Wyndham Grand Chicago Riverfront

The hotel was nice the catered food was good but we were fined for bringing in pizza. The fine was very high if you want us back you better take care of the fine. The catered meal was ok but not sufficient for our taste last week. I will not return to this hotel for this reason.

In what felt like months and months, I searched for the perfect hotel for my first visit to Chicago. I wasn’t sure what neighborhood I’d like most to stay, but after coming to a decision, I decided I wanted something overlooking the Chicago River. I looked at many hotels and everything was in the $ 200 a night range during the first week of August. We planned on staying for 5 nights and we were looking at over $ 1200 after taxes and fees, which we felt was a bit out of our budget. We then began looking at options on Airbnb, but what we really wanted was a hotel on the river.
In what was my constant search, I found a killer deal on Travelzoo which was $ 147 a night with an automatic room upgrade from city view to a river view. I jumped at the moment and quickly booked the room which came to a total of $ 855. Once we arrived at Midway, we took the orange line which took us to the Loop and disembarked at State/​Lake and the Wyndham was 5 minutes away on foot.
The pictures certainly do not lie as the hotel beautifully overlooks the iconic river and stands tall in the mist of one of the greatest skylines. As we made our way inside, a bellman opened the door and we made our way into the lobby which is also connected to their restaurant and bar, Hoyt’s Chicago. Although we were a few hours early before said check in, the friendly associate had no problem getting us to a room. I was hoping for a room on a higher floor, but having the free upgrade to a river view was more than enough.
I was really hoping I wouldn’t be disappointed by the room, making me regret my choice but as soon as I opened the door, I was immediately relieved. The room was spacious, modern, clean, and had everything we could possible need: a work desk, a refrigerator, a coffee station, a fluffy bed and comforter, and a separated bathroom with shower and tub. Without a doubt, a complete steal for $ 855 nights during the summer months. The view is really what sealed the deal, we had a completely unobstructed view of the river that looked amazing in the morning, as well as night.
Overall, I had an excellent experience at Wyndham Chicago. The staff and service we received was great and the rooms were plush with everything we needed. Even more important, the location of our hotel was unparalleled. No matter what way you chose to walk, everything seemed five minutes away: State/​Lake subway station; the Chicago River; Pizzeria Uno; Giordano’s; Magnificent Mile, and the list goes on. I hope to be back in Chicago, perhaps to see the Cubs take on the San Francisco Giants, and I’ll more than likely consider staying at the Wyndham again.
Pros:
+ Location
+ Polite and friendly service
+ Early check in available
+ Proximity to sights and food
+ Comfy and spacious rooms
+ Large bathrooms with shower and tub
+ In room refrigerator for leftover deep dish
+ Bar and restaurant
+ Nearby ⁷⁄₁₁
Cons:
— Although WIFI was free, signal was not strong enough to work in the room, only bathroom
— $ 100 a day hold

Stayed at this hotel for a 4 day visit to Chicago. The location is great, pretty much close to everything (ice skating, local shops and food). The rooms were also a great space.
The one and only downfall I did have about this hotel is the breakfast. The price for everything was listed as $ 32 we get our bill and it came out to $ 54, I thought that was a big downfall. Sell for the price you advertise!

Great price booked through 3^rd party. Very impressed with the spacious room with couch and huge bathroom. We had the river view with the sign «trump» right in front of us.
Definitely recommend it!

