The Essence Suites

Great place with helpful and friendly staff. Awesome proximity to tons of restaurants, this is a great place to get away and relax. Check in and forget about the rest of the world for a day, I recommend this as a quick get away for Chicagoans. I’ll be back again soon!

OK so from the drive it was OK. I pulled into the lot which was full from the restaurant next door so it made it slightly confusing on which way to go. Pulled to the back and seen ample amount of parking. Walked inside and was greeted by a friendly lady who checked us in, explained everything gave is instructions and sent us on our way. So upon walking into the room it was really nice and cool considering it was 82 degrees. Robes and house shoes on bed, red lights on over the bed and a huge jacuzzi. The room wasn’t as big as I expected but it works. The steam room was awesome with speakers inside of it so you can enjoy your music while inside. So we start the steam room up get the music going and fill up the tub. Lol hey we only have a few hours to enjoy everything and 200 bucks isn’t cheap Lol. Anyways music is going I’m watching the steam room get ready as well as the tub is going I noticed I’m burning up! Sheesh OK I guess I do have a bunch of hot ish running Lol so whatever’s. Hit the steam room and cut on the rainforest thing. Omg the best every. Water everywhere with my jams YASSSS! So OK now I was in there for a good 30 mins and figured it was time for the jacuzzi. Finished filling it up and the entire time I’m pouring sweat. I chalked it up as again I have too many steamy things going on Lol. We slide into the tub and wouldn’t u know it I seen what looked like a burn… hmmm 200 bucks, I’m hot and I seen a burn, I’m calling the front desk. Some guy with a accent says to cut the air off for 2 – 3 mins to reset. My face was like the hell I will die from a heat stroke Lol yet I did it. Get back inside the tub and notices there was 3 jets not working. Now I’m like you know what screw this! I get dressed and I’m pouring sweat and now I’m pissed. I walk outside and I’m hit with the coldest breeze ever. I go to the office and see the guy I assume told me to cut off the air to reset it. I explained it didn’t work and blah blah blah. He apologized and says we can upgrade the room for us. Cool is what I was thinking. We go check out the new room and again walking in I was amazed. The air clearly worked the room had a couch but the tub was small as hell! OK whatever as long as the air works and plus the room is bigger. He even made our check out at 1pm. Great right. Lol idk. Upon further inspection of everything first I noticed the TV and sound system was from the 80’s I couldn’t get a signal for nothing! The radio worked great so back to the steam room right. No speakers inside which was a disappointment but hey the air works right! The entire set up is different. I couldn’t adjust the temp for the steam like in the other room, no music and the water pressure sucks. I just said screw it and let’s get in the tub. The steps was all cracked and peeling so I covered it with towels. You can tell the house keepers don’t clean properly. Oh yea in the steam room the ceiling was nasty. It has a leaking cracks the shower head came off and when I cut all the lights off with the steam going two letters popped up on the door like a damn horror movie. OK back to the jacuzzi tub. The knobs where loose and there was specks of hard paint inside. It wasnt smooth at all! Went to get food and to heat it up I notices the microwave was older than me. Lol. So an upgrade idk. Worth 200 bucks maybe for the other room with a working air conditioner. Other wise I don’t believe so.

I was very unhappy with my stay and even more upset by how the Asst. Manager Dana handled it. The knob on the fireplace was broken, you could literally move the knob housing unit a full 360 degrees, so fire kept shutting off then turning back on all night and kept waking me up. I wanted to listen to my iPod there was no aux cord available, luckily I had mine but even still the jack on the stereo receiver didn’t work so I was forced to listen to the radio. How sexy are commercials while trying to relax in the hot tub? Another problem was the «rain/​shower room». The temperature went from blazing hot to scalding. Stood in there for 15 – 20 min trying every which way with the knob and couldn’t get a decent temperature. I complained at checkout and the very nice woman at the counter told me she has had the complaint about the water being too hot before and documented the other discrepancies. Dana the manager called me and told me that maintenance just checked the room and everything works fine. I told her to check herself cause maintenance isn’t doing their job and obviously lying about it. She wouldn’t refund any of my money because we finished the night there. The alternative was to pack up all our stuff, get dressed, and move to another room at 2am. in the rain. She stated that since we didn’t move in the middle of the night it’s basically our fault. A manager should be supervising their employees including maintenance. Very dissatisfied with the way Dana handled these issues. One last thing. At checkout, the people in the lobby in front of me in line were complaining about their stay as well and they found blood on their sheets. Just FYI.

