Showed up at 11pm after calling ahead to tell them that we would be showing up around this time for a reservation. I booked this hotel probably a month in advance, maybe less, for a king bed. Showed up, they didn't have a room for us. So here we are in two twin beds. Tried to cancel, they said it was not refundable. They promise to put us in a king bed tomorrow. Can't wait to move hotel rooms. Zero stars if I could. Truly. read more

Tea time here was the perfect way to catch up with friends. Warm and inviting space. Beautiful decor. Yummy treats. Lots of laughs. Can't wait to visit again. read more

The Drake - Hotels Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I was pleasantly surprised to receive The Drake as my hotel when booking a hotel through Hotwire. I didn't realize that The Drake would even be one of the options. Having lived in Chicago for many years, I always viewed The Drake as a regal, high-class, and old hotel, but never found a reason to venture in. Finally, on a trip back to visit Chicago, my time came and I was able to experience The Drake. Yes, it is an old hotel, but that adds to the beauty. The lobby is dark and tastefully decorated in a classic way. Upon checking in, I was greeted by a kind receptionist who offered me water and readily checked me into a lake-view room (which I REALLY was not expecting having not directly booked through the hotel). The elevators are a tad slow (read: old hotel), but I found it charming that some of the elevators had love seats within them. My room was clean, quite large, and as mentioned, had a beautiful lake view. I checked the room thoroughly (having read previous reviews) and had absolutely no qualms with the room itself. Overall, I would definitely stay at The Drake again. Although I did not partake in high tea or indulge at the bar, I did enjoy coming back here at the end of the night to a lovely room and comfortable bed. Thanks, Drake, for making my Chicago stay a good one. read more

The Drake - Hotels Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This review is for their high tea ! Amazing! Highly recommend and a holiday treat! They have a beautiful harpist playing while you sip on fine tea and snack on finger sandwiches and mini cakes and desserts. 5 stars for Ambiance as well! Their High tea Comes with heavy cream which is spreadable on scones and also lemon curd - so good! As well as raspberry jam! Come here during the holiday season and it never disappoints! Amir is the best server - he has been waiting on my family for years and always goes above and beyond to make sure we enjoy our time. The drake is a historic landmark hotel at the end of the magnificent mile strip - beautiful inside and decorated lovely for the Christmas season Christmas ! Great place to surprise your mom or go with your girlfriends to catch up and enjoy the holidays together. So relaxing and yummy - I always feel refreshed when leaving and filled with the holiday spirit. - Also if you are a bathroom person they have amazing bathrooms here with individual stalls with your own sink and everything is marble and beautiful. M read more

See all

I went to The Drake Palm Court for my friend's birthday tea. The hotel had a vintage yet clean style to it. We enjoyed the tea and snacks that accompanied it. I'm leaving a 3 start review because the hostess was either rude or racist. I stood at the hostess table waiting to be seated. Two whites women got in line behind me. A white man who,was a hostess I'm assuming, approached the hostess table & asked the girls BEHIND me, "what party are you here for?" Excuse me?! read more

I see some harsh criticism regarding The Drake. True, she is 100 years old, so, let's call her "old world charm ". Or, old Chicago charm for that matter. We had a really nice two queen bed, with two bathrooms, which was nice. No food service to speak of as this writing. So your on your own. Our room and building appears to be in decent shape. No mold or water leaks as reported in earlier posts. Good place to "base camp" for city ventures. Within walking/striking distance of popular boutiques and stores. read more

The Drake Hotel was a lot of fun to stay at. This vintage hotel was built in the 1920s and has beautiful decorations and furnishings. Our room wa spacious with a King size bed, which was very comfortable. The shod and bar/restaurant was very good. Everyone of the staff was polite and responsive to our needs. The bathtub could have been cleaner for my wife and more outlets by my bedside for my phone and watch would make it a 10 out of 10. I would recommend the Drake! read more

See all

This is not the Drake the way it was in the 80s or 90s. The attention to detail and your experience has left. During our 2 day visit, we experienced: Dirty cocktail glasses in the elevator at 10 in the morning. No newspapers free or to purchase anywhere on the entire property. A noise that sounded like a bucket being knocked over in our wall every 30 or so minutes. Kids running up and down the hall at 7 AM. And more.... The glory is gone, still a neat old gal but very haggard. read more

