Hotel Review: St. Regis Chicago

I live in Chicago most of the year and had been excited about the opening of the St. Regis for several years. St. Regis is one of my favorite hotel brands and we have stayed at locations in New York, San Francisco, Washington DC, Punta Mita, Bahia Beach, Osaka, Singapore, Venice, and one of my favorites (with dozens of nights logged there): Bal Harbour, among others. The renderings looked gorgeous for this new Chicago luxury hotel and we decided on a Friday night staycation during the hotel’s opening week.

Anthony’s Take: The St. Regis Chicago does not capture the elegance and luxury that is expected of the brand. The rooms feel commonplace and the lobby rather boring. Marriott Bonvoy® Elite benefits were not properly offered (something that I wrote about here and that the hotel has since corrected). While the hotel just opened and some of the lackluster experience can be attributed to teething pains, it did not make a good first impression.

Booking

The room was booked with a free night certificate earned for holding the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card. Cash rates were well over $1,000 per night and this was a good use of the award certificate. If you’re looking to redeem Marriott Bonvoy® points here, redemptions cost between 59,000 and 80,000 points per night.

Transportation to/from the Hotel

I live just a few miles from the hotel and took an Uber Black there. It cost $20.55. We went home the same way for a similar cost.

Location

The hotel is located close to Michigan Avenue, Navy Pier, Lake Michigan, and all of the most popular shopping and tourist sites. The St. Regis Chicago was the Wanda Vista Tower. It’s a 101-story building (the third tallest in Chicago) designed by Jeanne Gang. The building holds the title as the world’s tallest building designed by a woman. Construction started in 2016, was completed by 2020, and had condo owners moving into the 393 units housed here before the hotel opened last week.

Check-in

When I arrived, there was no line. It was around 5:00 PM and we were quickly assisted. It was clear that the agent checking us in was not aware of some Marriott Bonvoy® benefits and struggled with the check in. She asked for my credit card twice before handing me the reader and saying “they like us to let you do it.” I inquired about late check out and was granted one. I asked about a welcome amenity and was told that it was points only. St. Regis as a chain offers breakfast for two in its restaurant as a brand standard. Breakfast was not offered here because, per the front desk agent, they do not own the restaurant (it’s operated by Lettuce Entertain You). She did offer to make me a breakfast reservation, so the meal is offered but it is not a welcome amenity. (This has since changed as I noted above.) I was offered a glass of champagne or sparkling lemonade and gladly accepted the lemonade. I was informed that I was upgraded to a Superior, Park View. The hotel has 192 rooms and suites on floors three through nine. Only floors three through six are currently open. This limits what is available to upgrade guests into. Suites are apparently not all ready. There will be a good number of them once the hotel is fully open.

Superior, Park View, Guest Room, 1 King (608)

There are 192 rooms and suites at the hotel. I was on the sixth floor (of six open floors; there are nine floors that make up the hotel).

The hallways were tall with high doors for each room. This carried over to the elevators as well.

Once inside the room, the right side has a large open closet/dressing area.

Here, you’ll find a robe, slippers, hangers, a shopping bag, and the safe.

Across the hall, you’ll find a large bathroom. I loved the addition of the live orchid. This bathroom has space for a double sink and it should have included one.

A large bottle of Listerine and Sodashi brand body lotion were on the counter.

A large bathtub is on the right side.

On the left side, there are two doors. One has a large shower and the other contains the toilet.

The shower was a great size and water pressure was good.

Toiletries were Sachajuan and Sodashi brand and in large bottles. These smelled good, but I miss the old Remède brand that St. Regis used to use.

The toilet was behind the other door.

Stepping further in, the king-sized bed is to the right with a TV to the left and a small table beside it. There were a good number of outlets to be found. There is next to no tech and the curtains are manual. This is surprising for a new luxury room.

The TV would not connect to any streaming service.

It was odd not to have a desk in this room. For a city hotel, this is a miss. There is a good amount of wasted space where a desk would fit. This table and single chair took its place.

On the other side of the TV, there was a cabinet that will eventually house a minibar.

The refrigerator is sensored and even though it was empty, my folio had a Beck’s and other items added and removed since these sensors will eventually house those items. We put our own water in there and it must have triggered the sensors. Once filled, there will be no room for personal items.

A Nespresso machine and condiments were found on top of this cabinet.

This is a Park View room, but the windows were pretty filthy. This is the view.

The hallways have an off smell. Other hotels pump in scents, but that was not the case here.

Public Areas & Amenities

The lobby has a few small seating areas and a concierge desk.

The concierge desk was not staffed after 5:00 PM.

Flowers on the front desk.

More seating near the entrance.

A hallway on the far side leads to ballrooms and event spaces.

The elevators have no buttons inside. You select your floor and it assigns you an elevator before entering.

The elevators are tall, which I love.

The fitness center and pool are found on the 10th floor. The pool is a good size, but it was overchlorinated.

The fitness center is large and includes well-appointed locker rooms with saunas.

There are lots of free weights and machines.

Cardio equipment

Medicine balls and other equipment

More machines and great views

More great views of Navy Pier

The fitness center has towels, apples, and bottled water available.

The hotel’s restaurant, Miru, is located on the 11th floor. (Photo Credit: Marriott.) We did not eat here, but if you choose breakfast as a welcome amenity as a Platinum, Titanium, or Ambassador Elite, you’ll eat here.

Outside of the restaurant is an area called the library.

This has comfortable seating and the daily champagne sabering is held here when the weather is inclement.

Additional seating in the library.

There is an outdoor space off of the library as well.

Overall Impression: The St. Regis Chicago was a bit of a disappointment in that Elite benefits were not recognized, the room was lackluster, and the stay was nothing memorable. The hotel is new and some of this will improve with time.

Anthony’s Credit Card Pick: When I’m staying at a Marriott hotel, I want to maximize my points earned. My card of choice is the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card. With it, I earn six Marriott Bonvoy® points for each dollar spent at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy® program. It also includes up to $300 statement credits per calendar year (up to $25 per month ) for dining in restaurants worldwide. Plus, a free night award every year after my card renewal month that I can redeem at any Marriott hotel with a redemption level at or under 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy^® points. Learn more. For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card, please visit here. Terms apply.

Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.