Congress Plaza Hotel at Grant Park

I have stayed a couple of times before at the Congress. The hotel continues to be in run down condition. I found it strange that some improvements - flat screen tv - were completed, but the base boards in the room had not even been painted. The matress was in horrible condition and made walking the next days very hard on everyone.

The Congress Plaza Hotel is right on Michigan Avenue but a walk to the great shopping areas. The hotel is around a couple universities instead. Overall, the rooms reminded me of a motel - beds were hard and small, bathroom was small with little water pressure or room to put things down. The hotel lobby is beautiful, but the rooms are pretty poor. The decor of the restaurant, game room, conference rooms and bedrooms reminded me of an old 60's hotel. The value was good, although I would probably not choose this hotel again.

The so-called Standard Room had no bureau and nowhere to put one's clothes; the closet was smaller than a broom closet and almost impossible to get to; the bathroom shower always wet the floor no matter what preventive action one took; the walls and woodwork looked unfinished and constructed by a non-professional. This hotel has a great history, but its present status leaves much to be desired.

Our room was shabby... missing pulls on drawers, stained carpet, holes in top of dresser, and worst, a toilet that spewed water all over the floor and anyone standing close when it was flushed. We reported the problem with the toilet, were assured it would be addressed, and it was not. Very disappointing!

The lobby is lovely with mosaics and dramatic architecture. Sadly the place is grossly in need of repair. The bathroom in our room had substantial mold on the ceiling and repairs to the crown molding left started but unfinished. It was a non-smoking room but had an unpleasant odor. The food nearly decent bar fare but sold at fine dining prices. The main dinning room boasted chicken fingers as an appetizer next to escargot? The fitness center was something out of a horror movie. Machines from the early 80's poorly equipped in the basement and the smell??? Not a good experience at all. No water in the center to speak of. Sorry to be so harsh, I've traveled extensively and love historical charm this was just unkempt.

The room at the Congress Plaza was OK - no real complaints. But the facilities were very old. The fitness center is antiquated.

Hotel was clean but the bathrooms were very small and poor utilization of space. Also the television did not work in the bedroom and even after the maintenance man could not fix it they failed to offer any discounts for the inconvenance. Parking for the hotel was very expensive and not very convenant.

The Congress Hotel is right in the heart of downtown chicago and it looks great from the outside and it even looks good inside, however when I got to my room it was a different story. The room looked clean but the bathroom had cracks in the tiles and when I had a shower it would leak onto the floor which made me very dissatisfied. I had to mop up the floor with towels after each shower, the room also had a very old feel and made me think that things aren't probably done 100% because I learned that members of the hotel have been on strike for the last 4yrs.

The hotel is in a decent neighborhood. Taxis are plentiful & it usually has rooms available, as it has 900 rooms. The staff is friendly and helpful. The bar staff is especially friendly (as one should expect) and provides drinks at reasonable prices. The room was between old/quaint & seedy - but adequately clean. The only meal I had was the breakfast buffet and the food was poor; it reminded me of the Army mess hall - But the service was a lot better.

This hotel is ideally located to everything in the downtown area. The lobby looks great and impressive but the rooms are musty smelling and outdated.