We stay at the Palmer House when we attend conferences in Chicago. It is a stately building. But this year, there were ... problems we have not had before. First, they now have wi-fi available, but it is not free. The cost is $7.50 per hour. On-line it indicated that Hilton hotels charge about $4, but this was almost double. Many hotels have free wi-fi. Wi-fi is wi-fi, so the level of service is not a factor that could justify this exorbitant cost. They also charge for their fitness center, even when you are only going to use the machines. There is no business center in-house for copies, etc. Our bed was against a wall that separated us from the bathroom in the next room. It did not separate us from the bathroom noises. When someone took a shower (at 5:30 a.m.), the pipes "sung" like old pipes do,but very loudly. An empty wine glass sat outside someone's room door for days without being picked up by housekeeping. The concierge desk had only one person and there was always a line. If you called down, you were put on hold while they dealt with the people in the line. The staff were all very nice, and the location can't be beat, but the luxury prices for normal services felt like a ripoff this year. I doubt we'll return....
