Le Meridien Essex Chicago

Clean and inviting

Doors slam when people leave there rooms. Woke me up several times.

Reservations via phone were not helpful

Cleanest hotel ive been to in years! As a cleaning business owner, I notice the small things and they did not disappoint here!!!

Loved every single thing about the stay. Safe, secure, someone always there if you have a question, exceptional housekeeping!!!

Literally everything, especially James. We came in from out of town and had a truly nightmarish experience at our original hotel. After hours of being transfered to new room after new room we fled and found Essex. Check in was so easy and James came up to me to help me book our parking. He then walked out to our car and helped bring in all our luggage and stored it while we parked. It took us a very long time to find parking and on our walk back we ran into James. He said he was worried about us because we had been gone awhile. I could have cried. He literally felt like a knight in shining armor, saving us from the horrific day we had at the original hotel. We will be booking this hotel again, every time we come to chciago. I cant say enough good things. Since we booked this hotel it felt like our whole trip fell into place and everytbing else that happened felt like a blessing. Our trip went from a nightmare to a dream. Truly, thank you.

Everything was perfect

I love the whole vibe of this hotel. The design aesthetic, the friendly staff, the little perks like providing a daily coupon for the excellent onsite restaurant, all of it has been wonderful. It’s ideally located for using public transportation, and centered between a lot of the museums and other must-sees in Chicago. The price was very reasonable considering the large room, location and service.

My issues are very small, and in no-way deal breakers. I wish the bedside tables had drawers. My room faced a gym so if I kept my curtains open I was facing people on treadmills. I wish the bathroom had more counter space or shelves.

Close to restaurants and touristy destinations

Room is too small for 4 people Staff was ok — reception was not very informative of amenities and location

Property was very nice and clean

All good

Every single staff member was amazing and really helpful.

My room was so cold, the heating was under maintenance so I couldn’t make my room warmer

Very secure and clean

I got to the property to check in and the lady at the front desk told me that they overbooked the type of room I booked. It took her a while to figure out a solution and needed help from other staff members to fix it.

Good staff and clean hotel. Good location

nothing in particular

La ubicación, las vistas ❤️❤️ y la limpieza.

El aislamiento de las ventanas es pésimo, se escucha todo el ruido de la calle a pesar de estar en la planta 12

Location was great for a quick stay in Chicago. Didn't eat on site. Room was spacious, bright, well furnished, clean. We were able to leave our bags for the day while we explored the city on foot.

We were not informed that we'd be unable to access the hotel by car the night of our arrival, due to a major music festival happening nearby. We had been unaware of the festival (our mistake) and were forced into a very unsafe situation because of it. Some desk members were difficult to understand.

We were close to our children

The room is really small for the price of the room. The air conditioner points directly towards the closet space which did not cool the room directly when your trying to sleep and your body temperature naturally rises. The bed sheet did not fit and constantly come off. When we arrived the young man checking us in ask the manager if the price we were being charged was correct. It was not. She non chalantly said tes. She was wrong and rude and offered no help to address our concerns whatsoever.

The location was great. I loved that they had vouchers for the restaurant at the hotel for us to use as reimbursement for the resort fee! A lot of things were easy reachable by foot, so that was very convenient with it being in Chicago! Would definitely come back again

The bathrooms weren't that clean and they just like stopped giving us towels and wash cloths and stopped making our bed the last two days which was kind of ignorant.

Felt like a true guest immediately- staff went above and beyond for us from start to finish

Nothing/ it was perfect

Location

Service

Cleanliness of the rooms

TikTok

Rooms were clean and very spacious. Hotel reception staff very accommodating and pleasant. Great location.

A little more knowledge about the surroundings and the ability to give directions.

Clean and inviting

The hotel is amazing and all of the staff was very helpful. Nico is a sever in the restaurant and was awesome and Kiera helped us check in and was super helpful!

The location is great and the staff is amazingly friendly! Kierra at the front desk was very helpful and friendly!

Great location and hotel. Kiera was very helpful!

James provided the utmost exceptional service (we are talking elite level service) which created the most unforgettable experience!

