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Room & Suite (71)
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What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
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What you can expect during your stay
- All linens sanitised in high-temperature wash
- Face masks required for guests in public areas
- Face masks required for staff in public areas
- Floors marked for social distancing
- Hand sanitiser available to guests & staff
- Stay-at-home policy for staff with symptoms
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Updated 15/12/21 Safety precautions are provided by the property and are not checked by Tripadvisor for accuracy.
Updated 15/12/21 Safety precautions are provided by the property and are not checked by Tripadvisor for accuracy.
About
#35 of 218 hotels in Chicago
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Value
Travellers' Choice
Find your home away from home in the elegant accommodations at Le Meridien Essex Chicago. Our intuitively designed and thoughtfully appointed guest rooms offer a restful energy amidst the bustle of the city. Floor-to-ceiling windows boast an awe-inspiring view of the downtown Chicago cityscape and expansive views of Lake Michigan from Navy Pier to Soldier Field overlooking the Buckingham Fountain. Spoil yourself with perks including luxurious bedding and plush towels, in-room Lavazza espresso machines, Wi-Fi and oversized Smart TVs. When reseverving one of our sumptuous Skyline King rooms can enjoy sweeping vistas of the lakefront, Grant Park and the Museum Campus. Some of our amenities include: 24 hour Fitness Center with Peloton bike, in-room Lavazza espresso machines, 55" Smart TVs with Chromecast, valet, Bluetooth speakers bathroom mirror , wireless charging alarm clock and in-room movie options.
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Property amenities
Valet parking
Wifi
Fitness Centre with Gym / Workout Room
Bar / lounge
Bowling offsite
Car hire
Business Centre with Internet Access
Meeting rooms
Paid public parking nearby
Restaurant
Breakfast available
Happy hour
Photo copier / fax In business centre
Baggage storage
Concierge
Newspaper
Non-smoking hotel
Shared lounge / TV area
ATM on site
24-hour front desk
Express check-in / check-out
Laundry service
Ironing service
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Room features
Allergy-free room
Bathrobes
Air conditioning
Desk
Housekeeping
Refrigerator
Cable / satellite TV
Walk-in shower
Safe
Seating area
Telephone
Iron
Laptop safe
Wake-up service / alarm clock
Flatscreen TV
On-demand films
Complimentary toiletries
Hair dryer
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Room types
City view
Landmark view
Bridal suite
Non-smoking rooms
Good to know
HOTEL CLASS
HOTEL STYLE
Park View
Languages Spoken
English, Spanish, Romanian, Ukrainian
Location
Full view
100Great for walkers
Grade: 100 out of 100
68Restaurantswithin 0.5 km
22Attractionswithin 0.5 km
Contact
800 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60605
Getting there
HarrisonChicago L5 min
RooseveltChicago L6 min
Car HireSee all Chicago car hire
387Reviews72Q+A45Room tips
Reviews
Traveller rating
- 287
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- 13
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Popular mentions
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Most Recent
The hotel is fairy new just about 7 years old. I arrived just before mid night, but the check in was smooth and quick, especially thankful to the receptionist Rohit who made it easy for me. Daily breakfast have many options, the waiters, waitresses and the chefs were extremely friendly; Chef Om introduced me to several different flavor of dosa. The whole team were great.
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Date of stay: June 2022
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip: higher floor , not facing the main road
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Hotel's Favourite
Stayed here with my wife as part of a travel package for a series of concerts at the Auditorium Theater. I’m always wary when things get packaged together like that, so was prepared to show up to a mediocre hotel experience. Happy to report that this was easily the nicest hotel I’ve stayed at in downtown Chicago. With the hotel recently renovated, the room we were in was very nicely appointed - tastefully modern with a very comfortable bed, huge TV, and very nice bathroom layout. The staff were friendly and helpful. The hotel restaurant is quite good and we were given a $15 voucher each day that was good for any meal we had at the restaurant. While the menu isn’t huge, the food we had was nicely prepared and the waitstaff were courteous, professional, and efficient. Would gladly stay here again and definitely plan on doing so the next time we come back to Chicago.…
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Date of stay: November 2021Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip: Great happy hour from 4-7 PM every day except Sunday. Inexpensive beers and a very nice happy...
