Hotel Lincoln - JDV by Hyatt — Hotel in Chicago

I stayed at the Hotel Lincoln for 2 nights in July 2025. (I also previously stayed here back in 2017, but this review covers my recent stay).

The rooms were spacious and have character, though they could use some renovation. The service was absolutely atrocious. But the prime location is convenient and has a lot within walking distance.

The lobby looks fancy with a lion statue and a cooler with fruit-flavored water. The best and most memorable part of the hotel is actually the staircase with a wall full of art. My favorite piece (which I remember from 8 years ago and is still there) is of an adorable white kitty. Upstairs is a business center along with a small fitness center.

The bigger elevator was not working so that left two small elevators that were crowded. At times, service workers would wheel in these giant carts that nearly took up the whole elevator.

The upstairs halls felt very claustrophobic, smelled musty, and looked old. The rooms were surprisingly spacious (except for the cramped bathroom). The two twin beds (which is a bit smaller than the two queen beds that most hotels offer) were actually in two separate rooms that were connected. I was pleasantly surprised by the privacy that offered. The rooms definitely had character along with some art, but they also could use some renovation. The window views were mostly of the city - buildings with some skyline, which was adequate.

Service was really really bad. My colleague had a lot of trouble booking the rooms to begin with and trying to speak with various employees. I had a lot of trouble during my stay trying to sort out the billing. And then afterwards, my colleague and I both had to try to fix the billing issues. Just a little bit ago I spent 7 minutes on the phone getting redirected and ending up at a mailbox that was full. Then I spent another 2 minutes at another mailbox that was full. But finally after starting with Hyatt Reservations and eventually getting routed to the actual hotel, I spent another 15 minutes and it seems like things might be sorted out. But the difficulties before, during, and after my stay were numerous. Also during my stay there was a front desk employee who barely spoke English and seemed very disinterested in helping guests.

The hotel is in a prime downtown location. It is within walking distance of Lincoln Park, the zoo, the conservatory, and the lagoon/boathouse, all of which I visited. It is also near a nature museum and Chicago History Museum. There are many restaurants available if you're willing to walk 7 minutes south. On Saturdays and some Wednesdays there is the Green City Market's Lincoln Park farmers' market just across the street.

Hotel Lincoln used to be an independent boutique hotel but recently became a Hyatt, though I'm not sure if it's up to Hyatt's standards.

Some of my colleagues ate at the J. Parker bar/restaurant on the roof and found it unimpressive.

I also felt the valet service was overly expensive. If you ask the employees where to park, they direct you to the Chicago History Museum's lot which is about $34/day in an open lot (my total for 3 days of parking was $102). Valet parking is in an underground lot below that museum parking and cost $150 for the same duration. While my colleague liked the convenience of valet, it's just a 2 block walk to the parking lot and I saved $48 by self-parking.

There is not a good loading zone. When I first arrived, the whole valet section was full of other cars. I had to circle around the block and find an empty parking spot along the street - it cost a tiny amount ($0.62) for 15 minutes and it was just barely enough time to check in and move my luggage. I then relocated my car to the parking lot.

As other reviews have mentioned, the hotel's biggest strength is its location. I'd consider staying again due to the convenience of location but I dread having to deal with the not-so-helpful staff, navigating through the various automated phone messages, continuously being put on hold, and ending up at full inboxes so I need...

We stayed at the Hotel Lincoln for a few nights. We have mixed reviews of our experience. First, it’s a great location near Lincoln Park. Stunning rooftop views from the restaurant, as well as from our 12th floor room. The rooftop restaurant was awesome! Great food served by a really professional and friendly staff. The ambiance was charismatic in and around the hotel for the most part; however, this is where our views changed. The elevator door looked like someone had beaten it with a crow-bar and scratched it as well. The elevator to the rooftop restaurant was broken down part of the time. Our room door squeaked so loudly that it woke people up when I’d leave to get coffee in the mornings. I called multiple times to the front desk before they finally came to the room to address this. At one point the evening guy at the front desk told me the squeaking was from the door frame. I asked how that could be, and was told it was the age of the hotel. No, sorry, it was the door hinges. I finally asked the maintenance guy to bring up some WD-40. He went and got something similar and it immediately worked, of course. Several other times we had to call the front desk to request towels and/or wash cloths because they struggled to leave a set for each checked-in guest. VERY slow response on things like towel requests. I even went to the front desk on multiple occasions and asked them for three wash clothes and was told they couldn’t just hand them to me, and that they’d send someone up with some. One night they never did bring them up after we asked. Also, we had three people in our room and they continually brought up two sets, and sometimes not even full sets. We reminded them each time that we had three guests in the room.

