I just got back from ITB Berlin and have been stuck with some work commitments so I apologize for the delay in posting more articles.
A trip to the windy city had me staying at the Hyatt Centric in Chicago. This property used to be a great redemption in Chicago because it was eligible for the Hyatt Annual Free Night Certificate from the Hyatt Chase Credit Card, but that is no longer the case with the 2017 Award Chart Changes.
HYATT CENTRIC THE LOOP CHICAGO
100 W. Monroe St.
Chicago, Illinois, USA, 60603
Hyatt Category 5: 15,000 pts/night
I arrived at the Hyatt Centric just around check in time so my room was already available upon our arrival. I had an event to attend in a couple of hours so I was in a rush to get ready before hurrying out the door. Unfortunately I didn’t get a chance to photograph the lobby in the process and I only stayed for one night. I was assigned a double queen room on the 16th floor with a city view.
Standard Double Room:
The room was relatively fresh and looked as if it was from this decade. Outlets were located in convenient locations and the room was spacious in the appropriate locations. The shower area was quite spacious while the room was large enough, but not the brightest or the most spacious room. Toiletries were “BeeKind” branded which were for the large part unmemorable. The room had two complimentary bottles of water and a coffee maker available.
The views from the room were nice enough, but nothing spectacular enough to photograph.
The Hyatt Centric Lounge – “The Corner”
The unique thing about Hyatt Centric properties is that they have a lounge available to all guests with snacks, drinks, and curated books or games. The odd part about this hotel was that the most unique benefit was never mentioned at check in and finding the place was next to impossible because of a lack of signage in the hotel. I guess management wants to keep guests away from playing chess and tic-tac-toe and potentially indulging in some minuscule halloween treats.
Don’t get me wrong the space itself was very nice, but what was available was hardly enough to entertain anyone. During my times in the lounge, there were just the same two old men playing chess so I didn’t see much socializing going on. I could not find any soft drinks until a lounge attendant handed me a diet coke after I asked. Here are the halloween treats on offer:
As I said the stay was fairly short and I left early the following morning, so I didn’t get a chance to try out the gym or other facilities at the hotel.
Bottom Line:
The Hyatt Centric The Loop Chicago was a decent property for a one night stay. The property felt fresh, location is great (just a few blocks from the Willis Tower and shopping areas), and the staff are pretty courteous. The rooms were functional, clean, and modern, but there wasn’t anything particularly special about them. What was supposed to distinguish the property from the rest, the signature Hyatt Centric “Corner” was a well designed space, but lacked any real engaging factor whether it be drinks, games, or other entertainment. I personally would love to play chess with someone, but there were simply not enough boards. I would think this property is of a great value if it still was available on the Hyatt Free Annual Night Certificate, but given that it isn’t, I’m not sure what makes this property stand out. I wouldn’t mind returning I suppose if it was on someone else’s dime. Nonetheless if you are looking for clean and moderately spacious accommodations look no further. I’ll have to personally see other Hyatt Centric “Corners” to get a better idea of how good these spaces really are for socializing as Hyatt claims.
