Fairfield by Marriott Inn & Suites Chicago Downtown/River North — Hotel in Chicago

This hotel falls well short of all Marriott standards. We booked for 6 nights starting June 26. When we reached the hotel there was one guest just finishing up with the reception desk. In the 10 seconds that it took me to put down my bags and settle my child the front desk staff just disappeared without even so much as an acknowledgement. He came back after 10 minutes during which we were just left waiting with no one around. He did not bother with an apology or anything but was more interested in running his fingers through his long hair. This should have been an indicator on how things would pan out.

On day two the air conditioning died, and the management offered no information and no assistance until you asked. Temperatures in the room were in the 82-to-84-degree change making it super uncomfortable. The front desk staff especially the lady manager was just not bothered. After repeated asking we were given a small fan for which you needed to sit right in front off to feel any sort of airflow. The room window opened maybe about a millimeter, and according to the lady manager this was supposed to replace air conditioning. The only standard response that we got on Day 3 was they are working on it and we have no update. Finally, I decided to ask if they could cancel the remainder of my stay refund me the amount for 4 nights and assist in getting an alternate booking at a another Marriott property in the area. The front desk staff initially tried to palm us off by offering us two bottles of free water as compensation for over 24 hours of no air conditioning. Fortunately, the manager on duty (Landis) was the one individual at the hotel who does his job with some passion for customer service. He made some calls and got us a booking at another Marriott property a couple of blocks away. However, we had to bear a much higher rate. I am still waiting for the final posting on my credit card statement but based on initial calculations I will easily be paying a few hundred dollars more for the trip than I had originally budgeted for no fault of mine. If as a huge brand name like Marriott you cannot provide basic amenities like air conditioning during summer, then should you not be compensating.

In general, the rooms are very small and have just one power outlet right near the entrance door, nothing else. The work desk has no power outlet or chords. How is someone supposed to work at a desk without even one power outlet.

To sum up the hotel is just not worth the exorbitant prices they charge for a room. The entire hotel is probably only surviving because of Landis, Javier and Frenny (the breakfast staff). The rest of the staff especially the lady manager are just showpieces who do nothing and have zero customer...

I have stayed here for 12 days with my family in Aug 2025 and I will sum up my experiences in two sections about what I liked and what i disliked. Let’s start on a positive note. The location is good. It is in the heart of the city with access to restaurants, cafeterias, shops, etc in the area. The room we stayed on the 11th floor over looking the main road and other buildings was good to watch especially during the nights with all the lights from the nearby buildings. The river walk was just 10mins away so it was very nice to get up early in the mornings for our regular walks and jogs. Thats it with the positive things I liked about the hotel. Now with the many things I did not like or don’t appreciate. When you are in the hospitality business, the minimum requirement from you is a smiling face which most of the staff lacked especially the front desk people. The room service was pathetic on the first day. We had to come down to the reception to get our daily needs possibly because they were understaffed that day. The complimentary breakfast menu Oh my good lord. You serve scrambled eggs round the year everyday with pork salamis and cutlets and never in those 12 days did we see a chicken dish. Also its a nightmare for the vegetarians cos all they get to eat is bread, butter, jam & cheese spread thats it. Please visit India and learn a thing or two in hospitality. I was very happy to meet two of the restaurant staffs, I remember the name of the lovely lady Fanny and also one young lad. They were very friendly and looked after us very well with whatever little the hotel had to offer us through them. Even on the day we left we weren't even acknowledged by the front desk people as we were checking out. They seemed to be least bothered. We have lived in good hotels especially the Marriott around the globe but have never come across staff like these. I hope they smile and exchange pleasantries with their guests at-least after reading this review. Over all we had a blast in Chicago and visited the best restaurants, sites, etc in and around the city. Hoping to come back again...

This is the second time we have stayed at the Fairfield in River North- once for 10 days and this most recent time for 4 days. I HIGHLY recommend this hotel. The location alone is unbeatable, and this is coming from someone who has lived in Chicago for 5 years!

From 100+ restaurants in a 5 block radius, to the river being a 5 minute walk away, to all of the tourist attractions and easy access to the train and bus lines, so many great things about the location for this hotel in River North. It is even connected to two renowned restaurants that locals frequent.

ALL of the front desk staff are authentically kind and helpful. I wish I remembered the woman's name who has checked us in/out a few times, I will update this review after our next stay with her name (potentially Lori?), but she is very nice, helpful, and I believe at managerial level. Additionally, the breakfast staff invigorates your day and are welcoming, without being overbearing. Whoever is generating the employee culture at the Fairfield River North is clearly doing a great job and I hope the staff is compensated well for this. The staff takes what would normally be a regular decent hotel with standard amenities and turns it into a GREAT stay.

My two very minor suggestions would be to add a second toaster- there is always a wait for the toaster line and this could be easily remedied. Second, consider adding some sort of tip jar for the breakfast staff.

Book the Fairfield Inn River North. If it is unavailable, consider some of the hotels connected to it to get the same location (the Aloft and Hyatt), however I can not speak to the staff at those hotels, whereas the Fairfield Inn for sure has the best hotel staff I've ever...