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We decided to stay at the Ritz-Carlton Chicago because we needed to be in Chicago for a couple of nights. I was impressed by this property, as it was the first Marriott-family property in the US that I have stayed at since the start of the Pandemic that seemed to have service fully restored. This is a very well rounded property with great views.
Booking the Ritz-Carlton in Chicago.
The Ritz-Carlton Chicago charged $400 per night for our stay. Ford booked us through the Marriott STARS program, which offered complimentary daily breakfast, a $100 property credit, and more. Marriott Bonvoy Platinum members don't get complimentary breakfast at Ritz-Carlton properties.
I paid with the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express® Card, which offers a $300 annual Marriott credit, and my anniversary just hit, so I could apply that towards this stay. The card had an Amex offer of $50 in savings when spending $200+.
The Ritz-Carlton Chicago is a Marriott Bonvoy property, meaning that a free night redemption costs anywhere from 40,000 to 60,000 Bonvoy points per night. Marriott Bonvoy will soon be eliminating award charts.
The Ritz-Carlton is in Chicago.
The Ritz-Carlton Chicago is at Water Tower Place. The Ritz-Carlton is on floors 11 through 31 in Water Tower Place.
The exterior of the Ritz-Carlton.
The hotel is close to the John Hancock Center, and just a few blocks from Lake Michigan.
Water Tower Place and John Hancock Center are located there.
It is easy to find the entrance to the Ritz-Carlton because it is next to the Residences at Water Tower.
The exterior of the Ritz-Carlton.
The check-in is at the Ritz-Carlton Chicago.
The lobby of the Ritz-Carlton Chicago is on the 12th floor, so there is only seating on the ground level.
The Ritz-Carlton entrance in Chicago is on the ground level.
The public spaces at the Ritz-Carlton Chicago are gorgeous, and the hotel recently underwent a full renovation. Christmas decorations were already up.
The Ritz-Carlton Chicago has a lobby.
There was plenty of seating and reception in the lobby.
The Ritz-Carlton Chicago has a reception.
The lobby seating at the Ritz-Carlton.
The check-in process was quick and we were told that we had been upgraded to a Lakeside Suite. We were made aware of the hotel's amenities, and were happy to see that everything was working well.
As a Bonvoy Titanium member, I was given a voucher that could be used for discounts. We could save 20% on all food and beverage purchases, and 10% on spa services, which is a nice touch, and makes a lot of the on-property pricing more reasonable.
Ritz-Carlton Chicago Bonvoy Titanium discount voucher.
Ritz-Carlton Chicago Bonvoy Titanium discount voucher.
Most of the hotel's food and beverage outlets could be found on the lobby floor. We got to our room with the keys in hand.
The Ritz-Carlton Chicago has a lobby.
The Ritz-Carlton Chicago has a lobby.
The Ritz-Carlton Chicago Lakeside Suite.
We were assigned a room on the 30th floor. After exiting the elevators, we turned right and found our room at the end of the hallway on the left.
The hallway of the Ritz-Carlton.
The Lakeside Suites are so large that they are advertised as being 1,000 square feet. The living room was led into by the hallway that contained the minibar.
The entryway of the Ritz-Carlton Chicago.
The living room had both a dining and living area.
The living room of the Ritz-Carlton.
The living room of the Ritz-Carlton.
The dining area was close to the entrance and had a circular table with four chairs.
The dining area of the Ritz-Carlton.
A bottle of sparkling wine, some nuts and local popcorn in Chicago-themed mugs, and a welcome amenity waiting on the table were all part of the Marriott STARS benefit.
The Ritz-Carlton Chicago has a welcome amenity.
The minibar was near the entrance and had drinks and snacks for purchase. It was cool to see a hotel back to full service after the minibars were emptied.
The Chicago suite has a minibar.
The Chicago suite has a minibar.
There was a couch and a seat in the living room.
The Ritz-Carlton Chicago has a suite living area.
The Ritz-Carlton Chicago has a suite living area.
The views from our room were amazing. The guest rooms on the 13th floor of the Ritz-Carlton have a lot of views from there.
The suite view of the Ritz-Carlton.
The suite view of the Ritz-Carlton.
The suite view of the Ritz-Carlton.
Two sliding doors led into the bedroom area of the living room. There was a king size bed in the bedroom.
The Ritz-Carlton Chicago has a bedroom.
There was a wall-mounted TV in the bedroom.
The Ritz-Carlton Chicago has a bedroom.
There was a closet to the side of the bedroom.
The Ritz-Carlton Chicago has a suite closet.
The bathroom had double sinks, a toilet, a walk-in shower, and a bathtub.
The Ritz-Carlton Chicago has a bathroom.
