downstairs, right next door to the hotel that was so convenient and delicious too :)

I stayed at this hotel for business — it was the only affordable one I could choose from since all the other hotels were sold out or highly priced at the time.
I really hate to give this hotel 2 stars, but I truly think the hotel is old and should not be under SPG. The rooms are extremely old, musty, and small. It’s also difficult to find an electric plug as they aren’t abundant. I’d say the rooms are about 30% smaller than other SPG hotels I have stayed at in Chicago (River North, Mag Mile, W Lakeshore, etc.).
When you walk in, there is really no lobby either. There’s a small desk that makes the venue feel like a hostel. You get your two keys, choose your amenity, and get some rest.
I do not believe there is a gym, and the breakfast they provide is in the restaurant next door. I opted to just get food from another restaurant down the street.
I’d only advise those who can get rock bottom rates to stay at this hotel. Without a decent gym, platinum recognition, and with the old rooms, I think this hotel needs some fixing up.

This is a really odd rundown hotel near Mag Mile in Chicago. I stayed her because I am a very loyal SPG member, but I was really surprised by the quality. I give it two stars:
— One for the good location right near Mag Mile
— One for the nice service from employees and the SPG points I earned
Now for the bad /​odd. This place is just really old and rundown. I think Starwood acquired it a year ago or so and just hasn’t renovated yet (but why!?!). I thought it was a Luxury Collection property when I was booking, and boy was I wrong! You can sort of see how this hotel used to be grand, but it certainly isn’t anymore.
Some more specific concerns:
— The elevators in this place TOOK FOREVER. Seriously, very slow and inconvenient
— My floor (8 or so, I can’t remember) was really rundown — paint chipping, dents in the walls, etc
— Because it is so old, the property just seemed dirty, like they couldn’t get it clean with all the dust, grim, etc. of all the years
If you are just looking for a cheap place to stay in Chicago, really love SPG points, and won’t spend any time at the hotel, you can stay here. Otherwise, I’d recommend you look elsewhere.

I am a Starwood Platnium member who travels frequently for work and have stayed a variety of SPG properties across the U.S. over the past few months.
Part of my reason for joining SPG was because of the availability of their hotel chains in virtually every part of the country. While I’m understanding that most SPG properties may vary in the service/​quality of the establishment between the different tiers (Four points — low, Sheraton — middle, W/​Westin — high) my stay at the Tremont reminded me that sometimes SPG just gets it all wrong with their growth strategy, and it comes at the expense of the consumer.
I arrived at this property for Lollapalooza weekend and with the generous help of a friend was able to book a very competitive Starfriends rate. For the Tremont, it seems price was the ONLY thing that had going for it.
Some of the many cons I witnessed during my stay on their supposed 16^th «Platnium» Floor:
1) Upon entering my room, I discovered a dead bug when I rolled out my bathmat. Strike one.
2) No ice buckets. You have to call the front desk for ice (this is the only hotel I’ve ever stayed in that does this) and when I did call, they ran out of ice buckets. Strike two.
3) As I started my shower and walked out, I noticed a giant puddle forming near the toilet/​sink area. I then noticed that the bathtub was not leveled and was causing water to spill out the sides of the tub. Strike three.
Normally a player would be out but some other things I noticed:
4) Burn marks on the bathroom window… wtf?
5) The door connecting to the other room next to us had a crack/wasn’t aligned properly so the noise from the other room easily penetrated through. Talk (or don’t talk) about privacy…
6) When checking in there were no «green room initiative» placards. You have to call the front desk for that program. So weird and inefficient. How hard is it to get a few paper placards to hang on your door.
7) There was a loose floorboard/​board under the sink that stuck out and shows how run down the place is.
8) Internet is slow. There is no wifi password to it so anyone can penetrate the network. Seriously? There’s no excuse here, it doesn’t take any effort to put a password on for your guests.
9) There is only one bedside table instead of two. Hence if you want to keep your wallet/​phone/​keys etc next to you, then you have to pick the side with the table.
10) On the last day, the old creeky elevators that take FOREVER to go up and down broke down (as expected). We had to haul the luggage down.
Maid service failed to replace plastic cups in the room and water bottles.
Its sad to see such a historical place have so many problems that it challenges any idea that they should even continue their operations as a hotel. Some of these issues are just a basic expectation when you as a consumer fork over your money. When I raised these issues to staff, they were very accommodating and on the last day of my stay upgraded me to a much bigger, grand suite. That room was spectacular I was appreciative towards the gesture. However, I can’t help but to feel sorry for the staff because my complaints almost seem to draw little emotion from them — as if these issues/​complaints come up all the time. In all honesty, I think with some remodeling, and more available resources/​staff, this hotel could be very charming.
TLDR: For the price you pay its not worth it given the current condition. While the staff is extremely courteous, the inconveniences outweigh the pros.

The Tremont is exactly as advertised (from reviewers). Clean room? Check. Comfy bed? Check. Great location? Check. Old? Check.
Rooms
Yes, old, but read on. I’m not sure what some people’s fuss is all about when they make it sound like this place is falling apart. Even though the hotel is old, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the room was in great shape. The washroom looks like it had been updated in more recent years. The shower even had a guage showing what temperature the water was at. Fancy shmancy. There was an arm chair that also looked newer. The bed was very comfortable and had a gigantic mother of a headboard which gave it some class. The ceiling light was dim but the room had numerous lamps which helped a lot with lighting. Not much of a view from Room 501 as it was looking right onto all the building’s air conditioning units. No issues with free wifi. The room was clean and tidy which was what really mattered. No pieces of furniture falling apart, no mold, no bugs.
Elevators
I had read complaints about the elevators being too slow. IMO it wasn’t bad at all. We waited more than a minute probably just once in our five night stay. Believe me, there are far worse elevators I’ve had to use and to be honest, I often wait longer for the elevators in my «modern» office building at work, which has 6 elevators and only 2 more floors than the Tremont. Of course it’s also hard to compare the two because of the amount of people in and out of the office. But just sayin’. We were in Room 501 which is located right next to the elevator. Didn’t hear a peep all night.
Location
What a great location. One block to the Magnificent Mile. One block to the John Hancock building. Four blocks to the Red Line which gets you anywhere you want to go including downtown and to and from the airport. A short bus ride to the zoo. Can’t beat it. Tons of eateries and cafes around the vicinity, and a short walk up Rush Street where many trendy restaurants are located.
Staff
Front desk staff were friendly and always greeted us as we came and went. House keeping was fine and it’s a nice touch to receive a free bottle of water daily. This is the small touch that definitely makes life a little easier.
Cons
Just a few small negatives to note. The safe didn’t really work properly. I wasn’t able to turn the deadbolt to lock it. One day we did not get a foot towel for the shower and another day there were no cups at the sink
These are small details and I’m sure they would have been rectified quickly but it wasn’t worth the trouble.
Misc
Also took advantage of the keycard which had a promotion for a free upgrade for the Sun and Stars admission to the John Hancock Observatory. Paid for one admission and got to go up once in the day and once at night.
Summary
At first I was going to give this place 3 stars but then I gave it some more thought and considering the cost of hotels in Chicago, Tremont is great if you can score a deal. I’d definitely come back.