PrefaceI enjoyed a one night stay at The Elysian on a special Industry rate. I can certainly appreciate that much of the good service I experienced was because I was VIP'd due to the Industry rate. However, I observed the service that was being offered to ALL hotel guests around me and their service was equal if not better than the service I received.
ArrivalI arrived by taxi from the Trump into the Elysian's courtyard entrance which is, when traveling by car, a nice way to arrive at the hotel. Staff immediately removed luggage from the trunk and opened the door warmly welcoming me to the hotel. At this point they did not know who I was. One of the staff asked for my last name which, I presume, was radioed to the other staff as from that point on I was always addressed by name.
I was swiftly escorted to the Reception to check-in which was handled quickly, efficiently, and warmly. My room was not ready yet which was fine as I had a lunch appointment at the Ritz Carlton. The Elysian promised to call me once the room was ready.
As promised, the Elysian called me to let me know the room was ready (while I was touring the new Presidential Suite at the Ritz Carlton).
The RoomI was booked into a Classic Executive Suite and was upgraded into a Deluxe Executive Suite. The hotel has 3 levels for each room type -- Classic, Superior, and Deluxe and all this refers to is where the room is situated in the hotel tower. Classic refers to lower floors, Superior in the middle, and Deluxe on the highest floors.
Here is a link to the room description and floor plan: http://www.elysianhotels.com/accommo...ive-suites.php
One enters the room into an entry foyer with a closet and wet bar to one side and some striking art on the other. This leads into a compact but comfortable sitting area with a coffee table, sofa (which converts into a sofabed), and two arm chairs. A central column separates the bedroom from the living area -- on the living area side is a working gas fireplace with a large HDTV LCD TV above. The bedroom features a king sized bed, two night stands and in the "corridor" between the bedroom and living room by the floor to ceiling window is the work desk. The floor to ceiling window opens up to a miniature Juliet balcomy (it is literally a foot wide). In front of the bed (which would be the back side of the fireplace) is a dresser, another flat screen TV, and the Zeppelin -- an iPod player made by Bowers and Wilkins, a very reputable high end HiFi speaker company. This unit reproduced some of the best sound I have heard from my iPhone.
There is a dressing area and through sliding doors the large bathroom. Dual vanities and deep soaking tub are standard as is a large stall shower and separate and enclosed WC. The mosaic work on the floor of the bathroom is quite impressive and the marble used is the same, apparently, as used on the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Toiletries are Asprey and the bed linens are Rivolta.
The Service
The discrepancies in service experienced may be attributed to the fact that I was on an Industry rate. However, I noticed many guests who were getting the same, or better, service throughout my stay which lead me to believe the hotel is actually delivering on it service promises.
I was escorted to my room by a Manager who then showed me the highlights of the suite.
I was greeted by name everytime I walked in to, or out from, the hotel. Even staff members I had not yet met knew me by name which was quite impressive.
My luggage was waiting for me in my room when I arrived back and I love the no-tipping policy.
Dining
I had the opportunity to tour through Ria and Balsan and only was able to eat breakfast at Balsan. This is where the hotel truly failed -- it was like I got off teh elevator into another hotel completely. No one to greet me -- I had to find a staff member hiding in the corner to get seated. Once seated, my tea was brought and my order taken and then the server disappeared. Another server brought out my scrambled eggs but with bacon instead of the sausage as I had ordered. Without apology the server went back to the kitchen and returned with the correct order within a few minutes. Toast followed thereafter. I was fortunate to ask for ketchup at that time as from that point I did not see another staff member at all -- no more hot water, no checking to see how the food was, if it was to my liking, or anything resembling service. I had to hunt down a server to pay for breakfast. The hotel charges a 18% gratuity automatically on all bills in the restaurant and spa -- understandable if the service is up to par but highly irritating with the non-service I experienced.
Ria as a restaurant was an interesting choice for this hotel as the dining room looked a little stuffy and the menu a little fussy and pretentious for Chicago. The space has struggled the past year according to insiders of the restaurant business in Chicago. Balsan, however, seems to be a hit and was packed at dinner time. Ria is closed on Monday's but when I phoned the restaurant a couple occasions there was table availability on Friday and Saturday nights.
Other observations
Why did I stop short of opining that this hotel IS the George V of the USA? I fell short of saying that because of a few other curiosities I noticed.
The bathtub is fantastic in depth and width but with the wide marble ledges, one of average height would need to step into the bath to turn on or off the faucets. The shower is large but the shower experience was a little disappointing -- more shower heads, more pressure for a more invigorating shower, and/or a rain shower.
I was expecting the bed to be Duxiana or Stearns and Foster as the Sealy is just not the same quality.
The fact that there is no real view may also be an issue for some -- I had a view of the Four Sessons, Hancock Tower, Water Tower Place, and then down Rush Street. The off Michigan location can be nice and the House Car does make up for it though it runs only until 8pm which seems a little early to me.
However, I feel the hotel is certainly a top contender to be one of, if not, the top, hotel in North America. In terms of hard product this is the best in Chicago. The service is very very good but perhaps as Groombridge mentioned it may not have the warmth of Four Seasons.
As such, I think this is the best hotel in Chicago overall currently but my "home" in Chicago will remain the Ritz Carlton.
