Being from Chicago, it isn’t often that I get to frequent hotels downtown. So when I was planning a quick girls’ getaway, I wanted to get a hotel that was both upscale and cool. The Gwen Hotel Chicago fit the bill.
Location
When I say The Gwen had an absolutely perfect location, I mean it. The Gwen, a Starwood property, is located right on Michigan Avenue in downtown Chicago. But it gets even better than that. It is right along the famed Magnificent Mile and is even connected to The Shops at Northbridge mall, which houses Nordstrom (including the Nordstrom Spa), Stuart Weitzman, and other shops. The fact that it is connected to the shops is a nice touch in the super cold winters of Chicago, as you can access food and shopping while not having to set foot outside. And of course, it is steps from all of the shopping that Michigan Avenue is known for.
But The Gwen is also surrounding by great eateries. Within a couple of blocks is Eataly, an Italian marketplace, Joe’s Seafood and Stone Crab, Shake Shack, and Chicago pizza legend Pizzeria Uno.
But even beyond that, The Gwen is super accessible. It only took us about 10 minutes by to get to The Gwen from Union Station, so for those venturing into the city without a car, it is a great option (I hate driving in downtown Chicago!).
The Hotel
The Gwen has a pretty luxe interior. When you enter the lobby, you are confronted with plush seats and couches, and swanky chandeliers. It is extremely inviting, and there were a lot of guests just relaxing in the lobby. Had it not been a girl’s getaway, it would have been a great spot to get some work done on the laptop and people watch.
Just off the lobby is the restaurant and full bar. We only had one night so we didn’t get to take advantage of that area but it looked like a great area to grab a cocktail and relax.
The Room
The. Room. Was. Huge. It was seriously spacious. We could have easily done multiple cartwheels the room was so long…I mean, if I still thought I could do a cartwheel LOL.
As soon as you walk in you are struck by the spaciousness of the room. It is almost like a hallway from the entrance to the main part of the bedroom. Even with two queen-sized beds, there was still ample room for the desk and a sitting area by the window.
The room was very nicely appointed with quality appointments. The room got great light during the day. The desk was a pretty ample space for work. It was equipped with everything you need to get some work done while in the city. And next to the desk was a refrigerator, which was also perfect for our leftovers.
The bathrooms were also super spacious and luxe. With a separate area for the toilet, you would think that the rest of the bathroom would be compact, but it was quite open. The granite countertops were a nice touch and the shower was oversized. And, as appears to be the case in many Luxury Collection hotels, the Elemis toiletries provided were top notch.
On to the beds, they were super comfy. We sunk down into them and they were super relaxing. The mattresses were plush and I could have lounged in the bed all morning.
This leads to the only negative of The Gwen. We didn’t get to relax in bed the next morning because, unbeknownst to us, construction started right at 9 am right above us. We weren’t notified that construction was ongoing at the hotel neither at booking nor at check-in. That was definitely not the best surprise, but luckily we weren’t counting on the extra sleep.
Overall Review of The Gwen Hotel Chicago
Overall, we were very pleased with The Gwen. The rooms were spacious, the hotel itself was nice, and the location is truly not to be beat. I have already recommended The Gwen to those visiting the city, as it has a great central location for great food and great shopping. Just check on the construction schedule and you are good to go.
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