Hilton Orrington/Evanston

I made a visit to Northwestern last week, and they put me up in the Hilton Orrington for a couple of nights. It was close to campus and downtown Evanston, and the staff was obviously used to hosting the university’s guests. Booking, meals, etc. were all taken care of, so all I really had to do was show up, use my room, and leave.
Service was great – the desk clerk was pleasant and room service was quick and friendly. I’d comment on housekeeping but I forgot to remove my do not disturb sign the only day it mattered.
The hotel wasn’t luxurious or anything, but it was a passable business hotel. Two complaints – the AC/​heater was loud and the comforter had such bizarre lumps that I actually looked for an opening to take them out. I thought there was a stray sock or pair of underwear stuck in the comforter right at my feet, and only gave up when I found another one and realized it wasn’t a freak thing. Otherwise, though, comfortable bed, plenty of outlets, complimentary internet, and clean bathroom. Lobby and hallways were nice enough.
I got room service for lunch one day and this was fast and convenient. I ordered a chopped salad and a Diet Coke. The salad was kind of sad, as salads can be, particularly when you’re promised salami and you get bacon bits. It got the job done, though.
Anyway, I’d certainly recommend the Orrington if you’re looking for a business hotel right in the heart of Evanston. I ended up having dinner at fun restaurants within walking distance both nights; both campus and the lake were also right there. If you’re visiting Northwestern, this place is a good option.

I just stayed here for a friend’s wedding & I thought the hotel was great. The Farmhouse restaurant is delicious & the breakfast buffet in the E town bistro is great. The staff was friendly & they give you 2 bottles of complimentary water (you never see that anymore). I thought it was a nice hotel & I’d stay again.

Great location, and the rooms are better than any other hotel in Evanston.
That said, the service is HORRIBLE. Rooms were not available on time. Did not provide me the HHonors upgrade, breakfast and free internet until I asked for it. TWICE the front me on hold for (literally) 15 minutes.
Check your bill! They overcharged me for one night. In addition, I used breakfast vouchers (as a Diamond Club member), but I when I check my credit card statement I found that they had still charged me for breakfast! When I called to dispute the charge, I was put on hold (for 15 minutes) only to be put on hold again for the accounting department. The accounting department said they had no record of the charge and would have to «get back to me.»
In general, the attitude among staff is what I would characterize as passive, disinterested, and unengaged. The exception was the luggage valet, who promptly took my bags and retrieved them with enthusiasm and cheer.

I had my wedding reception here, the event went fine. I didn’t really feel anything special about this hotel. The service was mediocre and the room was mediocre. Regardless of the fact that I had my wedding reception here, there was no discount or concession for my personal room. Our guests were all local, and only a bare minimum reserved rooms, so we did not ask for special room rates or book any additional. Regardless, I was expecting some concession for my room, and was sorely disappointed.
Yes it is a nice location, but this is on the lower end of any hotel experience I’ve had in the US.

Honestly not a fan of this hotel. The service is quite decent as the front desk is extremely professional. However, the room leaves much to be desired. The bathroom is especially small, and you can barely leave anything on the washer counter. In addition, facilities are also quite outdated and old. The bed however is very comfortable and is a saving point for this hotel. Given the choice, I would probably try another hotel in the area next time. One kudo point I wish to give is that the front desk gave me a free breakfast coupon when they told me the wrong time for breakfast start. I thought that was mighty cool of them and great service! Also, if you are coming to stay near the Kellogg School of Management for interviews etc., this hotel is well situated for that purpose.

Terrible customer service! I asked for a reservation to be moved and they wouldn’t do it. Not staying with them again.