Essence suites exceeded my expectations. First of all, they had a very clean room, bathroom, bed, and hot tub. I reserved the whirlpool suites. The front desk staff was very polite and gave me all the info I needed. I came here for my 5 year anniversary. I really enjoyed myself. She did as well. We had so many restaurants near by to eat from which we chose Uncle Julios!!! They also had a nice TV with cable and surround sound music system. The bed was huge and comfortable. I loved the fire place that was my favorite falling asleep to and waking up to! Overall great price only $ 200 for the weekend including membership fee $ 25 ($ 175 room) for a romantic getaway in south suburb of Chicago. I will be coming back and trying out their specials and deals. Don’t waste time and money if you want to go all out because here you will have FUN AND lots of memories!

Great place, reasonable pricing. Hot tub was amazing, fire place created a great mood. Highly recommended!!!

So I decided to book a romantic overnight stay with my girlfriend at the glorious Essence Suites on New Years Day. We were both under the weather and looking forward to the intense steam of the steam room & Amazon-​style shower. We arrived at the hotel around 6:20 for our 6pm check-​in when we were informed that our room wouldn’t be ready for 45min.
Fine, not a problem. Even got an extended late check-​out for the trouble.
We grab dinner and check into our room, and as soon as we turn on the fireplace, the room instantly REEKS of gas (yup, the BOOM-​kind). We call the front desk and they (graciously) allow us to switch rooms. As soon as we get to our room (the second, just to keep count as this story progresses), there is a HUGE spider hanging from the ceiling just above the bed (and my girlfriend is really afraid of spiders, so right there is a big mood-​killer, ya know?). I get rid of mister spidey and finally try and settle into our room, and when we turn the TV on to do so, the remote control wouldn’t work… no reaction at all when I pressed any of the buttons (and yes, I pressed ‘POWER’ then ‘CABLE’ on the remote to answer that question, c’mon this aint my first dance).
And the channel was stuck on Bravo’s ‘Real Housewives of ‘fill in the blank’, so I REALLY wanted to option of either turning the channel or turning the thing OFF.
So again I ring the front desk, and the young lady (graciously) offers to switch out our remote for us, and brings us a new one to our room. Try this new remote on the TV, but it’s the same thing, no action on the remote. So I call again and this time bring both remotes to the front desk, where the clerk & I walked outside around the grounds to another suite to swipe THAT room’s remote for our TV (the final ‘working’ remote had tape where the battery panel goes, ironic right?). I then return to our room and try to pick up where we left off in our now ‘second’ room of the night, when I go to run the hot tub water. After allowing the tub to fill, I place my hand in to gauge the temperature and the water is bone-​chilling-​ice-​cold.
Yep.
So again I ring the front desk, and the clerk (graciously) offers to switch our room yet again (no. 3 for those keeping count) and even offered us an extended late check out. We settle in, order food, and can FINALLY begin to enjoy ourselves. That is until a male grounds-​person that didn’t get the late check-​out memo attempted to enter the room to clear it. We let him know via screaming through the door that we had extended time and returned to relaxing. As we were there in our final room, I noticed several defects in the room, ie, loose/​ajar panels covering gas heat ducks, a speaker cover hanging off the actual speaker, the door to the steam room that wouldn’t shut, light bulbs out over the hot tub, and a door knob coming apart from the wooden door… not enough to make a huge deal over, but definitely something to remember when thinking of your next overnight romantic getaway destination.
As we listened to our ‘room radio’ on medium volume, I called the front desk to extend our stay yet again & pay the additional balance, per their rules. The new clerk got super defensive, saying we should’ve been out already, and that we would need to come to the front office to pay right-​this-​minute, and also to PLEASE turn our radio down (the radio was actually off at the time of this call, and they never mentioned anything regarding noise before I CALLED THE OFFICE)! I walked to the office & paid the balance in-​full and returned to TRYING to enjoy the remaining few hours of our stay.
As our new check-​out time (6pm) was arriving, and as we’re showering and not in our clothes in our suite, a hotel attendant knocks on the door & proceeds to enter the room, entering right in on my naked girlfriend, who promptly turns and pushes the door closed as he retreats. Now, we’re both naked, tired, soaking wet, and VERY upset that this happened, AND at 5:55pm, five-​full minutes before we were to check-​out of our now PREPAID ROOM. We alerted the front desk to the incident, to which they fanned a sympathetic ‘understanding’, but could really give a $%&#. We left and went home, and now all I have to show for my stay is this mysterious $ 9 charge on my card for items unknown but labelled ‘Essence Suites’ on my statement.
So should you stay at Essence Suites? I’m not gonna say you shouldn’t. Who am I to tell you where you should spend 4 or in some cases 17 hrs? But I will say that if you aim to be a provider of spa-​quality, short-​stay hotel suites that you maintain a level of ‘service’ & most importantly, ‘upkeep’. I’ve seen this done much better at places like the Champagne Lodge & Suites, and even though the commercials made it seem like a running joke when I was a teenager, I’m sure the Sybaris Suites can’t be any worse. In any case, I will look back at our little Orland Park adventure with smiles.
Maybe. Possibly. Okay, probably not. Yeah, probably not.