We stayed in a 1-​bedroom deluxe unit through my parents Wyndham timeshare. The room was very nice, newly renovated, and our view was amazing. I noticed a lot of people complaining about the elevators in previous reviews, but they always worked fine while we were there, and at least two of them are express elevators. We were on the 22^nd floor, and it would take no more than a few seconds to go from the lobby to our floor. The gym (which is on the 7^th floor) was amazing, and the treadmill was nicer than any gyms that I’ve had memberships to in the past.
The hotel is in a great location. You’re two blocks from a few different CTA train stations, so you can easily get to and from Midway or O’hare without having to take a taxi (as long as you don’t mind walking a few blocks with your luggage). You can walk to many attractions that make Chicago famous, and if you can’t walk, public transportation is always readily available right outside the front door of the hotel. Über and Lyft are plentiful and another good way to get around, as well.
Having stayed in plenty of Wyndham timeshares, I knew they would try to offer a free breakfast and American Express gift card if I would listen to a timeshare presentation. I declined, and they weren’t too pushy about it. They did call the room a few times, but I didn’t answer because there was no reason for me to go to a timeshare presentation when I do not have the funds nor the intention of purchasing any additional timeshare points.
The free wifi was inconsistent at best, but I find that to be true in most hotels. I’m not counting that against them in this review.
The only reason I’m not giving them a 5-​star rating is because I was lied to when I checked-​in. We were booked for 4 nights, and they require an $ 80 security deposit per night for incidentals like room service, etc. I have two issues with this:
A) $ 80/​night is excessive, even in a large market like Chicago. At the Wyndham in NOLA, my security deposit was no more than $ 50/​day. And they refunded it immediately when I checked out.
B) When I checked in to the Wyndham in Chicago, they told me it would be refunded immediately upon checkout. I specifically asked because I need to travel for Thanksgiving and wanted to make sure that $ 320 wouldn’t still be held on my debit card. I checked out yesterday morning with the understanding that the $ 320 would be refunded immediately, but it was not. When I called this afternoon to find out why, I spoke with someone who said that it takes 3 – 5 business days to get that money back to me, and of course she couldn’t explain why I was misinformed when I checked in. So there is a now a $ 320 hold on my debit card that I need to use for Thanksgiving travel and there’s a good possibility that I won’t have that money back in time. Had they given me correct information when I checked-​in, I would have asked someone else in my party to put the deposit on their card instead.

This was my first trip to Chicago and me and one of my friends decided Wyndham would be a great hotel for us because one it is walking distance from many of the attractions and photos that people take and this place was one of the cheaper hotels when we went.
When we checked in during the middle of the night we found out that our room got upgraded for free which is pretty nice! Off to a great start. Our room itself was great it had two beds and the sheets on the bed were nice and soft. Loved it! Also our room was cold and we left the A/​C on while we were inside and it didn’t take long for it to have the effect of us being in a cold place.
They have a gym that can be used ²⁴⁄₇ which is awesome! Who doesn’t want to work out while on vacation? If you need this, I would suggest getting this hotel! The place is clean, nice and it had what we wanted which was location! Made the trip so smooth and amazing we really had an awesome time!

My mom never uses her timeshare and lucky for me, I got to use it for this trip. Granted, there were only 2 of us, and our suite could have easily accommodated 8, the suite was spacious and excessively nice for my trip.
Room 910, King suite, there is a King size bed, a twin size «lounge» seating, and a mini living room with a full/​queen pull out couch! There is one bathroom, where you walk to a sink, rain shower and a separated toilet/​bath room. Everything was clean upon check in.
Daily cleaning service was alright, they didn’t refill the bathroom amentities until the day before I was checking out. Our toilet handle was wobbly and about to fall apart. The rain shower water pressure wasn’t good, but hot water came out fast!
Complimentary wifi was TERRIBLE. For a 4 night stay, I never got to connect to the wifi. I ended up calling halfway through my trip, the staff connects me to their IT, and promptly
Location was reasonably central. Staff was always friendly. For the price, I probably wouldn’t be back, if unless I have leftover timeshare points.

This hotel… This hotel was so good to us.
We spend a weekend here for my boyfriend because he was on business. We were lucky enough to pay a little extra and have a river front room and it was amazing. Simply a trip we will never forget.
The room was the perfect size, had everything we needed and more.
I called to have some amenities set out because it was my boyfriends birthday and they were so happy to help. Set out a card, two craft beers and some chips.
So happy with our stay here. The customer service was more than we could have asked for!
We had such a great time we only stay at Wyndham and Wyndham associated hotels now!