When i left, my friend who checked out later was told there’s parking fee. While neither of us drove and parked, it was obviously a mistake, but they still asked for the money and my friend thought I might parked so he paid. Afterwards, it was most tedious and troublesome to contact the hotel to get the money back.
They don’t care obviously

Location wise, this hotel dominates. It’s in the center of Evanston & everyone visiting stays here because it’s big, central, easy to locate. That being said, they’re not very nice. Actually, they’re not nice AT ALL. I guess I should caveat this review by saying I’ve never actually STAYED in the hotel but I’ve been here for events/​meetings & also tried to make reservations. Major complaints ahead–
Why don’t they open the door for you? I think they only hold the door for people with luggage cuz those people are guests while I’m just a peasant student. I also usually wander around inside cuz no one cares to ask what I’m doing there or where I’m trying to go. Love the service. I can just FEEL the apathy seeping from every employee’s bones. Cool, thanks.
Why won’t they book me a room? The 2 times I’ve tried to book reservations online, the system is down. So I have to call, ugh. The person that picks up the phone is like, «the site is under maintenance.» Period. Long pause as I wait for her to elaborate/​explain. I was like, soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo? I had to press her for what I was supposed to do cuz I didn’t know if maintenance was a permanent thing (this WAS my second attempt) or if I was supposed to call back or if they were gonna call back. Like, WHAT DO I DO? Aren’t you in the hospitality business? BE HOSPITABLE! Fuck!
Anyways, they basically gave zero fucks & told me to call back whenever, if ever, for whatever, but like, later. sometime. just like, whatever. K. Cool. Thanks. I’ll still probably call & make a reservation cuz they are so damn central to everything but I’m gonna be one unhappy camper about it. Just. Ugh. YOU SUCK!!!

My first stay at this Hilton as we usually stay at the HGI just a few blocks away. The valet was prompt and polite. I arrived during an off-​peak time. Based on the fact that this is a large hotel I can see how service during peak check-​in times or an event could be slower but that’s to be expected. The historic building has been beautifully updated but if you are looking for ultra modern and sleek this isn’t the place for you. It’s a historic building in a Chicago suburb!!! You will pay a fee to park comparable to other parking expenses in the Chicago area. The bathrooms are small but space is well utilized and they are nicely updated. In exchange, you get to experience the beautiful details of a historic building that you won’t find in a more «modern» building.
Yes, there was a very small fridge in my King room but no microwave. Again, this is a full-​service, historic hotel. There is room service, a lounge and tons of restaurants within steps. I feel like people who are complaining of the perceived short comings of the property simply don’t understand or maybe appreciate where they are staying.
There was a snafu on check-​in with charges. However, I received calls attempting to resolve the issue within minutes. By morning the manager had corrected the issue and offered an olive branch for my inconvenience. A learning experience on my part and I will stick to booking through the Hilton website rather than a third party vendor in the future.
The room was clean and quiet and the bed very comfortable. We will definitely stay here again rather than the nearby Hilton Garden Inn. Would have been a four star rating based on billing issue but the staff worked so hard to correct my issue it definitely warranted that 5^th star.

Night 1:
I check in to the hotel with my parents at 11:00PM. They gave our second room away due to customers extending their stay. After much discussion, we are finally comped a queen size room where we have to rearrange the furniture to fit the roll-​away cot.
As we wait at the elevator to go to our room, over 100 frat boys flood into the hotel through the front doors. «Uh oh…»
Much to our surprise, my parents and I sleep perfectly through the night.
Night 2:
The hotel staff moves us to our Hilton Honors room with two queen beds.
At 10:30PM, the frat boys start chanting in the room across from the hall from us. Their slurring indicates they are utterly intoxicated. We immediately call the front desk and security is sent to the room. The boys disperse back to their rooms.
At 10:45PM, the frat boys return to the room across the hall and pick up where they left off. We call security and they disperse.
We do this dance two more times. The final time was at 3:00AM.
What did security do? Not really anything.
Next morning:
The front desk informs us that 240 rooms were booked out to the AE frat over the weekend for the national AE conference at Northwestern. The hotel ended up giving refunds to 8 different guests that morning and comped us for the second night in a row.
I suppose hotels usually prefer not to call the cops on guests in their own hotel room. I appreciate them comping our room, but the overall experience was pretty bad: from them giving away our rooms to the security not being more authoritative with the frat and getting them to quiet down.
Apart from the less than favorable circumstances, the hotel is clean and the beds are comfortable. The location is convenient and near lots of restaurants. I think if I had been any other weekend, I would’ve had a much different experience, so that is why I am not giving it 1 star.

