I recently stayed at the Affinia Hotel in Chicago, and it was one of the worst experiences I've ever had at a high-end hotel. I was in Chicago for a conference, and I thought I would enjoy the experience more if I had somewhere pleasant and relaxing to return to, but this hotel definitely wasn't that place. The restaurants were mediocre at best, despite their high prices; I repeatedly got food that was bland, overcooked, or lukewarm. The room was fine, but nothing special; I think I'd have been just as comfortable in almost any hotel in downtown Chicago. A big part of my discomfort and dissatisfaction with the hotel, though, was with their Jet Set Pets program; it's hard to find a decent, relaxing hotel that I'll like that will also accept my dog. But many of the employees were rude about my adopted mutt, who is energetic and loves people but isn't the most photogenic dog - he has a scar on his face and he's got that terrier look. Multiple people mocked him, or said there was no point grooming him, or asked why I wanted him sleeping on a bed in my room. I know that it's a fairly high-end hotel, but I would hope for better service regardless of the class associations of the dogs. I hope they at least treat all of the dogs boarded there well. The experience was overall frustrating and unsatisfactory, especially for the price. I can give them good marks on their spa services, and I really appreciated the pillow "menu," but other than that it didn't feel like a particularly luxurious or indulgent experience, especially given the customer service.