This once was a very nice place to spend a romantic evening however, clearly they have not evolved with the times. I first came here 13 years ago which at the time was a very nice alternative to your regular hotel stay but, upon a random return for nostalgic sake (10÷16÷14), i was very disappointed that it hasn’t changed one bit (UPDATE-​WISE)! The Old microwave; peeling paint and wood trim; musty carpet and room ;small 27inch lcd tv’s with analog signal that didn’t even broadcast in High Definition, no cable or satellite signal and you had to constantly call the front desk. for instructions to get more than one channel ran through some sort of digital converter box that take 30 minutes each time to upload the snowy channels after being told everything else had to be off too formit to reset. So, you couldn’t even listen to music whilenit rebooted! For over 200.00 a night Really!!?
There were also black flying miniature bugs beside the hot tube (which you would think by now would have nice tile trimming of some sort around it) sitting on it and curtains erc and, the place smelled like and old cigar lounge maybe because, of the old carpet and bedding or, the fact that this has become a regular spot to hangout at an affordable price to smoke; drink etc. This has clearly become a place you bring a woman that has never experienced a true comfortably clean romantic atmosphere and, would be distracted by seemingly nice ambience upon entering.
You definitely get what you pay for here now… a cheap lay (stay). However, if it means anything at this point, the attendant on duty was pleasant and patient like she’s been through this a million times before. Time for remodel people. Never Again.

I had my first experience this past weekend. My husband selected the whirlpool suite. I was pleased. Room was clean and very nice. The receptionist seemed kinda annoyed but not rude. I couldn’t figure out the swing but didn’t want to call front desk. Everything is in good working condition. Only thing I would say is the bed is very uncomfortable. Other than that, I enjoyed my stay.

I stayed here recently and let me say if you dont plan on spending the night its fine. The tub and steam room were both nice and huge and honestly the only good part about it. The décor isnt modern but not the worse. The Tv not the best but gets the job done. The wifi is crap. The BED, is the worse. Me and my guy stayed overnight for a «getaway» and lets just say ive slept better at home with my 4 year old and newborn. I swear guys, no lie. The bed is extremely hard, we seriously woke up every 2 hours. Finally at about 5am we woke up to ants. Yes, ANTS there were ants on the bed and tables. The fact that we still stayed the night should speak volumes about my character and how forgiving i can be. I wrote on the comment card about the ants and even had my guy let them know during check out and there response was «why didnt you let us know» yeah at 5am! At that point its like for what, so you can switch our rooms… waste of time. The only thing worse than the ants was the BED. Guys i mean it, too much pounding going on. Also, the bed was lopsided, the sheets were slippery. I mean, theres not 1 good thing about those beds. Well they did have a sex swing hanging in the bathroom, it goes over the bed. it didnt get used but it was cool, and me and my guy got a good laugh. Get new beds, and this place could get a 3.7

Stayed here this past Saturday night and… VERY disappointed! The cable didn’t work, the hot tub kept leaking and running as did the toilet, the tub had sand or grit of some kind in it and the bed was a queen size mattress inside of a king size frame and surrounded in dirt and junk! When we went to check out in the morning, I told the manager or desk clerk about it and she just made a funny face (didn’t even apologize or try to make it right) We were going to come back in 2 weeks to celebrate our 10 year anniversary but after not even trying to correct the issue of dissatisfaction, I think we will try the Sybaris or CL instead

We stayed on a Sat night and it was ok. We did have some issues though.
Toilet seat was loose
Forgot rose petals
Coffee maker did not work right
Hair blowdryer did not work right
Bed was kind of hard
Chocolate covered strawberries were nice
Shower/​steamroom was nice
Hot tub was decent size

We had a lovely time here. The room was clean and staff friendly. I would’ve gave the a 5 stars but ummm… the room was tiny and no place to put your clothes.
I’ve been here before and was glad my first stay was more comfortable. We were in the deluxe suite and had everything you need including space.
I will come again but will only stay in the deluxe suite.

The rooms were nice, clean and cozy. Sound system is nice as well. We had a problem with our system and they moved us into another room and pushed our check-​out time back.