I cannot say enough wonderful things about my stay at Le Méridien Chicago. This was my first time staying here, and it exceeded every expectation I had. The hotel is absolutely beautiful, my room was spotless, and everything felt clean, comfortable, and well cared for. It truly made my trip to Chicago even more special. The biggest highlight of my stay was the incredible hospitality I received from Kiera and Dontrell, who is currently in training. They greeted me with such kindness, professionalism, and genuine warmth that I immediately felt at home. You can tell they truly care about making guests feel welcome, and that level of service is something you don’t always find. I had traveled overnight and arrived around 8:00 a.m., several hours before the normal check-in time. Kiera went above and beyond to make my arrival as comfortable as possible. She was able to get me checked in early, upgraded my room, and even provided a $16 dining credit. Those thoughtful gestures completely changed the start of my trip. After a long night of traveling, I felt cared for instead of just being another guest. Thank you to Kiera, Dontrell, and the entire Le Méridien team for making my stay so memorable. Exceptional customer service like this deserves to be recognized. I will absolutely stay here again the next time I’m in Chicago, and I’ll be recommending this hotel to my friends and family without hesitation. Five stars all the way!

I called the front desk with a few questions, and Isaiah was incredibly helpful. I was a bit nervous and didn't know where to start, but he patiently guided me and recommended several nearby restaurants. I truly appreciated how attentive, respectful, and kind he was throughout our conversation. His helpful attitude made me feel much more comfortable and excited about my upcoming trip. Thank you for all your help and for providing such great information. I'll be visiting Chicago in October, and I'm looking forward to my trip even more because of the excellent customer service I received.

Thank you so much Sam for making my first stay at a LeMeridian a lasting memory. The details you shared about the city made my trip even more memorable. I appreciate you for sharing the information.

The food at the cafe was just bad irrespective of what you ordered. Even the toast was burned.

Amazing Hotel. All the staff made sure we were well taken care of during Lolla weekend. James friendly and helpfulness was especially rememberable. Well be back

Came with my daughter for lollapalooza. Everything was accessible. Even outside the hotel everything you need for good experience was within walking distance. With it being a big weekend we felt safe with the police and even the safety with the hotel. Great experience and Kiera at the front desk was amazing. She was extremely helpful and upbeat despite the chaos with everyone checking in for the festival weekend.

Kiera was extremely helpful at the front desk. They paid attention to detail!

Stay here!! 5 star stay! We moved from a hotel next door bc they messed up our reservation. I was lucky to find one of the last remaining rooms at Le Meridien Essex (LME) during the Lollapalooza weekend. It was SUCH a blessing in disguise that the other hotel messed up bc LME was 100x better. Easy check-in. Martel was so efficient and kind. He was able to get us an Amex upgrade with a room with a gorgeous view of Grant Park and the lake. Thank you Martel! Rooms are extremely clean and cozy but very thoughtfully decorated with everything one needs for a pleasant stay. The best part of this hotel is that it was a very calm oasis from Lolla unlike other hotels in the neighborhood. Security was excellent and elevator requires a room key. Chicago Police uses some space for their officers to take breaks so there was always CPD onsite. Thank you CPD! We had a drink at the restaurant in the lobby which was yummy. Free coffee in the lobby and a coffee maker in the room. Check out was super easy. If we ever come back to Lolla, this is where we are staying!

Super comfortable hotel. Great staff and service. James made it especially great!

Kiera was absolutely fantastic and a pleasure to interact with for the entire duration of my stay.

Kiera eas a great help in making sure my check in process and stay was seamless.

This place is H.O.R.R.I.B.L.E!!!! Rude staff at check in. I paid extra to reserve a deluxe room with a view. When we checked in, we are told “sorry sold out” and they give you whatever terrible room is left by 4:30pm. Booked with Amex platinum, no benefits, tiny rooms, tiny pillows, they make you wear a god awful wrist band the entire duration of your stay. I would recommend this hotel if you’re 21 years old and don’t know better. If you’ve traveled anywhere in your life and know good service and hotel stays, you will hate this place. I’m so mad.

My go to hotel in Chicago now! Kiera, Siara, and James were amazing hosts, the hotel is super cute, quiet, and has everything you need. The room I had was perfectly sized, the bed was a’mazing, and the onsite restaurant had food I was willing to pay for, and eat. The daily credit made it even better. I look here first when I go to Chicago, so I have mixed feelings about leaving this review…ok, selfish feelings, but I recommend them to friends often and always look to stay here when rates permit.

Great hotel and wonderful service. Kiera at the front desk was so kind an thoughtful and helped me navigate through a booking issue with an immediate and successful resolution. Everyone was so helpful at the concierge and would recommend this as a top place to stay in Chicago.

This is a great location hotel with a super clean and hip vibe. James, the bellhop, is amazing! He helped us with our bags, gave us some great recommendations and greeted us so kindly every day. The front desk staff kept us stocked with water also!

Arrived midafternoon on a Saturday for a conference. Had a bit of a wait to check in but that was to be expected. From the moment I entered the lobby everyone was so warm and welcoming. Kiera, Sara, and James were wonderful! This beautiful property is located at a great location.