Back to something positive, this stay was over the July 4th weekend and the firework views were absolutely stunning. Better than we could’ve even imagined. The room AC unit kept the room really nice and cool even when it was brutally hot outside. That was super nice!

Unfortunately, the water temperature was a huge issue also. It was hot, and stayed hot, even when we wanted cooler water. We were told that they had recently redone the whole water system and that if we left the water running for a while, it would turn cooler. Nope, it sure didn’t. Would’ve been awesome in the winter but not on hot summer days and nights.

Another issue was in the bathroom. There were three bottles attached to a mount on the shower wall. One was body wash and it was empty. So we asked for it to be refilled. They brought us another bottle, to leave on the shower floor. They never did fill the one on the wall. We ran out of shampoo the next day and that was never refilled. They brought us a small bottle to use. Other than these bathroom issues, housekeeping did a nice job. Room was kept clean and tidy. The pullout couch sleeper was horribly uncomfortable. Way too firm and would only comfortably fit someone five feet or shorter.

Again, some good things and some bad things when we think back to the hotel experience. Not sure if we would visit here...

Hotel Lincoln was a remarkably lucky find that kept us joyously surprised (yes, we found joy on a regular basis there) at nearly every turn!

Before I go on, Kelly at the front desk was one of the huge reasons this was so, throughout our stay! Clone her! Or do the next best thing: find a way to harness her friendliness, knowledge, energy, kindness and willingness to always accommodate guests in a genuine and engaging way. Kelly knows how to deliver on the great, Hyatt Promise of legendary service, and she models it for others including the hotel's staff and guests.

When we saw online that Hotel Lincoln is "pet friendly," we knew we had found our go-to place to stay in Chicago. But we were not prepared for how pet-friendly it would be! From the special doggie treats in the drawer at the front desk, to having Lincoln Park across the street for our pup Gracie's daily walks, our stay and her stay were so much better because Hyatt cares!

We were in town to see a comedian friend's show on grief and loss at Rose Hill Cemetery, and attend a taping of the NPR radio show Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me at the Studebaker Theatre in the Fine Arts Building. Both were sensational, and Gracie was safe and sound (most likely, sleeping) back in our comfy room overlooking Lincoln Park. She likes looking out windows, too.

More than a simple mention is the amazing staff at Hotel Lincoln. EVERY interaction was friendly, accommodating and helpful! When I mentioned this to Kelly at the front desk, she simply said that the hotel tries hard to hire good people, especially if they have worked in the industry before.

Of course, I know that it goes far beyond this. It takes a professional hiring process, but then, the major work begins. Training good people and properly communicating the Hyatt culture and brand cannot be over stressed. Keeping employees happy so they don't jump ship is also important. Once you find good employees, you need to retain them. And, of course, the behavior you expect must be modeled by the entire staff.

My compliments and kudos to all those who are responsible for this at Hotel Lincoln.

I would be remiss if I did not comment on the spectacular views from your rooftop lounge! Wow! We were stunned when we exited the elevator.

Drinks and food were delicious, too, and, once again, the service was exceptional. Jonathan even gave us the 411 on the J. Parker namesake. It was an added special touch that helped make our stay that much more enjoyable and interesting.

Being located so close to Lake Michigan, the Lincoln Park Zoo, the Chicago History Museum (a gem!), and adjacent to the city's bus lines were also major pluses. And right around the corner, our favorite breakfast spot in Chicago: a Nookies restaurant. What amazing flavors!

Oh, and the refillable water bottles with filling stations at the Fitness Center and one other floor? Pure Genius!!!!!

All in all, I give you a 15 on a 10-point scale. Hyatt Legendary service and a great location, indeed! Responses to our photos on Facebook alone, indicate that quite a few friends have a Hotel Lincoln stay in...