Sofitel Chicago

“I was impressed with my stay this week at Sofitel! The front desk staff was fine but wanted to really commend the valet! They were above and beyond fantastic in the crazy summer storms. The room was perfectly appointed, neighborhood is lovely. I can’t wait to stay again.”

“One of the nicest hotels I’ve ever stayed in. Arrived way early for check in. Room was not ready but friendly reception did some digging. He found a better room, slight upcharge, he could put us in. Room was amazing-700 sq ft, huge lounge, bathroom & bedroom. Felt so new & very clean. Couches & bed so comfortable! Turn down service. Outstanding service, property & experience!”

“Sofitel Chicago continues to be one of my favorite stays in the city. What I appreciate most is the discretion. It’s tucked away just enough to feel private and quiet, yet still perfectly positioned near everything. From the moment you walk in, there’s a noticeable calm. The hallways are polished and serene, the elevators are smooth and efficient, and the overall energy feels refined without being overdone. The decor is hands down sexy. Dark wood finishes, sculptural lighting, and clean architectural lines give the space a confident, modern feel. The room layout is functional and thoughtfully designed. I especially loved the chaise by the window and the spa-like bathroom with the illuminated mirror and stone finishes. Every detail felt intentional. The hotel strikes a balance between luxury and comfort. It doesn’t try too hard. It simply delivers. If you’re looking for a quiet, elevated experience near the Magnificent Mile with a mature, modern aesthetic, Sofitel Chicago is a solid choice.”

“The short version; Sofitel Chicago fail their customers by a) hotel staff/manager not acknowledging that their smoke monitoring system can be triggered by high heat hair styling tools and b) the hotel not publicly warning their clientele that their smoke monitoring system can be triggered by high heat hair styling tools. They will attempt to charge you $500 for a 'smoking event'. Before we booked the hotel, I'd read reviews and saw people complain about smoking charges and I thought that wasn't relevant to us since we aren't smokers of any description, so it wasn't a concern initially. Ultimately, we will not stay at this location again because we felt insulted by the manager's attitude, who said they "would let it go this time", because we were All Accor gold members, inferring we were liars. Longer version: During our four-day stay this past April, we had an incident where I plugged my Revlon hairbrush blow dryer into the bathroom outlet and it went on for a few seconds and then the outlet just stopped working. So, I plugged it into the living room outlet in our suite. The Revlon tool did smell a bit immediately after I plugged it in and starting blow drying my wet hair. This was around 10:40am, the second morning of our stay. I did say to my husband we should tell the front desk about the faulty bathroom outlet but put it to the back of my mind, we were there to enjoy Chicago and spend time with our college freshman daughter! It escaped my mind until I woke up in the middle of the night and saw a text sent at approx. 10:45pm that night that we were being charged $500 because the smoke monitor in our room detected a smoking event. I responded to the text that was impossible as none of us smoke/vape. In the morning, I saw another a reply to my text from the front desk with a link to a detection report detailing smoke being detected that morning at 10:45am in the room. Then I realized that was the same exact time that I was blow drying my hair in the living room area of our suite after the bathroom outlet failed. Thinking this will be easily resolved my husband and I go down to the front desk and speak to the hotel manager. We explain about the bathroom faulty outlet and the Revlon hair drying brush smelling funny when I used it in the living room and that was the trigger for the smoke detecting device or monitoring system they have. The manager then tells us it's not possible, they have tested the system with all hair dryers and styling tools, and it does not trigger the smoke monitor, only smoking or vaping or e-cigarettes do that. When I became incensed at the accusation of lying, she replied they would let it go this once since we are All Accor gold members. We really wanted an acknowledgement that the smoke monitor system was imperfect and flawed, and she understood the situation, but she doubled down on the stance that the system is infallible. It clearly isn't. Her patronizing attitude was so unacceptable. I did ask at the end of the conversation to have someone fix the faulty bathroom outlet and she did have maintenance come up and fix it. The guy replaced the outlet with a new one as the existing one was completely broken. The last two days of our stay we were on edge a little that something would trigger the system again, I didn't use my Revlon hairbrush the rest of the stay. Upon checking out I asked if the smoking charge had been removed, and it had. Again, no acknowledgement or apology for the upset. Ultimately, we were made to feel dishonest and that we were wrong. Not treatment I'd expect from a reputable hotel. It looks five stars but the service, specifically the attitude, is decidedly one star.”

“Pretty abysmal service. At check in they told me I could shorten my stay by 1 night so I changed my flight. On check out, the manager told me I couldn’t modify my reservation and I was now out $300 paying for the extra night I didn’t use. The manager refused to acknowledge the misinformation provided by her staff and was quite rude in addressing me. Much better customer service at Marriott hotels, where desk staff actually knows how to do their jobs.”