The staff here is above and beyond amazing. I am a T-​12 paraplegic, that is where the problem is. This hotel is very wheelchair unfriendly. Their ramps are so steep, you need a bellman to help you get up. They have an elevator that can take you the half flight of stairs from the lobby to the door, but they don’t have a key, and say it hasn’t been in use in years. Just a heads up for anyone in a wheelchair.

I reserved a block of rooms at this hotel as the accommodations for my nearby wedding. Though the hotel is physically gorgeous and well-​situated, they nonetheless found a number of ways to disappoint. I have listed them below. I should note that I generally love hotels and am quick to praise good customer service; I’m not someone who stomps around looking for things to disapprove of. In the case of the Orrington, it was really just the cumulative effect of several disappointments in a row.
Half my guests were told that no wedding block under my name existed, so several guests wound up paying full price for rooms to which they were entitled a discount.
Guests were told a full 2 weeks before the block booking deadline that the hotel was completely full, so they couldn’t receive accommodations. When I called to address this, I was told, «I don’t know who told them that. There’s plenty of rooms left.»
We gave out gift bags to each person reserving a room in the block. The morning after the wedding I came to the front desk to pick up the remaining bags (there were approximately 10 – 15 extras), and I was told they threw them away. Each bag had gift cards, food, etc. in them, so to throw them away was expensive and wasteful.
We booked a «wedding suite» as the bride and groom, which was supposed to be bigger, more luxurious, and come with a wedding basket full of champagne and strawberries. We were given a regular room with no basket at all, and there were cobwebs in the window.
My husband, the groom, accidentally left a suitcase behind in the shuffle, and came back a few hours later to retrieve it. They said that no suitcase was found in our room and that anything found would have been thrown away. We had our marriage certificate in the suitcase, so my husband insisted he check the lost items for it. It was right inside the reception desk’s closet; clearly no one had performed even a cursory check on our behalf.
I shared these exact concerns multiple times with Hilton corporate and never heard anything back.

This has been a headache. My family and I (Party of 3) checked into this hotel today for a short trip to Evanston. Everything seemed great, the hotel premises, service, and room. However, less than 8 minutes in to settling into our room we see the bad, the bathroom.
Why in this day and age does the Hilton have a bathroom where the sink, toilet, and shower coexist without any physical division? The bathroom’s are «gym» showers, two drains and poor floor designs. See the pictures below to get an idea. I’m wondering if the hotel was previously a Northwestern University dorm from the twenties? No tub, and did I mention I have a baby less than a year old? Wth… Shower time with daddy, how awkward and inconvenient is that? Let alone I don’t want to risk a staph infection or athletes foot from the grungy tiles.
Naturally, I asked for another room with a tub and same accommodations. However, I’m told they are sold out and it’s not possible. I highly doubt this do to they are still selling rooms online, but I’m screwed because I already paid for this room via Expedia. They did offer a «comp» drink ticket and free breakfast. I at least at that point think they are trying to make it «work» and show some understanding. Except when they drop off the envelope containing the tickets there is one. What about my wife? Next time I’m staying in Chicago, or better yet elsewhere

The staff are very welcoming here and having used their conference services many times recently they do everything possible to meet your every need.
For big groups the food is of good quality it’s just there’s too much :-)
Only downside are the bathrooms in the bedrooms — they could be twice the size as they are too poky!