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Helpful
Response from Larry Irving, General Manager at Le Meridien Essex Chicago
Responded 8 Nov 2021
Hello Matthew V - Thank you for your kind review and for visiting us recently! We're so happy to hear you enjoyed your time with us. From our "nicely appointed" rooms to our warm and welcoming team members - we're happy to know you enjoyed yourself. Thanks again for your recommendation.
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My wife and planned a quick trip to see downtown Chicago for the first time and picked this hotel. It is in an awesome location and had a room overlooking Lake Michigan. The restaurant/bar provided great options for B, L & D and the staff at the desk were great. Yes you can hear the traffic on the streets but what do you expect being in the heart of downtown. Would definitely stay there again!
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Date of stay: June 2022
Rooms
Service
Sleep Quality
Helpful
Response from Larry Irving, General Manager at Le Meridien Essex Chicago
Responded 2 days ago
Hi T695WVmarkv — Thank you for your kind review and for visiting us recently! We're so happy to hear you enjoyed your first time in the city. From our awesome location to our great team members — we're happy to know you enjoyed yourself. Thanks again for your recommendation and please visit us again soon!
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We booked the hotel 6 months in advance and chose it specifically as we only had one day in Chicago and it was within walking distance to the attractions we wanted to see. My husband checked in online earlier in the day and after a long car journey and arriving at 8.30pm ($72 valet parking) we went to the check in desk to be told they only had a room left with ONE bed! We are a family of four so one bed is not going to work for us. The guy behind the desk was just like ‘sorry!’ with no solution offered until my husband asked about a room at another Marriott (we are platinum elite members - not that it made the slightest bit of difference!) we were eventually offered a room at the Courtyard Marriott further into town and nowhere near where we wanted to be. Not only that, but the courtyard Marriott is undergoing renovations so there are blocked stairways with black plastic covering it & some black fabric covering some tables as the check in desk & no lobby. As a long time Marriott customer I am seriously disappointed that this is the treatment we received. I think it might be time to switch loyalty to another brand as Marriott will not honor your booking, even if you make it 6 months in advance.…
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Date of stay: July 2022Trip type: Travelled with family
Helpful
Response from Larry Irving, General Manager at Le Meridien Essex Chicago
Responded 2 days ago
Hi NatT79 — We recognize your time is valuable and appreciate the feedback you have provided. In order to better uphold our commitment to deliver an exceptional experience we have shared your feedback with our hotel leadership team to investigate this further. Please reach out to frontdesk@lemeridienessexchicago.com and allow us the chance to learn more and improve upon your experience. Thanks again for your time and feedback.
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I'd been looking forward to my stay at this hotel since it had completed a recent remodel. There are many Marriott properties in Chicago, but this one looked like it might be a good option, especially with the recent hotel upgrades. While the lobby, restaurant, facilities and room were nice, the service was fairly poor and impacted my overall experience. The check-in process was fairly average and I felt that the person who assisted me was not friendly and didn't make me feel welcome. This property is not a resort and therefore these is no "resort fee", but they do enforce a "destination fee" of $15/night, which I found to be pretty unreasonable. While a guest can get a voucher of $15 to use towards the hotel's bistro each day, it was not well advertised. I was able to use the voucher on two occasions, but each occasion had a different set of rules (on my first night I was told the voucher could only be used on one item on their menu; the second experience I had, I was told that happy hour items could not be used towards the voucher). Throughout my four-night stay, I confirmed with a few staff members about properly charging incidentals to the room and, despite all those confirmations, the final bill was full of incorrect charges. As previously mentioned, the property itself is nice and the staff does a fairly good job of keep most areas clean and presentable. One of my biggest issues was the health club - I worked out there everyday and, with the exception of one day, workout towels were always missing. Besides the hotel's nice furnishings, it is located in a convenient area of downtown Chicago - it's a short walk to State Street, Grant Park, Buckingham Fountain, The Art Institute of Chicago and other notable Chicago landmarks. I've stayed at many hotels all over the world and I have to say that this was one of the worst experiences I've had, specifically with the customer service. With the exception of the the bellman/bellhop, all other employees were aloof. One of the biggest problems was the inconsistency of the information that was provided to me by different staff members. To end the entire poor experience with an incorrect folio was extremely disappointing. Despite my poor experience here, I tried not to let that be my last impression of this city. Chicago is a big city with many other hotels and I would definitely stay at any of them - I won't return here. I'd recommend this hotel to someone who won't interact with the staff and doesn't charge anything to their room. If you do stay here, I highly recommend that you thoroughly review your folio before checking out.…
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Date of stay: May 2022Trip type: Travelled on business
Rooms
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip: Try requesting a room with a nice city view
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Helpful
Response from Larry Irving, General Manager at Le Meridien Essex Chicago
Responded 5 days ago
Dear JetSetKen — We recognize your time is valuable and appreciate the feedback you have provided. In order to better uphold our commitment to deliver an exceptional experience we have shared your feedback with our hotel leadership team to investigate this further. Please reach out to frontdesk@lemeridienessexchicago.com and allow us the chance to learn more and improve upon your experience. Thanks again for your time and feedback.