The bathroom was great, except for the lack of separation between the toilet and the rest of the bathroom, which was odd. Changing plumbing in older buildings can be difficult.
The Ritz-Carlton Chicago has a toilet and bathtub.
The shower had a handheld shower head.
The Ritz-Carlton Chicago has a shower.
Ritz-Carlton properties have standard toiletries from Asprey London. I have always found this toiletry line to be nice.
The Ritz-Carlton in Chicago has some products.
The Ritz-Carlton Chicago has daily housekeeping and turndown service. It has been a long time since I saw a bedside chocolate.
The Ritz-Carlton Chicago has a turndown service.
Bonvoy members can use the free wi-fi throughout the property.
The Ritz-Carlton Chicago has a restaurant.
The Ritz-Carlton Chicago's signature restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It is located on the 12th floor and is in the lobby.
The Ritz-Carlton Chicago has a lobby.
On the other side of the lobby is a bar that is open in the afternoons and evenings. The bar serves drinks and snacks.
The Ritz-Carlton Chicago has a bar.
The Ritz-Carlton Chicago has a bar.
The Ritz-Carlton Chicago has a bar.
On the other side of the lobby is a restaurant called Torali Restaurant. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served here.
The Ritz-Carlton Chicago has a restaurant.
Breakfast was included in our rate because we had booked a Marriott STARS rate. You can find the menu below for breakfast, which is served from 7AM until 2PM.
The breakfast menu at the Ritz-Carlton.
I had a voucher for 20% off, but I guess there wasn't really a need to stack them, since breakfast was included. I had coffee both mornings.
Breakfast at the Ritz-Carlton in Chicago.
We had a greek yogurt parfait, aavocado & egg toast, and a truffle egg white frittata. The service was friendly and attentive, and we enjoyed all of them.
Breakfast at the Ritz-Carlton in Chicago.
Breakfast at the Ritz-Carlton in Chicago.
Breakfast at the Ritz-Carlton in Chicago.
Since we had the credit to spend, we had lunch at the restaurant. The lunch menu can be found below.
The lunch menu at the Ritz-Carlton in Chicago.
I had a salad with chicken and Ford had salmon.
The Ritz-Carlton Chicago has lunch.
The Ritz-Carlton Chicago has lunch.
I should mention that the outdoor terrace at Torali is not open in November.
The cafe is at the Ritz-Carlton.
The Cafe is open from 6AM until 1PM at the Ritz-Carlton Chicago. This is a greenhouse-inspired space that serves coffee, juices, sandwiches, desserts, and more. It was a nice looking space, but we didn't have anything here.
The cafe is at the Ritz-Carlton.
The cafe is at the Ritz-Carlton.
The cafe is at the Ritz-Carlton.
The Ritz-Carlton Chicago has a pool.
The 11th floor of the Ritz-Carlton Chicago has a pool. You can find the spa menu here, even though I didn't get any spa treatments.
The Ritz-Carlton Chicago has a spa.
The Ritz-Carlton Chicago has a gym that is large, has equipment, and has views. The gym at the hotel was one of the best I have seen in a while.
The Ritz-Carlton Chicago has a gym.
The Ritz-Carlton Chicago has a gym.
The Ritz-Carlton Chicago has a gym.
The Ritz-Carlton Chicago has a gym.
The Ritz-Carlton Chicago has a gym.
The Ritz-Carlton Chicago has a gym.
The Ritz-Carlton Chicago has a gym.
The Ritz-Carlton Chicago has a gym.
The indoor pool at the Ritz-Carlton Chicago is open from 6AM until 8PM. This is a cool feature you won't find in many hotels in Chicago.
The Ritz-Carlton Chicago has a pool area.
The Ritz-Carlton Chicago has a pool.
The Ritz-Carlton Chicago has a pool.
The Ritz-Carlton Chicago has pool seating.
The Ritz-Carlton Chicago has pool seating.
The Ritz-Carlton Chicago has a service.
The service at the Ritz-Carlton Chicago was great. While in Chicago, we were busy and didn't spend much time in the hotel, but we did interact with staff at a city hotel.
We found staff to be friendly and helpful. The hotel has 434 rooms, but it didn't feel like it was full. I appreciated the extent to which standard service had been resumed, from turndown service to stocked minibars to all facilities being open.
The bottom line.
The Ritz-Carlton Chicago is an impressive city hotel that impressed me. The hotel has a pool, views, gym, and location that stood out to me. The guest rooms and public areas of the hotel have been renovated recently.
I was happy to finally stay at a property in the United States that was more or less offering full service, rather than cutting corners due to coronaviruses, as so many hotels are doing nowadays.
If the price is right, I would recommend this hotel.
What did you think about your stay at the Ritz-Carlton Chicago?
