Hotel Review: The Fanciest Residence Inn by Marriott?

Background & Location

I got to Chicago a night early before a work trip and tried to find something close to the Peninsula which is where I’d be staying the next night. After doing some research, I noticed that the old Conrad that was shut down during the pandemic has been born again as a….Residence Inn by Marriott? How oddly exciting! I was very curious to see how a luxury product would be converted into an extended-stay hotel. I assumed that this would be a very luxurious Residence Inn…and was I right? You’ll have to read a bit more to see!

The Residence Inn Chicago Downtown Magnificent Mile features 289 suites, all with some type of kitchenette or full kitchen. The hotel is centrally located in Magnificent Mile, on the River North side of the city near upscale shops, cool restaurants, and posh hotels.

Takeoff Points

Date of Stay: November 2024
Room Type: King Bed, Studio 1 King
Pros: Luxurious rooms, upscale bedding, and large bathrooms.
Cons: My room didn’t have a stovetop, so some rooms don’t have true kitchens. 

Arrival and Check-In

I arrived in the evening, and from the street level, you have to take the elevator to the 20th floor which is where the reception & lobby is located. Guest rooms are located on floors 8-16, and the meeting rooms are on floor 19.

Once I got to the reception, I was quickly helped by an associate and given keys to my room. As a Platinum Marriott Bonvoy Member, I was able to get 500 points or grab a non-alcoholic item from the Market (Sundries Store). I grabbed a carton of Haagen Dazs Ice Cream. In the days leading to arrival, I saw that the hotel was pretty much sold out and at times was only selling one room type, so I wasn’t expecting any upgrades.

Room

I was staying in the lead-in room category, which is a King Studio room. The Marriott website states that the room is 390 square feet. My room was located on the eighth floor just steps away from the fitness center which was convenient as I did go to the fitness center for a quick workout. Additionally, no water bottles were left in the room so the gym was the best place to get filtered water. The hallways were quite nice and very “Conrad-esque”.

As you enter the room, there’s a foyer area with the painting and table to the right. You can tell the hotel was an upscale property as they have digital buttons for the lights, privacy signs, and even a tray pick-up sign.

Bathroom

As you walk further in the room, to the left is the bathroom the bathroom features a dual vanity, which is quite large and does look like it came from a Conrad. This has got to be the fanciest Residence Inn bathroom ever! To the left is a door with a water closet and to the right is the large standup shower.

The water pressure in the shower was good, though it just had one showerhead. Given how big it was, I wish there was either a wand or a rainfall shower. But hey, for a Residence Inn, this is great. Toiletries were provided by North 39 and there was shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. At the sink, a small bottle of lotion was provided and one bar soap. Tissues were provided by Kleenex, which I thought was quite fancy.

The only part of the bathroom that did feel like a Residence Inn was the towels, which felt more like a 3-star hotel level as they were a bit on the rougher side.

Kitchenette

Across from the bathroom was a small kitchenette that featured a Frigidaire microwave and interestingly enough a Bosch refrigerator refrigerator was quite fancy and had both a refrigerator part and a freezer portion.

However, I did wonder why there was not a stovetop in this room, as the website states that the King Studio has a stovetop and dishwasher… (which I had neither). Regardless, it was perfectly fine as I did not need them, but if you are expecting a full kitchen in your room you may want to confirm with the hotel before your stay.

A coffee maker and toaster were provided and in the cabinets, there was a large trashcan, utensils, a cutting board with three knives, and plates and bowls. Teabags and coffee were provided as well, plus salt, pepper, and paper towels.

Bedroom

Now heading into the room, there is one large king-sized bed with nightstands on both sides of the bed. There was plenty of space so the room felt a little barren but very spacious. The ceilings were also quite high in this room. There is a closet space with plenty of space to hang clothes, drawers, a safe, and an iron/board. Additionally, they even have a laundry service at the hotel.

On one side of the bed, there’s an alarm clock and JBL speaker. In front of the bed is a large TV with an ottoman underneath it. Towards the window is a large desk with a spinning chair and then at the window itself there is a big dining table and two spinning chairs that are cloth which look quite chic. It really felt like a very bougie Residence Inn. The bed & bedding was quite good and to the 4-star level.

The other part that felt upscale was all the controls at the bedside. You could control the sheers, blackout curtains & room lights from the buttons next to the bed.

In the morning, I checked out the view and it wasn’t too bad seeing some city high-rises.

Overall, the room was quite luxurious for a Residence Inn by Marriott and very clean.

Fitness Center

Just steps from my room on the 8th floor was the fitness center which was a solid size. I was able to get a short workout in.

Dining

The restaurant 101 Club, is part of Roanoke Hospitality and brings together three distinct venues: the 101 Patio Bar and Grill at ground level, the 101 Room 20 stories up, and the rooftop 101 Sky Terrace with breathtaking skyline views. When I arrived at dinner, the ground-level grill was open, the 101 Room on the 20th floor was closed for a private event, and the rooftop was closed for the season.

Complimentary Breakfast

In a true Residence Inn fashion, complimentary breakfast is provided in the mornings. It uses the 101 Room’s space on the 20th floor near the reception. It’s quite a nice space to have a complimentary breakfast. I found the offerings to be pretty solid for what I’d expect for a Residence Inn, and proper silverware and ceramic plates were offered which was nice. It definitely was much more upscale than the complimentary breakfast I had at my recent SpringHill Suites by Marriott stay.

For hot dishes, there were mixed eggs & egg whites, hash browns, potatoes, and some other dishes. No bacon sadly (my favorite).

The Verdict

Overall, I set the bar pretty high with my first Residence Inn by Marriott stay. The hotel feels upscale and has its Conrad remnants.

Have you stayed at the Residence Inn Chicago Downtown Magnificent Mile before or a different Residence Inn by Marriott before? How was your experience? Comment below!