Great location. Clean and nice but needs a little repair and maintenance.
Nice amenities, and you can’t beat the location for the price. Staff is very friendly and accommodating; certainly make you feel welcome and they ooze first class.
I would easily have given 4 stars but there were some items in our room that were in desperate need of some attention – toilet paper holder was broken in the room, toilet didn’t operate well, bath tub drain was broken, large chip/​crack in bathroom pocket door, dresser paint/​veneer was chipped badly. Room and hotel décor is clean and modern. I would stay here again without question, but I would probably contact the front desk to notify them of maintenance issues if I encountered a similar problem.

Location, location, location! Close to so many thing Chicago: the Mag Mile, Millennium Park, and the theater district. It’s close to the red line, so even getting to a Cubs game or Chinatown is fairly convenient. Staff was very polite at check-​in. The room seemed well maintained. The bathroom was convenient for two or more guests in that there were two sinks, and the walk-​in shower and tub were separate. Parking is average for downtown, which is expensive. They have valet only, but they have in and out and allow you to park up until 6pm the day of check out.
**One thing I did not like was being given a sales pitch on the Wyndham vacation resorts (a timeshare sell). They bait you by saying the concierge has a free gift for you and then they’re trying to set you up in a two hour presentation.

I stayed at this hotel while attending a conference, and was not too pleased. It seemed like the Wyndham, while having plenty of notice and planning of our arrival, was just scrambling at the last minute. A smaller group arrived a day or so prior, but the majority of us arrived Friday afternoon and barely anybody’s rooms were ready to be occupied. With a check in time of 3, getting your room any later than that (with a full conference schedule on top of it) is a hindrance. Most folks didn’t receive notification that their room was ready until between 4 and 6 o’clock Friday afternoon.
I didn’t spend much time in my room, other than to sleep, but tried to head there when on break to get a few minutes of quiet. Unfortunately, this never seemed to work in my favor because the elevators couldn’t handle the amount of people that our conference brought in. Our meals were fully catered by the hotel and instead of just hosting it on the same floor that our conference was located, the staff had us travelling up to the penthouse and then back down causing an immense amount of confusion and frustration. Why? Because you would wait for an elevator on a different floor and have 3 or 4 pass you by that were completely full and you’d just have to continue to wait. You could take the stairs, but when you’re doing 15 – 30 flights at one time, it gets tiresome. However, a few of the staff, seeing our frustrations, would let us join them in the freight elevator if they saw us waiting. I’m not sure if they are allowed to do so, but I love that they took the initiative.
Now, I will say that the hotel was on point with the food. There were selections for everyone; carnivore, omnivore, and vegetarian. The wait staff was excellent and always made sure that we had our fill. They really should be commended given the added stress of the elevator debacle and having to switch where meals were being held at the last minute.
The hotel bar wasn’t the greatest. It seemed rather glum to me. I had hoped to find some true Chicago local beer, but the selection was slim and all IPA. Don’t folks know that there’s more to craft beer than IPA? Luckily, the Hilton’s bar fixed that for me on Saturday night.
The Wyndam is located just across from Trump Tower and a few minutes walk from Millennium Park. It is quite an excellent location for vacationers, as long as you aren’t sharing the hotel with a conference of any kind. I would hope that the every day vacationer’s stay is much better.

The hotel is beautiful and the rooms are spacious. The staff is very friendly and helpful. I left an ipod in our room when I checked out. Bernadette from housekeeping went and searched the room for me, called me back and saved it for a family member to pick up.
I’m giving 4 stars because the air conditioning in the room was kept on full blast and never got really cold. It was sometimes uncomfortably hot in the room. This could be because the hotel is eco-​friendly.

