I was really excited to be visiting Chicago for the first time, and the hotel that was recommended to me was the Conrad Chicago, located on Rush Street. I wanted a hotel that was conveniently located to all the downtown sites, and the Conrad Chicago does not disappoint in that respect. However, everything else about this hotel could be classified as sub-par, ranging from the rudeness of the check-in clerks to the roaches that were freely roaming in my room. This hotel does not deserve to be on anyone's recommended list. My first problem was a rude desk clerk who checked me in. After asking for three forms of identification (most places only ask for a driver's license) and asking me twenty questions about the reason for my trip to Chicago, she reluctantly gave me a room key. I asked if there was a bell cap to help me with my bags and she said if I wanted to wait, one would be able to help in about 15 minutes. I didn't feel like waiting, so I dragged my bags to the room, only to find that the room key did not work! Instead of dragging everything back down, I decided to use my cell phone to call the front desk, only there was no cell phone signal in the hall way. I couldn't believe I was in the middle of downtown Chicago and the hotel did not have a signal! I finally flagged down someone from the housekeeping staff to let me into my room, but I immediately saw there were problems. Two roaches scampered across the carpet and when I went into the bathroom, there were no towels or wash cloths. I went to turn on the TV and it didn't work. One of the lamps was missing a light bulb. I couldn't believe that this was happening to me. I was at the Conrad Chicago, not the Motel Six! I then sat down on the bed and the mattress was soft and lumpy. I was ready to cry. I was spending a lot of money on this hotel and it was a dump. I called down to the front desk and asked for another room, but they refused, saying I had gotten a special rate and it did not allow room changes. I insisted that they give me towels, fix the TV, put a light bulb in the lamp and have someone spray to get rid of the roaches. They agreed, but told me it would take "awhile" because several of their key personnel had called in sick. My stay at the Conrad Chicago was a nightmare from beginning to end. I would not recommend this hotel to anyone
