The Drake — Hotel in Chicago

We just checked out after staying 5 nights for an event in the hotel’s Gold Coast Room. Overall, the hotel has some beautiful areas, but the rooms are dated and not anything special. We stayed at The Palace Hotel in San Francisco a few years ago and that was in better shape and was nicer than The Drake; that hotel is older by at least 40 years. The Palace also has a lovely indoor pool. The Drake has no pool or fitness center, so really no amenities at all. There is still no room service and the executive lounge remains closed. Self parking is $53 a day and is located down the street. There is no valet that we know of. You also have to pay $30 if you would like the mini fridge to be returned to your room for use during your stay. Otherwise they hold it hostage. If you’d like your room to be cleaned, be sure to ask for this service.

SERVICE: I am greatly disappointed by the level of service we received during our stay. Many of the staff were rude and snippy. I expected more from a 4 star historic hotel in a prime Chicago location. Front desk staff were not overly friendly, but not really rude. However, upon checkout we called for bell service and the bellman was not at all friendly and came across as downright rude. I am someone who believes in being friendly, even if having a bad day, especially if you work in the hospitality industry. So it was disappointing to often have poor interactions with hotel staff when trying to be friendly.

Staff at the hotel entrance mostly ignored us as we came and went from the hotel. No friendly greetings. Staff during our event seemed to have no problem using the Gold Coast Room as a thoroughfare for pushing noisy carts and dishes from one end of the room to the other while our event was going on. Isn’t that what the hallways in the back of the house are for? I doubt those putting on the event paid a premium for the use of the hotel’s facilities so that they could share those facilities with the staff who thought it acceptable to take a shortcut through the ballroom multiple times a day.

We decided to extend our stay an extra day to explore the city after our event was over and suddenly found that our room keys did not work. It would have been nice if the front desk staff had been proactive about updating our room keys for us. I don’t want to rely on a buggy app for the digital room key, as it never works consistently. So then we would have had to stand in a long line on a Friday afternoon to get them fixed, as the concierge said there was no separate line for Hilton Honors, not even for Diamond members. So we decided to wait until later that day and were locked out of our room until then.

FOOD & DRINK: Again, no room service and the Executive Lounge remains closed. We were supposed to have an $18/day food and beverage credit per adult as Hilton Honors Diamond Members but had to ask for that to be applied to our account when we checked out. They don’t apply it proactively.

Food during the event was actually quite good, but the food we ordered from the little pub restaurant inside the hotel entrance was awful. My $35 sea bass lacked seasoning and flavor. The texture of the polenta was like paste and all I could taste was lemon and nothing else in the dish. However, the two drinks I ordered at the bar while waiting on our food were the best drinks I’ve had in awhile. Both the Cranapple Spritz and the Old Fashioned were exceptional. Ordering from Lavazza on our last morning was a complete joke. It was so chaotic and disorganized and that’s all I’ll say about that.

As Diamond members, my husband and I have experienced declining service with Hilton in recent years. We’ve received a complimentary room upgrade only once and the best service we’ve received have been at Hampton Inn and Tru properties in small towns. Larger hotels and resorts…not so much. We’re truly tired of hearing that COVID is the excuse for lack of service and amenities. It’s time to move on and start doing better. No excuses. Guests don’t want to pay a lot of money for poor service and a lack...

Hi there. I am writing this review because what happened at The Drake Hotel was unacceptable ...

The first night I had stayed the mattress springs stuck into my back, I got up at 3am after tossing and turning non stop all night from the bed squeaking non stop and woke up crying in lower back pain and had to sit on the chair in the room all night because of the state of the mattress. I got on the phone to reception half asleep and complained about not being able to sleep and in pain with my lower back.

After a few hours in the early morning I called back again to get the duty manager, who honestly made me feel like I was making it up. I was in awful lower back pain, after sitting on a chair all night in the room, because I no longer could sleep on the mattress it sagged in the middle and the springs stuck into my lower back and the bed squeaked non stop.