Come to this hotel only if you enjoy stained sheets, smelly rooms, no AC, rude service and much more at a very high price.
What I experienced in this hotel was the stuff of nightmares, stuff I only heard once from a friend who got stranded in a road trip and had to use a deserted middle of mo where motel. Only I got to experience this at ~300₄₀₀$ per night and during my first visit to Chicago, and in downtown Chicago!
We arrived late, my sister and I from a long drive and my mom from a long international flight. No one was there as a bellman, so we had to bring the cart thingy and load our suitcases and take it to our floor, all in the middle of the night and as the few staff there just watched.
We found blood stains in the bathroom door, which was so worn out. The bathroom had no vent and no AC what so ever. What bathroom has not at least a fan or vent? I found yellow stains on the bed sheets… it was all disgust surrounding us, so we wanted out! They said no cancellation, but they’ll take us to another room. We asked to see the rooms first, until we just said OK to the last room, which was bigger and seemed less worn out. This one has a vent in the small bathroom but you can hear vivid conversations of others from who knows where, it probably transmits sound directly from another room.
The AC in the lobby was not working for a couple of nights, and still very weak. Instead of coming into a cooling lobby in a hot summer day, you sweat and feel the heat and mugginess of an disgusting unventilated place with no AC.
One morning, we asked for slippers and more shampoo/​soap as there are three of us and they only supplied one! After a 20 minute wait, we called again and asked where the stuff was. Sometime after that, someone handed me ONE slipper and 2 of the shower caps I asked for. We needed three.
By then it was too late for any of us to take a shower as we had to go.
In this hotel, you have to beg and expect a multi hour wait or complete forgetting of your basic requests, most of which you shouldn’t have had to ask for to begin with.
After a couple of days of itchiness and disgust, we attempt to go the fitness center to get a workout in. The ceiling there was so low my sister felt claustrophobic and couldn’t even use her jump rope or feel comfortable jumping. Of your 5’11 or higher, avoid the gym.
The lighting was so dark and so gray we felt suffocated and depressed and decided to go to a nearby park to do our workout.
We asked the concerige for a nearby park and he rudely and grumpily told us. Then I asked if it was a well lit or popular park, as it was dark by them, he said in an even ruder manner ‘well I’m stuck here as you can see, they don’t let me out, so how am I gonna know anything’
I felt extremely bad and just wanted to get the hell out of that place.
My one week vacation, my one first time to Chicago is all ruined thanks to Wyndham. They can’t refund my life back and my vacation back, but I will at least demand they don’t make me pay for being tortured in their falsely advertised hotel of overpriced filth and lack of service.

My wife and I stayed in a suite at the Wyndham on the eve of our wedding and on our wedding night a year ago. We stayed in a suite and the room was large enough to accommodate our entire wedding party. It was a beautiful room. At one point, while we were at our rehearsal dinner turndown service came through and housekeeping left a very warm note about their decision not to disturb the bed because my wife’s dress was laid out. It was touching and we kept the note.
However, the next day coming and going for photos photos as we were trying to get in and out of the hotel to get to our ceremony we had issues with the elevators. There was a pajama themed conference taking place, seriously. Somehow or the other the hotel was unaware that the conference goers were manipulating the surprisingly few number of available elevators. They actually had people working shifts in the cars ensuring they stopped at certain floors each time.
When it actually came time to head to the venue, it was after the fourth elevator car came and went without letting us on we had to forcibly block the door until enough people got out of the car so we could get out of the building. My wife was in her wedding dress and four cars came and went refusing to let us on. We ended up being 10 minutes late to our own wedding. The venue was only 1 mile away, so even with Chicago traffic we left ample time to get there.
I understand this review might reflect more negatively on the guests than the hotel management, but hopefully they’ll prevent it from happening again in the future. I know that over a year ago Hotel 71 was bought by Wyndham and rebranded, so perhaps it was new management’s mistake. Regardless, it was a horrible oversight. I waited an entire year to write this review, because I was so upset. Nevertheless, I’m still giving the hotel a 3-​star review because of the great location and beautiful room.

