Grays Lake

My boyfriend, pup, and I recently stayed at the Kinzie for his birthday. We had stayed here a few years ago and remembered it being a much nicer experience, so unfortunately this visit was disappointing. The location is great, but once you factor in the additional fees, I think there are much nicer options in Chicago for the price. For example, the Kimpton Gray is a great dog-friendly hotel with no additional pet fee. I’m not opposed to paying a pet fee, but between that and the other extras here, we could have stayed somewhere nicer. Also, what exactly is the $34.95 nightly service fee for? This is not a resort. The biggest frustration was our room temperature. The room was extremely warm and we could not get it to cool down, so we called the front desk for help. We were told to flip off a switch that had a metal barrier covering it, turn it back on, and then hold the “cool” button. Why is appropriately cooling a hotel room this much of an obstacle? Even after doing that, the system repeatedly timed out, so we kept waking up hot and having to adjust it again. Overall, this just isn’t the Kinzie I remember. What previously felt like a nice hotel now feels much more like a budget hotel experience where you’re being nickel-and-dimed with added fees. Unfortunately, we won’t be staying again.

The hotel had everything we needed. I do think it could be a super cold place to try to sleep in the winter with all the glass walls. It was cold at night even in August. It was also incredibly loud all throughout the night. I was glad I thought to bring a few warm layers and earplugs. The people working at the front desk and around the hotel were all super friendly and welcoming.