This place has great amenities , everything you would expect from a historic hotel, awesome architecture and its just a staple of Chicago's history , close to music venues so if your coming to see a show at the Masonic or the pier expect a pretty short commute. The drake hotel is haunted as well. Lights flicker in hallways and it's easy to get lost when your wandering by your self so bring a buddy! read more

My sister and I came here for High Tea in the Palm Court as a birthday celebration. Lots of (well-behaved) kids away for the holiday so it was a fun ambiance, not stuffy at all, and we even saw JEANS! I know most places are fine with jeans but really people? We got to hear the harpist play lovely music, and the room was decorated for Christmas. Our waiter Mehmet was quite attentive, and my tea (with cute infuser and kettle) was great, the chai with orange notes. The 'cream' seemed thin, like skim milk, but the waiter insisted it was cream. The sandwiches/pastries were good, and we were offered more, and the jam, butter, cream, lemon curd for flavoring were great too. The powder room really seems like a powder room, with a little seat at the mirror. read more

The Drake - Hotels Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My first time here and oh what a treat. The weather was certainly not the best during this time of year but we still managed to get out and wander about. At the revolving entrance door we were greeted and helped inside. Upstairs immediately upon entering is where check in is located. It was such a smooth and friendly process and we were given 2 bottled waters as well. Our room was the perfect size and spacious as well. It may seem a bit dated inside but I actually think it added to the old world charm. It had your basics that one would expect in a room, coffee and tea choices, cookies and water and of course a generous supply of outlets for your devices. The generous sized window gave us a view of the street on the opposite side and the snow coming down. It was beautiful. Our accommodations were spot on and I would not hesitate to rebook in the future. The bar in the Hotel was a godsend on our first night due to the weather with an awesome drink and bar menu and dome delightful guests with some entertaining conversation. We had booked Tea Service at the Drake and it will be a seperate review but I will say it did not disappoint. See you again soon. read more

I recently experienced a weekend stay at one of the 260 Historic Hotels of America, The Drake in Chicago. Having lived in Chicago form many years, the Drake has been a place our family often stayed, and of course, weekend attendance to high tea at the Palm room was a must. Admittedly, it has been a few years since I'd been back and I must say this, the hotel has not been kept up to the standard it once commanded. Lost in a haze of peeling wallpaper, moldy shower tile, doors that no longer close and damp, musty room smells, the attention to detail from the overall staff and management seems to be truly lacking. Over a 2-night stay, we were moved three times due to "smells" in the rooms provided. I truly love this hotel and hope that the management will indeed look at this review as an opportunity to make some changes. read more

As a connoisseur of historic properties I was very much looking forward to my stay here. I took advantage of the room/valet special, pulled up, grabbed my bags and checked in where I was given an upgrade to a suite on a higher floor without asking which makes being a Diamond HHonors member worthwhile. The room itself was great, it had a wonderful view of the lake and was clean, well lit and comfortable. The bathroom was also spacious and tastefully appointed. I also took advantage of the executive suite where they had possibly some of the best h'orderves. So why the two stars? Because this place is totally unethical in its operation. I went down to their lobby bar, Coq d'Or, where I asked for one of the signature drinks made with premium spirits, the Troubles, which was supposed to come with Bushmill's 16 Irish whiskey. I watched as the bartender attempted to make this with bottom shelf Jameson's and when I pointed out it was supposed to be Bushmill's 16 he then grabbed the regular well Bushmill's and tried to make it with that. I again pointed out that this is not what is listed in the menu when he admitted unapologetically that they did not even carry that type of whiskey. If they are ripping me off they are obviously trying to hose everyone else who doesn't notice this unethical practice. I mentioned this on check out and was refunded the drink, however, upon checking my folio a few days later I was charged an extra $70+ for room service I never had. I contacted the Diamond Desk who notified the property who claimed they would correct my bill but instead the bottom shelf cocktail charge was placed back on. How, as a high end property, can you have such lackadaisical service on top of your scammy business practices and expect guests to enjoy their stay? At this point the ball is in Hilton Customer Service's court to handle as I am not dealing with this poorly run and obviously questionably operated property. What a shame, as one of the three best Hilton properties in Chicago I expected much, much more. read more

The Drake Hotel used to be a fabulous place full of architectural history combined with a high-class tea time in the lobby tea room. That glamour appears to have evaporated. Either my expectations have gone up or the service has dramatically decreased. The (Halloween season-adjusted) tea selection is still decent but just the whole experience has faded and is not what it used to be... read more