I had the fortunate pleasure of being served by a fantastic young woman by the name of Leah. She turned my terrible 24hrs of traveling (a nightmare) into an empathetic welcome to Chicago. Her professionalism and cheerful spirit turned my entire evening around. PLEASE REWARD HER!!

Location.

Space, size of rooms.

The staff was nice.

There’s no electrical outlets in the bathroom. The shower door would not stay closed. There’s one microwave to share on the 6th floor. The elevators don’t work correctly at all.

The staff at Le Meridien Essex were incredible! My previous accomodations fell through on me at the last minute while I was in town for the weekend. The staff, specifically the bellhop James and the manager, Kiera helped me get a room for the weekend. This put everything at ease for me since my original plan fell through.

Our train got in way earlier then expected and the hotel was super accommodating when we asked to leave our stuff at the desk and even checking in a bit early. We only stayed for one night but we were so grateful for the early check in chocago is a lot of walking 😭

Very loud hotel - constant horn noise from boats or trains all night.

Markel at the front desk was so helpful and kind during check in. We approached his easy going nature and his expertise in fulfilling our requests. THANK YOU MARKEL!

My out of town relatives stayed here for a family reunion. Centrally located on South Mag mile my family enjoyed their room and amenities. A very huge shout out to their overnight desk man Pat. He was very accommodating to my family’s late night needs and requests during their stay at the hotel and made them feel comfortable. Thank you Pat for everything!!!

Czystość, świeżość. Pokoje codziennie sprzątane.Pomocny personel, świetna lokalizacja blisko przystanków CTA. Restauracja ze smacznym i niedrogim jedzeniem. Hotel umilił nam cudowny pobyt w Chicago

Mały minusik za brak Wi-Fi w pokoju przy rezerwacji przez Booking. W dzisiejszych czasach to już powinien być standard w każdej opcji, a tu WiFi tylko w lobby hotelowym.

Great experience at Le Meridien Essex. Rooms are clean and spacious. James and Kiera provided excellent customer experience.

Limpieza

Atención del restaurante

I want to recognize Isaiah Sam at the front desk for providing outstanding customer service during my stay. From the moment I checked in, he was warm, friendly, and genuinely welcoming. He made sure my check-in process was smooth and took the time to ensure I had everything I needed for a comfortable stay. His professionalism, positive attitude, and attention to detail made a great first impression and continued throughout my visit. Employees like Isaiah are a true asset to the hotel. Thank you for making my stay such a pleasant experience!

Kiera and Autum were fantastic! Very helpful!

Kiera Autumn was so welcoming as we are not from here… her smile her energy made us feel so at ease… perfect person to have in front n first to see

the environment staff and location

nothing

Staff was awesome! Thanks again Kiera! Will definitely be back!

The property was very clean. The decor was beautiful. The location was 30 minutes walking from the river walk, the bean and many other attractions.

We had a great experience with Le Meridien Essex! The staff were incredibly helpful (shout out to Kiara for checking us in early--it was a welcome surprise and made a signfiicant difference in our day) and the room was clean and comfortable. We would stay there again!

The beautiful Geant Park across the street from the hotel and Paris Baguette Bakery Cafe up the block.

Staff not welcoming m

The process started great at check in. I arrived early in the morning after an unpleasant travel day looking to drop bags off, and Kiera was able to get me checked into a room early. She even waved the early fee for me which wasn’t expected but very appreciated. She explained the meal vouchers and the hotel in general and was so warm and kind as well as informative. The room itself was very clean. Of course you hear city noise and your neighbors in the hall, but to be expected. The one odd thing was the gap between the door and floor. It felt like that contributed to how much noise you hear. The bed was cozy, excellent shower pressure, and housekeeping made the room perfect each day while I was away. This was my first time in Chicago and between all of the staff and the hotel itself, I know I’ll be back soon. Thank you to Kiera for her kindness after a very long and stressful travel day. It made an excellent first impression and she deserves all the praise.

Wonderful staff - Autumn took such great care of us, as did Ava and a young man who helped us move rooms when we checked in. I would definitely return.

Breakfast was not included, very expensive for not having this service. Cleaning was not so good, had to re ask to remove/change dirty glasses, to refill the milk or coffee. To take garbage.

Cleaning mainly, location is good but to have to take buses to go to most popular attractions.