I was angry and felt offended and asked to be moved to another room and asked for them to find someone to get my back massaged as I couldn't stand straight and my mum needed a wheelchair to get around which I had to push, but couldn't the next day because I was exhausted from not being able to sleep and from my lower back pain.

I was told by him , we don't do that when the mattress hurt my lower back. He had no regard for my comfort in the hotel as the mattress springs stuck up in the bed. I offered for him to lay on it to test it himself, He declined my offer.

I had my elderly mum with me whom I didn't want to wake up , so l sat on the chair in the room until morning after l was told by reception that the duty manager will contact me , but hadn’t. I insisted he moved me which I requested to another room with a better mattress. By then it was mid morning, so l sat in pain , on a chair for over 6 hours waiting to get another room so l could eventually sleep.

I raised my voice to him in frustration that he wouldn't listen to my complaint seriously. I then responded to his behaviour towards me.

I lost two whole days of my trip with my mum because we could not go anywhere, due to lack of sleep and proper rest. Especially when I had to push my mum in a wheelchair and couldn't from lower back pain.

Not only that he got my family and friends discount revoked for no reason at all when I was a paying customer and should be treated as such . But he indicated ( the duty manager) that because I was on family and friends discount that I should wear it and be happy with that room and that mattress as it was a very expensive hotel.

I actually had to borrow my mother's back brace to pull my lower back muscles tight because I was bending over in lower back.

It concerns me , how someone in that authority think they can treat paying customers that way.

I wasn't happy with his behaviour towards me with his position in the hotel.

I actually had to borrow my mother's back brace to pull my lower back muscles tight because I was bending over in lower back pain. I then called later the next day his manager and explained my concerns about the lack of customer service and disrespect he showed me.

I'm angry and disgusted and offended by the whole experience when it should have been handled differently with no angst at all.

I would like the owner to contact me on email and I'll provide my phone number via...

Service: I’ll start with the good. I had my baby shower here in a private room. I did a high tea. When I tell you they were so organized with the event, I’m not lying! Organizing the shower was so stress free thanks to the event services planner/manager and her staff. The wait staff and wait staff captain were incredible as well. So kind. Went above and beyond what I expected!! I have not one qualm or bad thing to say about Karina and her team!! Everyone was so nice, warm, friendly, go with the flow, informative, approachable, and professional. It was also an amazing price! To do the high tea in a private room that had waited tables, was catered, had my own customizable menu food and design wise, tables, chairs, linens, all cutlery and tea stations for each person, and accommodated anybody’s dietary needs, etc. (for thirty people), it ended up being 3K. They set everything up and tore it all down as well. Even the decor that I brought in myself they offered to help with.

As for the rest of the drakes service, I had a 50/50 experience. They seem really understaffed and don’t always answer the phone (especially if it’s to the front desk). Despite that though, the front desk workers were always helpful and kind. The bellhops were very helpful with moving our bags and switching our room when we needed to promptly at one point as well! Sadly, I had consistently bad experiences though with the bellhops that came up to the room to move bags and the person who managed the service desk at the time. Despite tipping properly and such, they were usually quite rude/in bad moods and were a bit careless. They made me feel like such an inconvenience. I always was nervous to ask for help with anything and in the end ended up moving stuff mostly myself when I left (despite the fact that I was 8 months pregnant at the time). Not super hospitable for a hotel that’s supposed to have a good reputation.😬everyone else was wonderful and kind though. Always holding the door, and asking if I needed anything.

rooms: nicely decorated and clean. Wish they had fans in the bathroom though. Not that big of a deal as it’s a beautiful old building so it makes sense that they don’t. *it is worthwhile to note though that I have stayed at the Drake three separate times now for multiple days at a time. Two of my stays, the people in the rooms next to me smoked weed for hours at night. The smell was so incredibly strong that it made it hard for my mother and I to sleep. Our noses burned. Maybe I should’ve said something, but I didn’t. I do wonder if they could’ve done anything though if I had. Very appalling and awkward situation to be in multiple times that I’ve never experienced at any other hotels in Chicago. I’m not sure that there’s anything that can really be done about this though.

Food: I was very happy with all of drakes food quality wise and...