See all

Great location on Michigan Ave. Near the beach, Hancock Tower, Water Tower Place, tons of great restaurants, and the path that follows along Lake Michigan. The room was huge ( see picture,) great service, the room was a little dated. Overall A great place to stay. read more

The Drake - Room - Hotels Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Old and very cool. Really nice whiskey bar when you walk in that Id recommend. If you get invited to a wedding here you're in for a real treat. -Yale Reardon read more

The Drake - Bar at the Cape Cod room , which no longer exists. Marilyn Monroe & Joe D initials. -Yale Reardon - Hotels Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We were booked to the Raffaello originally, but they closed down in the middle of our stay and they set us up here at The Drake. Worst experience checking in imaginable. The man at the desk was beyond rude to my husband. He tried to charge us for the stay, despite us having been told there would be no charge due to none of this being under our control. Then the man straight up lied to my husband's face about the bathrooms being "locked", even tho our 5 year old was having an emergency need for a bathroom. When another person behind the desk came up and said "Oh does she need a bathroom, they're right over there!" The man at the desk then said, "Well they're not for the common public." I remind you, we were in the middle of checking in to the hotel as guests, already put out of our original hotel, with two children in tow. We didn't ask to be here either, pal. The hotel itself is very dated (some of the lamps don't even work), and our Executive Suite smells like old smoke. Only 3 towels to the room, and no blankets or pillows for the pull out couch. We called an hour ago for more towels, pillows, and blankets, and I sit here still without any of those things. Overall, a pretty bad experience honestly! read more

Have been coming here 20+years. Always enjoyed the location and $ value. This last trip it's lost a step. Online Pre-ordered foam pillows and extra towels. Wasn't in our room and we had to call several times and got attitude from staff when requested them repeatedly. Hotel is dirty and needs carpet and apolstery cleaned or replaced. Biggest gripe is the afternoon teas don't wind down till 6 and the rooms (Palm Court) not available till 7:30pm? During the Christmas season? Really? We've been here 2 nights and we can't go and sit in Palm Court the prettiest part of the hotel. The bar downstairs is slammed, crowed and full of children as a result as every one is in there since there's nowhere else to go. This is BS! We came to enjoy the hotel not the dark, low ceiling crowded bar after along cold day out. The executive level food and beverage is $50 day and the foods hardly edible. Seriously don't waste your money. It's for people who are taking all they can get waters, drinks to take back to their rooms. When we went there drinks we're out and when they put some out they were warm. The bagles we're the best thing so for $50 get room service or go out. The Gyoza tonight was undercooked, the egg frittata this morning was unedible. Really stay away. Next time if there is a next time we will go somewhere else. read more

See all

I came for high tea here around 5 pm and really enjoyed it. The service was good and they made some changes on the menu for us due to dietary restrictions. The food is delicious. I like the veggie, salmon, and turkey salad sandwiches. All of the deserts are light and not overly sugary which is nice. The teas are delicious. I recommend the almond and vanilla one. I also really liked the ambience. The room where you take high tea is beautiful and we basically had the place to ourselves during the last half of our meal. The only thing was that the cream puff swans seemed slightly stale like that had been sitting out. However, it was such a minor thing. Also I'm not a huge fan of the lobby. It seems dated, old, and dirty. There was literal trash on the floor as we were waiting in the lobby for our other guest to arrive to go to the tea room. I get it's a historic hotel but they could have freshened it up a bit. Overall a great experience for the tea. Not sure if I'd actually stay here though. read more

See all

Avoid. Hotel hasn't been cleaned since the 70s. Over 24 hours after we were scheduled to check in and they still didn't have both of our rooms ready. In the one temporary room we stayed in for one night, we moved a bed and found tons of old food under it. We were given one paper thin towel in the bathroom, there's barely any toiletries. We ordered room service and it came in takeout bags with no table or water. Kept being told the rooms we booked would be ready and they never were. When we first arrived nobody helped unload the car so we did it ourselves and then when we grabbed a luggage cart they came and said we weren't allowed to? Instead they watched a pregnant woman, her husband, and toddler drag all the bags and stroller etc by hand? Makes no sense. We ended up leaving and checking in someplace else. This place is the worse. read more

I simply love The Drake Hotel. It has that beautiful elegance from an era long gone. The staff is very friendly and accommodating. They will make sure that you have an excellent stay. The rooms are very large. Many with two bathrooms. Wonderful location and splendid views. Very clean. read more

