sofitel chicago

Sofitel Chicago, Room 1008: Everything Right Except the People

The Bed: Very Nearly Perfect

Linens and mattress were both flawless; only the pillows held back at 80%, which in the scheme of things is a rounding error. A strong start, and a promise the room went on to keep.

The Room: The Best Working Room in the Portfolio

87%, and the highest room score of any stay here bar one. Cleanliness, layout, workspace and outlets each returned a perfect 100% — a combination so uncommon it deserves acknowledgment. Somebody at this Sofitel understood that guests arrive with laptops and a limited tolerance for crawling behind furniture.

The view, room service, HVAC and style all landed at 80%. Only noise disappointed, at 60%, which in a downtown Chicago high-rise is less a failure of the hotel than a fact of the city.

The Bathroom: Clean and Generous, If Inconsistently Warm

Cleanliness and towels were perfect, water pressure and amenities strong at 80%. The one genuine complaint was the water temperature at 60% — an unwelcome variable first thing in the morning, and the sort of thing that lingers in the memory longer than its weighting suggests.

The Hotel: Where the Score Went

75%, dragged down by a single number. Service came in at 40% — the lowest mark of the stay and a startling result for a brand that sells itself on precisely that (called for pillows that never arrived). The fitness centre was perfect at 100%, and Wi-Fi, restaurants, location, lobby and style all held at 80%. Business facilities managed 60%.

So the building performed. The rooms performed. What did not perform was the part of the hotel that talks back. A room this good deserves a front desk to match, and on this visit it did not have one.