Outmoded and worn furnishings combine with some poor original design choices to produce a drab place to stay. This hotel's five-star rating needs a downgrade! When I visited this hotel 14 years ago, The Fairmont was among the classiest brands. No more. My 29th floor room was expansive, but dark -- only one small window and one light was not working. The upholstery was frayed, the bathtub faucet produced only a trickle of water, and the room's door didn't close unless you pulled on it in a certain way. Worse, the management has filled the room with price lists and displays of things to sell you, with one set of snacks even in a large tacky plastic case on the dresser. It was like sleeping in an old vending machine, but when I looked for a pen to take a phone message, there was none to be found. Other reviewers remarked that this hotel "needs updating," but I think some of the original design choices are also to blame. For instance, someone decided to place a series of heavy doors in strange configurations. I couldn't sit on the toilet without leaving the door to the toilet cubby open -- the space wouldn't accommodate my legs. (I am not unusually tall.) There are so many great hotels in Chicago that deserve five stars, that the Fairmont shouldn't be able to compete. See my profile for better ideas. Niftyc