5 star all the way! It was a beautiful day at the Drake! The baby shower for my daughter (Tea party) it was so pretty! Each an every staff member was amazing, such a great experience, my husband an myself want to Thank each an every one of you! Beautiful job! The history of this 1920 building is amazing! read more

Gorgeous hotel with ornate characteristics. This place would be spectacular for a wedding! Locate towards the water and more upscale shopping.Staff was very flexible when I had an early check in, thanks Ericka! The hotel does have thin walls as I could hear my neighbors on either side of my room. The lounge also does not have elevator access. I attended a conference here and one of the preservation rooms you could only access by going through another presentation room. Not the most ideal (I believe these are the Walton rooms?). Anywho, check out this hotel while your in Chicago whether its to stay, or for High Tea at 4pm! read more

The Drake Hotel is a beautiful icon that sits at the North end of the Magnificent Mile. The building is gorgeous! With views of Lake Michigan and the city, it stands representative of Old Chicago Glamour. I can only imagine the stories those walls hold... Always adorned with spectacular flower arrangements from Mangel Florists, the grand lobby says elegance and class. The lobby staff is always professional and personable. I feel like I am being welcomed home. The Doorman was so helpful and the Front Desk Agent was very polite. Our room was huge with two closets and two full bathrooms - very handy. The sitting area was nice and comfortable. The windows actually open for a nice breeze. Everything worked perfectly in the room. The bathroom amenities smelled lovely. The Executive Lounge has a great view of Lake Shore Drive and the shoreline. I absolutely LOVE staying at The Drake Hotel! read more

See all

My cozy, traditional go-to favorite. I will stay here until it falls in. Very old school, very concerned about my comfort. Best location in the city IMO! read more

1st time guests here which is surprising because we have stayed at so many luxury downtown hotels over the years. I felt very secure in this hotel and appreciated the police presence outside. Not sure whether that is an evening station point, but either way these days I especially appreciated our brave Chicago Men in Blue on my doorsteps! The hotel is beautiful, only wishing the Christmas tree was still up but will come to see in a future trip and enjoy brunch when it finally reopens:) I was also disappointed about room service still not serving but in these trying times, I guess every business has to reevaluate services offered:( The rooms are decent sized and appeared clean. We didn't get any upgrade I assume because we booked thru a 3rd party. Mattresses could use an upgrade but we were still cozy. View was great, we came during a snowstorm so I enjoyed watching the outdoor cleanup. Love the history here! read more

The Drake - Hotels Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

Amazing hotel with some great rooms and some average rooms. Check your room type and location. Good breakfast options for Diamond members. The executive lounge was shut during our visit so were given breakfast and 15$ bar credit daily. Also the hotel is located next to Mag mile walking distance to everything. Would definitely stay again. read more

I had such high hopes for my stay at the legendary Drake Hotel. And while a number of things were quiet nice, overall I was just not as impressed as I expected. I arrived around 1pm on a rainy Saturday and tried to check-in, but the receptionist I spoke with was rather snooty and told me I couldn't check-in until 3pm. So I opted to get some lunch near the hotel, leaving my bag with the Bell Man, and was told I'd get a text message once my room was ready. By 3pm, I still hadn't gotten a text, so I went back to a different receptionist and my room was fully ready. For an upgrade of $33 a night I could get a lake view, which was really quite annoying and insulting. I didn't opt for the upgrade, and instead ended up with a terrible view of another building's wall on the low third floor. Really, if you have a lakeview room and want to make an impression on someone who is a first timer in Chicago, give them that room and you'll have a Drake-loyal consumer for life. This is basic business. Also, the $75 per night incidentals charge is ridiculous. My room overall, though it had a terrible "view," was fine. There was no mini-bar, and no bathrobe, which I expected with the hotel's reputation for luxury. My A/C made a terrible racket, but I didn't discover that until 2am on the second and final night of my stay. I couldn't use it because it made a horrible clacking sound every 5 minutes on a cycle. I could have complained, but either they would have sent someone to fix it or they'd move me...neither made sense at 2am when I really just wanted to sleep. So I didn't end up using it. The common areas were fine, but not overwhelmingly amazing. And since the lobby spaces are rather small, they were overcrowded with wedding and party guests at all hours in over-the-top outfits...I've never seen so many sequins in my life. I like the history of the hotel, and the location within the city. But I won't be staying here again. read more