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Enjoyed our stay here, very central location. Hopped on the local buses to go up and down Michigan Ave. Lovely view of lake Michigan. Nice rooms, great staff, friendly, helpful. Nice outdoor eating area, would stay here again.
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Date of stay: June 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Helpful
Response from Larry Irving, General Manager at Le Meridien Essex Chicago
Responded 1 week ago
Hi Mariee F. — Thank you for your kind review and for visiting us recently! We're so happy to hear you enjoyed your time with us. From our friendly and helpful team members, to our central location and nice rooms — we're delighted to know you enjoyed your stay. Thanks again for your recommendation and please visit us again soon!
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Was planning to stay at the Hilton but it seems to Be undergoing some renovation outside on Michigan Ave. i often opt to stay in an old historic property. The vibe here was a bit tired and the lobby smelled of old French fries. I Walked across the street to the Meridian Essex. They honored the rate I scoped out on Hotel Tonight and gave me a $15 dollar credit for the restaurant. The room was nicely updated and efficiently designed. Yes it faced a wall of windows across the way but did have a sliver of a lake view. Restaurant overlooks Grant Park with outdoor seating and is a winner for location. The food is not outstanding but very good. It was an excellent choice for a quick visit.
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Date of stay: June 2022Trip type: Travelled solo
Helpful
Response from Larry Irving, General Manager at Le Meridien Essex Chicago
Responded 1 week ago
Hi Helena P. — Thank you for visiting us recently! From our updated and efficiently designed rooms to our great location — we're happy to know you enjoyed yourself. Thanks again for your recommendation and please visit us again soon!
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I echo the sentiments of recent posts about the poor quality of service at the Le Meridien Essex Chicago. I made 3 reservations on my Bonvoy Titanium Elite account , each specifically assigned to myself and two guests - all of whom were arriving at different times. 1) I did an online check-in and saw that room 820 had been assigned to my reservation. Fortunately, I stopped by the front desk to pick up the key and after 15 minutes of confusion, discovered that they had already put one of my guests in the same room. If I had just used my mobile key, I would have walked into a room occupied by someone else. I was then set up in a new room using the reservation intended for my guest. 2) The next day, I heard from a couple (I did not know) in the corridor that they too had been issued keys to a room that was already occupied by someone else. 3) As it turned out, one of my guests was unable to attend the event and was a no show. I called the front desk that night to inform them that I would pay for the first night but to cancel the remaining two nights. I was told that I could only cancel the next morning in person at the front desk. 4) On the morning after check-in, I realized that while there was an iron, the room did not have an ironing board. I requested for an ironing board at 6:30am and was cheerfully told that one would be sent to my room right away. When I let the room at 8am, it was still not there nor was there any explanation, excuse or call back. I went to a business meeting that day in a crumpled shirt. When I returned to the room in the evening at 9pm, there was still no ironing board in sight. Only I called to complain was I told that they have a limited number of ironing boards available. One was eventually provided later that evening. 5) When the event was over, I only received the hotel bill for the room I used but not the two rooms that I had paid for on my credit card. Two weeks and five phone calls later, including two extensive conversations where I provided names of the guest, dates of arrival/departure, room & reservation numbers, and promises to have it done "as soon as possible" and "I will inform my manager" - I have yet to receive the bills. The other three phone calls either went to clueless front desk personnel, or was transferred to an extension that was unannounced/unanswered. What does it take to get a hotel bill generated and emailed to me?…
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Date of stay: June 2022Trip type: Travelled on business
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Helpful
Response from Larry Irving, General Manager at Le Meridien Essex Chicago
Responded 1 week ago
Hi Sin T. — Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We have, without success, tried to locate your reservation. If you would be so kind to send us the booking name and email, as well as confirmation numbers (if you have them) — and our team will promptly deliver the requested folios for your records. Please email frontdesk@lemeridienessexchicago.com and we'll get this resolved as quickly as possible. Thank you again for your patience. And please accept our sincere apologies for any inconvenience this has caused.