So my wife takes me to Essence on my birthday. Since it was the 4^th of July it was empty. We get to the room and the key doesn’t work. I go back and tell the desk clerk. she gives me another. That doesn’t work. Finally she comes and asks if we want another room. I said sure since we can’t get in this one. So them she comes back with the chambermaid who uses the pass key and let’s us in the room. The a/​c didn’t work properly but the rest of it was fine.
Then we go to leave and the door doesn’t open. the whole mechanism was broke. We had to call the front desk to let us out. Seemed dangerous to be in a room with no windows that you can’t leave. Anyway the desk clerk Ann was really nice and left word with the manager who called a few says later and credited 20.00.
I would say if you go, check the door and make sure it works, and the rest before you commit to staying.

My husband and I went to the Essence Suites on Monday April 15, 2013. We both work hard and just need a couple of hours to get away. We rented the whirl pool room. It was so romantic and sexy, we didn’t want to leave. When you lay in the king size bed, you cant help but to feel at home and touch each other. The staff was so nice. Im going to make plans to go back, I want to try the night on the town deal.

Well, its been 3 weeks since Ive been there and filled out the comment card. NO REPLY. Whats the point of the comment card… if I say something good I’ll get a discount for my next stay, but the fact I wrote I was unhappy doesnt get me a discount for what I already paid?
DONT WASTE YOUR TIME HERE.

i stayed at the essence suite for the first time yesterday and i had an AWESOME time. we got the super essence suite and we stayed in room 114 and we loved it. the room was beautiful and clean. the steam room was relaxing, the hot tub was HUGE, i LOVED the amazon rain shower, they provide you with a lot of nice toiletries and the pizza was yummy but small. the lighting was nice and it was quiet so it felt like we were the only ones there. it was relaxing and a great way to de-​stress yourself and have a nice time with the one you love. you can bring your own alcohol so we brought wine. the only thing i did not like was that the steam room was not sealed properly so it leaked a little when you used the shower but it was not a big deal. they have a sex swing. not for me though but… thanks? lol. the fire place was a nice touch also it made the stay more romantic. reseal the steam room and you will get an extra star from me lol. but i would recommend it to anyone looking to get away and who is on a budget. but i will definitely be returning. the only thing i would suggest they do differently is provide bigger robes other then that. no complaints.

I agree with both reviewers especially Jef’s in comparison with Sybaris. We did have to pay a mandatory yearly membership fee of 25 bux but honestly that’s not bad. Especially with VARIETY of specials they offer their members monthly! The website doesn’t give the room Any justice. We were in the Essence Suite. It was Very clean and comfortable not cramped or overcrowded. Plenty did I mention PLENTY of options as far as restaurants and stores in the area which is a PLUS! The surround sound is great you can hook up your Ipod. The whirlpool is HUGE! Now if we can just get them to add that massage chair that the Sybaris have in their deluxe whirlpool suite and larger suites it will set this place off. That chair is the bomb! Honestly try this place out it’s a great romantic getaway spot not cheezy at all. Customer service is also very good!

My wife and I used Essence Suites for a night about three months ago. Fantastic. If all you need is a big hot tub, a bed and fancy misting shower, this is far cheaper and nicer than Sybaris.
(If you want a big fantasy room with a pool, though, Sybaris still is the Queen of that domain).
We got the Super Essence Suite, their most expensive option, and still ended up cheaper than the comparable room from Sybaris. It was clean and comfortable.
A minor kvetch is that we could not figure out how to work the thermostat so there were times when the room was uncomfortably warm.
The hot tub was 186 gallons and the biggest damn hot tub we have experienced at a hotel or sex hotel like this. It was awesome. There was also a swing for over the bed but we weren’t in the mood to figure out how to adjust it to work for us. The pizza was good, but I kind of wish we hadn’t ordered it because it was annoying to have to answer the door when they delivered it.
The rooms come with a really great little kitchenette with microwave and frig.
The lender robes are really nice and comfy.
The lighting in the room was perfect.
So in conclusion the only reason I am taking away a star is due to the room thermostat being incomprehensible. Please Essence Suites help us adjust the room temp!

Looking for a romantic day getaway that is not going to break the bank? Located in the Southwest suburbs, this is a place to go that will help you relax with your significant other (or even alone for that matter). Unlike the Sybariss, where you have to pay a membership fee, no membership is necessary here. They have six different suites, all have whirlpools, saunas, and misting rooms. The biggest suite has a small sunken swimming pool. The rooms are huge, with king size beds, complimentary bathrobes, fireplaces, surround sound entertainment systems, huge wet bars and other amenities. Upon check in, if you reserve a room for two, both parties must be present and show I.D. It is not a sleazy hotel at all. Always clean and very reputable. They also have gift certificates, available, and room service from the Italian restaurant next door is available. (P.S– If you decide to go– check behind the bathroom door– you’ll find a fun surprise waiting for you!)