This hotel has charm and character, but there is also quite a bit of wear and tear. The entrance, the stairways, and the chandeliers are beautiful! Be sure to snap some photos in those areas. The rooms have a nice amount of space. We had a tv, but there was no refrigerator or microwave. I called down to inquire about it and was told that refrigerators could be rented for an extra $50. Our room was also a little dusty at check-in. I think the rooms could use a deep clean. The elevators have a couch! After a long evening out, it was relaxing to have a seat on the elevator as you ride up to your floor. Such a cute little touch! read more

See all

Off the bat, my Montagne Bleue tea was delicious & our waiter was very sweet. However, their afternoon tea setting is very loud, crowded & or very relaxing. I would just expect little more peace after paying $60 a person for tea. I've been to other teas and even tho it's crowded it's not very loud. The positives are they have a free coat check, the cucumber sandwiches are to die for as well as the macaroons and lemon curd. read more

See all

Came for high tea and was happily surprised that they had a fully vegan option! The vegan options were *fantastic* but it still had all the components and I enjoyed it. 5 of us came, good service, and loved the tea options. It's a fun outing for sure. read more

100 yo hotel in perfect shape inside n outside. 5 oclock tea w live music. Bar in the basement. Good location. Friendly service. I imagine that this hotel was number one in the world when opened... read more

See all

This place is an absolute dive. I can't believe it is a Hilton property. It is absolutely filthy! Holes in bedding, spiders, mildew on ceilings, peeling wall paper, stained furniture and more!!!. I would NOT recommend staying here. So disappointed! read more

The Drake - Hotels Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I highly recommend drinking at The Drake. We popped in for an adult beverage and some soup. It was cozy and comfortable. I felt right at home with the plaid carpeting. The bathroom in the pub should be upgraded. It wasn't real clean and didn't feel posh at all. The soup and service were great at The Drake:) read more

The Drake - What do you expect? Plaid - Hotels Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I have never stayed here, but I've been to the high tea and the jazz lounge-bar. Both are great. The bar with live music is really old school Chicago. It'd be a great spot for a date, for a business meeting, or just something to do if you're staying in the hotel. I went to tea at christmas time, and the decor was classic and traditional. Nothing trendy, but very pretty. Same for the tea--all the traditional items done well. They are not trying to modernize high tea, and I can appreciate that! read more

This is an extremely long overdue review. The Drake is one of those hotels that is just a pure classic experience. We were in the city to see a show and figured why the heck not stay at the Drake. I had stayed here before on recommendation from my parents. I just love the nostalgic almost 50's like Hitchcock movie feeling in there. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay. They have a cute little bar down on the first floor where we enjoyed a couple of stiff martinis. We also caved and got some room service later in the night. Yeah the room service ain't cheap but we figured why not. Don't expect like the most modern feeling when you come to the this hotel. It's a hotel that is from another time but in a good way. Having the bathroom jacuzzi was the icing on the cake!!!! read more

See all

I was only there for a wine event but the staff was on point and everything was extremely clean. Would stay here based on those observations. read more

The Drake - Hotels Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

This place gave me me the much needed peace I wished for for Christmas Day! I even got upgraded to a bigger room when my bathroom had a few problems. The staff was really accommodating and kind.It was well cleaned and disinfected . I would truly recommend this motel even during these hard times! read more

See all

The Drake is one of the oldest and most well known hotels in Chicago. For all the hype about this elegant hotel, it isn't all it's cracked up to be. I will say, however, the service is excellent and the employees are knowledgeable of the city and extremely helpful. That being said, the actual hotel itself is a big dingy, out-dated, and musty. The rooms are huge, but filled with old and dusty furniture. The bathroom is big as well, but wasn't cleaned very well (the shower had hairs leftover). Although the rooms aren't great, I gave 3 stars for the service and the location. The hotel is located centrally and right off Michigan Ave, perfect for shopping and excellent restaurants. read more

See all

I stayed in this hotel for 2 reason. The history it has and the experience it offer. My stay is from moderate to good. The hotel has history to tell and the location alone beats other hotels in the city. But every place has its good and not so good. The good: Location: close to the beach (lake), park, shopping and restaurants. History: the hotel has a lot of story to tell. Rich in history and my favorite is during Christmas when they really decorate it. Price: not so bad. Remember you are downtown and by the lake. The not so good: Furnitures and fixtures: since this is a old hotel it needs improvements not all but some. Bedroom wall needs to be repainted and some paint are even chipping off. Linens: if the stains cannot be removed just don't use them, throw it. Other than that it good. The big question is will I stay back...not at the moment. Maybe someday. read more

See all