Level Chicago - Old Town — Hotel in Chicago

My entire family was extremely frustrated and disappointed by Level Chicago. We were in Chicago to move our son into a nearby apartment. Level was very close by and looked beautiful - so it seemed like a great pick. It was expensive, but we decided the amenities and proximity was worth it. I was frustrated before I even arrived. I had called ahead about parking as we were traveling with 2 pick up trucks. There was clearly a miscommunication, as I thought parking was included. Once we were assigned a spot, it was too tight for the vehicle we described to the desk staff (as they asked for make, model, license plate before assigning it). We had to call from the lot to get it changed. They then assigned us a double spot (which we could have potentially parked both vehicles in, but they didn't tell us until after we paid to park the second vehicle in another, less expensive, lot (tip - at 1225 Old Town Apartments - BUT this was EXTREMELY tight for a pick up truck)). We had 3 residents staying in the room but they would not provide 3 keys - you had to list the names of others and the staff would let them into the elevator area to come up. Even on a weekday and mid-day, there are too few elevators for the residents and people staying in the hotel - so with COVID restrictions lifted - 8 people would cram into an elevator. The thermostats in the apartment did not work accurately - we set both the bedroom and the main area to 70 degrees. In the morning, the main area was set to 48 degrees and the bedroom to 74 even though we had not touched the thermostats. The TVs in each room used different HDMI inputs in each room and did not have instructions. Most of the remote buttons didn't actually do anything so we had to call for assistance just to watch television. The man who came to fix them said the batteries must be bad, but then did not replace them. The bathtub/shower was extremely slippery while showering and has no hand rails. We booked a two bedroom suite (with one king bed) and had only 2 towels. We asked for more, but they did not deliver them. The floor tiles in the apartment were not completely in place and there were gaps in them. The door to the apartment had a very loud creak when closing - which we fixed ourselves. The staff were a bit cool - not necessarily impolite, but certainly not warm and accommodating. The website neglected to mention that they charge you a $200 deposit when you check in for incidentals. The staff acted as if I was ignorant not to expect this, but most rentals and hotels just take a card as security if there is an issue - they do not actually charge the money and have you wait 5 business days for it to be refunded after your stay. There are limits to how many people you can have in the apartment at one time (which was 8, if you...

The facility is upscale and well appointed. Location is great from an access and safety standpoint. The amenities and rooms are amazing. Very much enjoyed my stay and I will be back.

Room for improvement: Parking and guest services.

Parking: I am used to difficult parking in some locations. I drive a modest 1/2 ton pickup, not a Prius. I call ahead to see if it's a surface lot or if a ramp and if a ramp, what the clearance is. I did so here. Garage doors are tight. I had to pull the mirrors in to avoid hitting the sides. The assigned parking space was not designed for pickups and did not account for any extra space or other vehicles not being parked correctly.

I could tell the assigned spot would not work well so I tried to call the front desk to get reassigned. (More on this later but I could not get through after remaining on hold for 5 minutes. A reoccurring experience.) I was left no choice but to use the the assigned space so I could move on with my life.

The problem was a combination of the space not being large enough and being between two other drivers that chose to park somewhat diagonally in their assigned spots. I had to squeeze out the door myself but the door would not open far enough to get my bag out through the opening. I had to roll down my window and pass my bag through, dropping it to the floor. Frustrating if the parking is free. Ridiculous when you pay and extra $65.00 for the experience.

Guest Services: For my stay, getting in touch with guest services was a protracted process. I experienced it 4+ times. Level 1 gave me a message and put me on hold. Level 2, after an extended hold, let me choose the property. Level 3 let me choose guest services and put me on hold again until someone was available. This process took 3-8 minutes. Level 1 was by far the longest portion of the process and varied in length between calls. I imagined it as purgatory where I had to pay for past sins before I could choose a property.

The bill had 18 line items...for one night...for one room and no extras. Seems like much of this could be rolled up into fewer line items and called "Occupancy Tax" or some such. Maybe 18 line items could become 3-room, tax, total. I'm sure other have complained that there was not enough detail and that's may be why it is this way. I get it, can't please everyone. I stay in some places for weeks. I would have a phone book of a bill if I did that here.

Summary: I really like this place and look forward to coming back. I may not if I am in a pickup. Might have to rent a Prius to stay here. The facilities are great but the process appears setup for long term apartment residents rather than hotel guest convenience. Once you make it to a room, you won't want to...

Disappointed Birthday Stay – Not Worth the Hype

I was really looking forward to celebrating my birthday here, but unfortunately, my experience was far from what I hoped. I wouldn’t recommend staying here unless some serious improvements are made.

I called ahead when booking to ask about an early check-in and was told it wasn’t guaranteed but that they’d note my request. Totally fair. However, when I arrived early, the receptionist was curt and unwelcoming, simply telling me the room wouldn’t be ready until closer to the usual time. Again, I get it but the tone wasn’t great. He said we could use the amenity floor while we waited and that they’d call when the room was ready.

Here’s where things went south. Everything in the hotel (elevators and amenities) requires a key card. We hadn’t been given one. So we got stuck in the elevator and couldn’t access anything we were told we could use. It was uncomfortable and a little embarrassing. We ended up just walking around the area to kill time.

We never got the promised call that the room was ready. When we returned at check-in time, the same receptionist saw me and awkwardly walked away. That interaction felt strange and dismissive. Another employee helped me and asked me to complete a bunch of paperwork and security deposits that could’ve been handled during my call or earlier when I first arrived. One comment stood out to me: “Oh, you’re the one who hasn’t filled out the forms yet.” Not exactly welcoming.

Finally got into the room and was ready to relax, only to find a long blonde hair on a dirty table. Frustrating, considering we were told we couldn’t check in early because the room was being cleaned. It clearly wasn’t properly cleaned. Not even 15 minutes in, three maintenance men knocked and came in to install cable boxes on the TVs staying for around 30 minutes. It felt intrusive and made me uneasy.

The next day, our key card randomly stopped working before check-out time—locking us out of the room, elevator, and amenity spaces. Thankfully, a member of the cleaning crew was able to open our door.

Then, still well before our scheduled check-out, housekeeping unlocked the door and walked in asking “Are you leaving soon”? I felt rushed, pressured to leave, unwelcome, and an invasion of privacy.

The building itself is beautiful, but the service and experience didn’t match. From the lack of communication and cleanliness to the interruptions and lack of hospitality, it was disappointing especially for a birthday trip I was so excited about. I sincerely hope management takes this feedback seriously and improves the guest experience going forward. I’d be open to giving them another shot if they make...