Imagine flying to the windy city for business. After a long flight with many delays you get a cab to your hotel, the much-hyped Conrad. You've been expecting to fall into a soft bed with a lovely view of the Chicago skyline out your window. That's exactly how I imagined it after my delayed flight and terrible cab ride. That's the opposite of how it turned out. I got in to the lobby late and the person at the counter was busy talking on their cellphone. I approached and they didn't even hang up. They were going on about how they thought the whole Charlie Sheen thing was overblown. I don't care. It's late. I have meetings the next day. I try to check in and they say they can't find my reservation. This is despite the fact I have my receipt with me! Finally, they check me in and don't even bother to have a bellhop help me with my bags. This isn't a cheap room. It's standard to treat your customers with some level of respect. I get to my room and I open the door and it's someone else's room! Somehow they've given me the wrong room and activated my key for that person's room. Worse yet, the occupant was passed out drunk on the bed with his clothes strewn all over the room. I have to carry my bags back downstairs and get checked into the right room. Finally I get up there and my room is missing a pillow. Seriously? How can the maid not notice. The bed was made. Someone must've been in the room and seen that there was one too few pillows. This episode was exemplary of the rest of my stay. Needless to say, neither I nor my business will be using the services of the Conrad in Chicago.
