As a Marriott Rewards Gold Member, I choose Marriott brands when traveling, so I did do a lot of comparison shopping or looking for deals.

The hotel is situated in the heart of Chicago on the river. We were given a room on the 22nd floor with a spectacular view of Marina City and the new Trump Tower.

The hotel lobby is unoffending, but totally forgettable. The lobby level lounge is good with furniture arranged ideally for relaxed conversation. The second level has the main restaurant and the meeting facilities. All of it is entirely forgettable and in need of a renovation. However, for a weekend getaway, it was fine.

The guestrooms and guestroom corridors look as though they did have a recent renovation. It's all Renaissance standard, but the room was a nice size and te decor was nice. The bathrooms were spacious. However, the spring hinge bathroom doors were down right irritating. I don't need a bathroom door to automatically close. It was very annoying and caused the bathroom to get incredibly foggy and damp.

The location is ideal for business as it affords very easy access to the business district and the el. Easy walking distance to Grant Park, the beautiful Millennium Park, the overrated and crappy Navy Pier, and Michigan Avenue.

Personally, I've been to Chicago many times, so it gave me a nice home base to wander from. Taxi's were readily available and it would take great effort to actually get lost tryin to find the hotel. Taxi from airport to hotel cost $35.

You won't be wow'd by the hotel, but you'll have a very good stay.

Stayed there for a conference and got a good rate with the conference discount. The staff was really nice and the location was great. Spectacular views and amazing beds. I left my phone charger in the room and they found it and sent it to me overnight! Highly recommended.

Always dependable...always a great experience.

I was in town for a conference and while everyone else stayed just blocks away at the conference hotel, I decided to avoid the crowds and the noise and stay at the Renaissance. The experience starts at the entrance where the valet quickly took my luggage from the trunk and opened the door to the hotel....a smile at the front desk and a welcomed hello.

The room was fantastic, the people where polite and service was great.

Wouldn't think of staying anywhere else !

I stayed here for two nights on business. I was booked on a club level floor, but unfortunately faced the back of the hotel where the "El" is located. If you book a room here, be sure to request a room that faces Wacker Dr. so you can avoid the sound of the trains. The best part of my stay was probably the Club Level lounge, which provided snacks and drinks. The rooms were decorated in updated fabrics and colors. Bathroom had marble sink, but there was no tub in the bathroom. I think they were trying to go with a Eurostyle feel with just a shower stall and curtain. I wasn't impressed with that feature. I had a king bed which was comfortable enough but I've slept in better beds at other hotels. Overall, this is a Marriott when it comes down to it. They do try to be more upscale, but I've stayed at better hotels. If you can afford the splurge, my colleagues noted the Peninsula was a fabulous hotel.