Description: Over the past couple of years,
The Peninsula has garnered a bevy of accolades. In January 2005,
Travel & Leisure magazine rated it the top hotel in Chicago. That same month, it made
Conde Nast Traveler magazine's
2005 Gold List - World's Best Places to Stay. It's been named the #1 hotel in the United States by
Zagat Survey for three years running (2003-2005). It’s also considered among the best urban spas in the country. So the question arises: is it really that good? Well, ummm... yeah!
The hotel is situated on Superior Street, just west of Michigan Avenue and south of the old Water Tower. With Rush Street around the corner, the River North Gallery District a few blocks to the west, and Magnificent Mile shopping just footsteps away in the opposite direction, the Peninsula has the prime location one would expect from such a highly regarded hotel.
Our room featured a comfy king-size bed, desk, chairs, an armoire housing a television, DVD player, and snack bar, and a small couch. The bathroom featured a large shower and lavatory with privacy glass, a luxurious vanity and matching dressing table, and a full-sized tub with a TV built into the wall, for those who believe viewing and soaking go hand-in-hand.
The Peninsula boasts a state-of-the-art electronic system that enables guests to control room features with the touch of a button. Located on the bedside table next to the telephone, a small console allows you to adjust the thermostat, lighting, radio (speakers are concealed in the wall), and television. Want privacy? Don’t bother getting up to slide that Do not disturb sign over the knob: just press the Privacy Please button. Likewise, just hit Make up room to summon maid services.
But no matter how slick the in-room gadgetry, how big and comfy the towels, nor how luxurious the bedding, eventually a hotel must do something more than provide nice amenities in order to elevate it above its peers to that lofty upper echelon. And this is where the Peninsula really shines. The service is second to none: the staff is exceptionally well-trained, and every single employee seems intent on doing everything possible to cater to their guests’ needs.
Upon arrival, the doorman spun the revolving doors for us and asked if we needed assistance. At check-in, we were asked if they could help us make arrangements for ground transportation upon our departure, and they offered to print our boarding passes for us so they’d be ready and waiting when we’d check out. "Can I do anything else for you?" are probably the most frequently used words at the Peninsula.
Starting at better than $400/night, a room at the Peninsula doesn’t come cheap. But if you’re willing to splurge in order to stay at one of the finest hotels in the United States, this is as good a place as any to start. An enthusiastic two thumbs up.
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