Using hotwire.com, I booked a $120 per night hotel room at the Millennium Knickerbocker, 163 East Walton Place at North Chicago Avenue, directly behind the Drake Hotel (where Oprah puts up her guests) and around the corner from the Hancock building. The hotel exterior was very elegant, and you feel a little like a movie star entering under a light-studded awning with the assistance of red-suited doormen. That elegant, Roaring Twenties feeling continues in the richly colored upholstery, dark wood, and warm lighting of the lobby.
Since we arrived a few hours early with heavy luggage, we were very pleased when the hotel offered us our room well before the scheduled 3pm check-in time. What our 12th-floor room lacked in space was made up for in character and ambience. The double bed featured an elegant olive-green bedspread and a long, cylindrical, decorative pillow. Over the bed hung a speckled mirror, while an ornate desk and regal armoire/entertainment center sat in the corner. Unfortunately, the entrance to the bathroom was directly to the right of the bed, and so we had barely enough room to open and close the door. Actually, the door didn't close all the way, which made for an, um, even more intimate experience.
The bathroom itself betrayed the somewhat deteriorating condition of the hotel. Beyond the faulty doorknob were a sink that drained slowly and a toilet that sometimes required two flushes. The shower also lacked pressure and the bathroom featured no fan. The bedroom window was also a drawback, as it only provided a view of the other offices and hotels built up all around the Knickerbocker.
Although it was difficult for two people to maneuver in the bedroom, the rest of the hotel was very comfortable. The lobby bar was traditional and clubby and set with an array of sofas and high tables. Several large-screen televisions and a jazz piano combined to make the bar classy or sporty, depending on the night. We enjoyed their selection of martinis, but at $12 a drink, found them very pricey compared to alcohol at other Chicago bars. During our first night in the Knickerbocker, we noticed a formal reception on the hotel's mezzanine and heard a rumor that they’d later be dancing on a light-up disco floor, a remnant from the '70s when the hotel belonged to the Playboy chain of clubs.
Most of all, we were very pleased by the Knickerbocker’s convenient location at the north end of the Magnificent Mile. The area is great for shopping, with everything from Bloomingdale's and Burberry to H&M and Urban Outfitters. The hotel concierges were helpful in directing us around the area, and on check-out day, we were very relieved that the bellboys provided a storage room for our luggage until our evening train departed.
If you’re willing to look past a few flaws, the Knickerbocker is available at a great price in a really good neighborhood.