We arrived here late since we spent our 2^nd day in Chicago for honeymoon. Traffic was pretty bad but was nice to have the valet tell us a nearby parking garage at fraction of their charge ($ 11 vs. $ 38). We asked for a room upgrade and got a slightly larger king room. Also, we got free breakfast vouchers which was nice. When we took the elevator up to our room on 7^th floor, there was a stop on every level. I will explain later in this review but this already was an indicator that the elevators were slow and not enough. When we stepped into the room, it was a bit of a squeeze. The bathroom door was more like a closet door and tight enclosed area. The sink was small and the shower was narrow too. We had some leftover Giordano’s pizza and the front desk was nice enough to bring over microwave and dishes with utensils for us. The next morning, we woke up and had breakfast buffet which was nice. However, we were waiting for the elevator which was being looked at by the engineer. The front desk first had us wait for the service elevator which was also not working. Finally, he found an express elevator which only stopped at 8^th floor and top floor. Well, this was close enough so we just took it to 8^th floor and walked down a flight of stairs. We moved our stuff into our car and then walked to Northwestern campus. Not too shabby but the room could be slightly larger. Well, I can’t complain since the pluses outweigh the minuses.
1. Free breakfast voucher
2. Free microwave use brought to our room
3. Provided nearby city parking garage for reasonable price

Being a native of Evanston, I’ve seen the Orrington take on numerous renovations over the years. It seems to be in decent hands with Hilton, but there are certainly some opportunities to improve. My family and I just stayed there over the July 4^th weekend. First and foremost… clean up the trash/​cigarette butts in front of the hotel! I don’t understand why they don’t pressure wash or sweep the entrance area of the hotel… I saw a Coors beer can 8 feet from the front door for 3 days straight… does anyone have the responsibility to clean the outside public area of the hotel? I saw a manager sneaking a smoke in the alley adjacent to Farmhouse restaurant — just walking by the trash in front of hotel. Also, we miss the Globe bar which had a fun and festive vibe. Etown is kinda lame in comparison… I really hope this hotel can make it… but, it really needs some TLC!

We came here for a week and had a great stay. The weather was not that great so it was nice to be close to everything we needed. The staff was super friendly and helpful and the rooms are nice and clean. Our only complaint was the tiny bathrooms! Love the Peter Roth amenities!

The welcome Friday was great but then it all went down hill. The room was so noisy. The maids were outside our door cackling in Spanish at 6:30am, then the window washers were outside talkin on cell phone loudly at 8.
We returned after a day at graduation to an unmade room at 7pm. I called housekeeper and left voice mail. Went to the front desk and told them as well.
Returned to the room at 8pm. I stack of towels and bag of shampoo on the unmade bed. What a lousy place at $ 500 per night.

This is one of the Historic Hotels of America. It’s in a beautiful, convenient part of Evanston. The lobby remodel is lovely. Our corner king suite is well appointed. Very bright and spacious. Spotlessly clean. The furniture and fixtures appear to be almost new. Three big sets of windows. Big bathroom. Nice flatscreen TV. Excellent service from Front Desk and Bellman named Solo.

This is my go-​to hotel when I’m in Evanston for work.
The property is in a bustling location near many dining establishments. It’s just a few blocks from the lake– I love to go for a run along the shore and finish with weight lifting and stretching at their fitness center on the third floor.
There is no self-​parking here– just valet. I have come in late on a few occasions and had to wait about 5 – 10 minutes for the valet attendant to show up. In the morning, always call 20 minutes ahead to get your car. I have had to wait up to 40 minutes on occasion.
Check-​in: the staff are very friendly. All but once, I was upgraded to a larger room due to my Hilton status. The one time I did not– I did feel that the petite room was, well, very petite.
Room: Always very clean. I have never had any issues with the cleanliness of any of the rooms or the property. The bathrooms are very small, and the sinks in the bathrooms are very very very small. But other than that, very standard Hilton rooms.
No separate, enclosed business center, but there are 2 computers in the lobby with a printer.