If my time here wasn’t so short, I’d probably up my star grading. Basically, I needed a place to stay for a night and booked a last minute room via Kayak. And when I say last minute, I mean four hours before checking in.
So yeah, I found a good deal on Kayak. While it would have been nice to splurge a bit and stay at a luxury hotel for my mini «staycation», I thought the pricing here for my 14 hour stay pretty reasonable. Check-​in was quick and easy (as it should be), and I was on my way to what was described as a king/​city view room. I didn’t really care if I had a river view room (extra $). Maybe I should have since my room was on a lower floor and my view was the Seventeenth Church of Christ Scientist’s roof.
— Room was clean and pretty spacious for being a corner room. Also, free wifi!
— The elevators (four, I think) were really slow.
— Though my room had plenty of windows (end of the hallway/​corner room), I wish there was more lighting in the room. It was really dark, and also in the bathroom. Oh well.
— The shower head was oddly placed close to the shower door. That means water on the bathroom floor, so be careful.
— I didn’t check out Hoyt’s (the hotel connected restaurant), even though concierge gave me a coupon for a free glass of wine/​beer with purchase of appetizer. I also didn’t check out the other amenities (gym, etc.) offered here. I literally wanted to make the most of my room and stay in and watch the Blackhawks game (they won!).
–The room came with a nice sized fridge. I went to Target (also not far away) to pick up some drinks and snacks. The fridge came in handy.
— Location, location, location. It’s not too far from Michigan Avenue and State Street with plenty of restaurants and public transportation nearby. I’d definitely suggest this place as an option to visiting friends and family.

You cannot beat the location. The hotel is on the river front and close to most things Chicago from blues over shopping to Millennium Park.
The hotel has relatively modern rooms. Great comfortable bed. Good space. The AV system is dated with limited options. The bathroom is OK but the water is only luke warm. The view from the rooms over the river is fantastic.
The elevators are SLOW. Very slow. Parking is expensive. The internet is available in two varieties: Free but slow or paid with reasonable speed. Given the price this is a pretty good hotel, but please come without a car.

This review is for the timeshare presentation. Life is short and I spent three hours listening to a poor argument to purchase a timeshare. However, I filled out the survey and posted excellent. I realize this is because I was tired and ready to go coupled with everyone being nice until I said no to purchasing. Don’t waste your hours in this presentation. Also the free trip and restaurant credit offered by whatever marketing guy to attend not worth it – I can’t book dates I want snd the restaurant selection is limited.
Again life is short, don’t waste those hours listening to someone try to justify paying $ 1200 a month for a time share.

I stayed at the Wyndham while visiting Chicago. I loved my stay! The view from my room was amazing! I wish I got a room facing the river but I’m not complaining :)
The hotel staff is extremely nice and helpful. The room was clean when I got there and I loved the Keurig machine they had in there. A perfect way to start the day with some quality coffee! The Wyndham is within walking distance or a short cab ride to all of
Chicago’s main attractions (Millenium Park, the Art Institute, the Field Museum). There’s also a restaurant attached to the hotel so if you’re feeling lazy, just venture down the elevator and you can indulge in some food and drinks at Hoyt’s. There are also many many many restaurants, fast food places, and bars if you’re feeling adventurous. This hotel is the perfect place to stay if you (like myself) are visiting Chicago for the first time. Shopping, food, and entertainment is a short distance away. It is also close to a lot of the CTA stations and bus stops.
My ONLY complaint is that the walls are thin (like other Unilocalers have mentioned) and you can hear the conversations people are having outside, you can hear your neighbor turning the water on in their bathroom etc. However, this wasn’t that much of an issue for me and I thoroughly enjoyed my stay here :) Thank you Wyndham!