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I paid over $500 a night for this place and every interaction I had with hotel staff was unpleasant. They made me feel like my presence was a burden and any question I had was something they couldn't help with (e.g. I asked if some utensils could be sent to my room. they have room service, so I wouldn't think this was a problem. The front desk told me that was something they "didn't do"). Overall pretty disappointed I made my company pay for this outrageously priced hotel. Don't stay here for more than $200/night. The rooms are too mediocre to make up for the terrible hospitality here.
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Date of stay: June 2022Trip type: Travelled on business
Value
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip: Request one away from the elevators. The second floor has a conference room on it and it can get...
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Helpful
Response from Larry Irving, General Manager at Le Meridien Essex Chicago
Responded 2 weeks ago
Hi Miles — We recognize your time is valuable and appreciate the feedback you have provided. In order to better uphold our commitment to deliver an exceptional experience we have shared your feedback with our hotel leadership team to investigate this further. Please reach out to frontdesk@lemeridienessexchicago.com and allow us the chance to learn more and improve upon your experience. Thanks again for bringing this to our attention.
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Great stay. The check-in experience was super nice and the room was really clean and welcoming. The hotel is located in such a great spot, since it's close to all the fun attractions and local restaurants. They have a lovely restaurant in the hotel that serves breakfast, so that was a plus. Check out was super fast and simple as well. Will definitely recommend and stay again.
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Date of stay: June 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip: Parking is a bit tricky in the area, we mostly parked at the close parking garage and you have...
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Helpful
Response from Larry Irving, General Manager at Le Meridien Essex Chicago
Responded 2 weeks ago
Hi Lucía G. — Thank you for your kind review and for visiting us recently! We're so happy to hear you enjoyed your time with us. From our friendly and welcoming team members, to our great location and convenient on-site restaurant — we're happy to know you had a wonderful stay. Thanks again for your recommendation and please visit us again soon!
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PRICE RANGE
US$228 - US$413 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
chicago`s essex hotel chicago, chicagos essex hotel, essex inn chicago, hotel chicagos essex
FORMERLY KNOWN AS
Hotel Essex
LOCATION
United StatesIllinoisChicagoCentral / Downtown / The Loop
NUMBER OF ROOMS
274
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Claim Your Listing Frequently Asked Questions about Le Meridien Essex Chicago
Which popular attractions are close to Le Meridien Essex Chicago?
Nearby attractions include Fox in a Box Chicago (0.4 km), Jazz Showcase (0.3 km), and The Loop (0.3 km).
What are some of the property amenities at Le Meridien Essex Chicago?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include an on-site restaurant, a lounge, and a fitness centre.
Which room amenities are available at Le Meridien Essex Chicago?
Top room amenities include air conditioning, a flat screen TV, and a refrigerator.
What food & drink options are available at Le Meridien Essex Chicago?
Guests can enjoy an on-site restaurant, a lounge, and breakfast during their stay.
Is parking available at Le Meridien Essex Chicago?
Yes, a parking garage, paid public parking nearby, and valet parking are available to guests.
What are some restaurants close to Le Meridien Essex Chicago?
Conveniently located restaurants include Eleven City Diner, Yolk - South Loop, and Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria.
Are there opportunities to exercise at Le Meridien Essex Chicago?
Yes, guests have access to a fitness centre during their stay.
Is Le Meridien Essex Chicago located near the city centre?
Yes, it is 0.8 km away from the centre of Chicago.
Does Le Meridien Essex Chicago offer any business services?
Yes, guests have access to a business centre and meeting rooms during their stay.
Which languages are spoken by the staff at Le Meridien Essex Chicago?
The staff speaks multiple languages, including English, Spanish, Romanian, and Ukrainian.
Are there any historical sites close to Le Meridien Essex Chicago?
Many travellers enjoy visiting Garfield Park Conservatory (7.9 km), The Rookery Building (1.0 km), and Macy's on State Street (1.4 km).