Forewarning: They hold $ 80/​night on your card for incidentals or in case you order things, it is released once you check out.
This is an amazing hotel, I was extremely happy staying here. They were very accommodating. Kelly checked me in, and was there for most of the duration of my stay. She remembered my name and addressed me every time, which was really pleasant. In the winter months, there are heaters in the covering over the entrance outside so its pleasant if you’re waiting for a friend, cab or if you were a smoker.
Once checked in I was able to go to the concierge desk, where Nikki gave me the info about what’s happening around the city during the week. They gave quite a few maps, guides, etc. to choose your poison. There is a restaurant associated with the hotel in the lobby towards the right once you enter the doors. There are bathrooms and an ATM a little past the elevators in the lobby. They have an interactive screen in the lobby for weather, maps, flight info, etc. for guests.
Everyday housekeeping came by after noon to do daily clean up, replenished all toiletries. The only downside was the toilet tissue felt so rough, definitely NOT cha cha cha-​charmin or cottonelle. It was a little unpleasant using since I’m used to softer tissues. But, the room was clean, great size for a Deluxe Queen room there was a seating area with a footstool and 2 chairs pushed together that looked like a loveseat. I would have preferred maybe a small 2person table so you could eat instead of in the bed.
There is a safe in the closet which was a bit inconvenient because it was smack dab in the middle along with the ironing board. For such a small closet it wasn’t a smart placement as it limited the space in the closet. There was a desk with a rolling chair, and a fridge hidden away-​but it didn’t get that cold. Elevators are a little slow, but there are 4 to choose from. Also, WI-​FI is free just use your last name and room number to access it.
Speaking to a couple also staying in the hotel while sitting in the lobby, they said that parking was $ 68 a day. If an option, I suggest using the CTA (Chicago Transit Authority) blue or green line is within the vicinity or buses to get around. You also have Taxi options (which the doorman can hail for you), a little decent prices, for 2.5miles it was like $ 11 to go from the hotel to Buffalo Wild Wings.
I would definitely return to this hotel, it is within walking distance of major touristy sites, food, and it’s right on the River. Wyndham will definitely be my go-​to hotel in Chi-​town!

Spent 7 nights at the Wyndham and it was pretty good, but not great. 3 stars… but 1 star must be given for the view alone. Location-​wise, the Wyndham is excellent. It’s a short walk away from the Magnificent Mile, Millennium Park, and also various CTA stops — very convenient for any tourist.
Amenities:
Rooms are very nice. Beds are comfy and our room was also equipped with a small fridge and a Keurig machine for making morning coffee very convenient. And If you get a room facing the river, the view is unbelievably gorgeous!
Sound:
While Wacker Drive does maintain a good amount of life throughout the night, rooms are equipped with heavy curtains that definitely help block out any lights and most exterior sounds. On the interior though, sounds pierced through walls like it was thin sheets of paper. On our last night, we had the unfortunate opportunity of sharing the floor with a family that brought along 4 rambunctious kids/​teens who also felt that the narrow hallway was the *best* place to play tag at 11pm.
Service:
On Day 1, an observant maid knocked on our door to let us know that our door was ajar and that we really had to push it to close it… and not to rely on the automatic lock. On Day 5, whoever serviced our room did a half-​assed job. Only the beds were made. The bathroom wasn’t even touched… no toiletries were restocked and the coffee wasn’t refilled either. Boo. Oh, and at the concierge desk, the man who services it only deigns to answer your questions… so choose the females. So much more helpful and friendly.
Snafu:
The elevators wonked out for 3 days during our stay. They would stop at every floor irregardless of being called. Wyndham didn’t do anything to comp guests. All we got was a letter saying «sorry for the inconvenience» and a second to «not use the elevators from 12am — 5am». I’m not expecting anything big… but even a voucher for a free appetizer to their restaurant Hoyt’s would have been *something*. To avoid wasting a lot of time, we opted for a 72 flight exercise — so much fun. But the stairs are creepy as hell — paint chipping everywhere and kind of dimly lit… not expected from a luxury hotel… and some floors required keycards… so guests were actually locked out of their floors. Awesome.
You know what they say for restaurants? People come for food, but return for service… same concept. Yes, I would choose Wyndham again for the amenities, but for the service at this location — I’d have to reconsider.