I'm in this hotel at the moment and it's a lovely location but the check in process leaves much to be desired. The young man at the front desk was rude and robotic and told me my room was READY but I had to pay a $50 fee to check in before noon or pay $25 to check in from noon to 2pm. He also told me there was an incidetal deposit of $100 since I reserved through Booking.com. It was early and I had immediate plans, so I let him run my card. I just looked at the charge and it was not for $150, it was for $227.96. There was also an additional $100 taken out this morning. In this economy, that's bad business and I will be filing a formal complaint. The room itself is fine, but it's small and I don't know why these hotels make you feel like you're in an escape room when it comes to figuring out the light switches. The location is cool and the night time staff in the restaurant are top tier but I would not recommend this place and I won't reserve this hotel again.

Kiera and Autumn made our stay truly amazing! They were incredibly helpful, professional, and genuinely cared about making sure we had the best experience possible. They went above and beyond to ensure we were happy throughout our stay, and their friendly attitude made all the difference. Outstanding customer service from both of them and we really appreciate everything they did and would definitely love to stay here again. Thank you, Kiera and Autumn!

From Check In thru Check Out, EVERYTHING was EXCEPTIONAL!!! Thank you so much Kiera and Jasmine for the 5 Star Support!!!

We have had a fantastic stay! Kiera at check in was so friendly and had us checked in so quickly and even offered us water bottles! The hotel smells amazing and the location is great, right across from Grant Park and less than a mile walk to soldier field. The fitness area is really clean with a lot of equipment and the rooms are so nice. The bed is extremely comfortable and there are a lot of amenities in the room.

The welcome provided by Kiera and service was really warm and hospitable after a long day of travel.

It was great. Service and restaurant was good

The great service started when we got out of our Uber with Tony getting our bags quickly into the hotel out of the rain. He took them up to our room. Kiera was very friendly and helpful at the service desk. She fixed our reservations. We made a second reservation to come 1 day early and she combined them into 1 so we did not have to check out and check back in the next day for our 5 day stay.

Everyone that worked at the hotel was helpful and kind. Nowadays you find that in maybe 1 or 2 the others are often too busy looking at their phones to see you standing in front of them NOT HERE, at Le Méridien Essex everyone we encountered that worked there went out of their way to see how they could help you. Here are the pros and cons +++ people working at the hotel + The view from our room was good, can see Grant Park. + Easy walk to many places + Rooms seemed cleaned and updated + Close to many attractions and Union Station Food from Bistro was ok. - Rooms were a little tiny - Fees for everything-taxes, resort fee, etc. -BUT that is everywhere in Chicago that we have visited/seen

I just finished a 3-night stay at Le Méridien Essex. While the location is great, the hotel itself is pretty basic. Definitely don't book this place if you are expecting a nice, near-luxury experience. The room was on the smaller side of average. One issue was the walk-in shower, which is so poorly designed and cramped that the shower curtain constantly clings to you the entire time. For the most part, the staff were average, but the checkout experience was a total vibe killer. The front desk agent treated me like I was in boot camp. Instead of "good morning," or “how was your stay” they just barked one-word questions at me: Room? Name? Receipt printed or email? It was completely unprofessional, rude and left a really bad final impression. Bottom line: Only stay here if the price is on the low end. If you want a upgraded, welcoming stay, look elsewhere.

Room was nice and the tv had media in functioning and Ethernet.

Didn’t get do not disturb sign. Didnt get suit i paid for ect but at least i wasnt one of the 20 people waiting in the lobby

Close to the park and the stadium.

Very small lobby. No place to really hangout around the lobby area. And No coffee shop! They don’t even make espressos! They said they didn’t even have an espresso machine at the restaurant.

Cleanness of rooms the space in restrooms and all the amenities that are available for you while you stay!

Nothing!!!!

Good location

Beautiful hotel with an awesome and friendly staff. Leah helped with ideas for date night with my wife. Helped me knock it out the park

Propre, l’emplacement est parfait. Très proche du centre-ville.

Just checked in for my 3 night stay. Sam who was working the front desk and checked me in was extremely unfriendly and borderline rude. There is a reason first impressions count and mine left a lot to be desired. There is a reason customer facing employees should be friendly and customer service oriented. Unfortunately, that was not the case for me. Left a very bad taste in my mouth.

I loved the lobby the way it looked, had to stay an extra night and they honored the price I paid for the night before and excellent staff

A real treat after driving hundreds of miles. Good restaurant in the hotel. Lovely rooms, robes and great location.

We stayed here for the weekend to attend a World Cup sendoff match at soldier Field. We loved the location because we were able to walk to the stadium. The views of Lake Michigan were fantastic and the proximity to all of the best museums Chicago has to offer was excellent. We also had a small problem with our booking that was my mistake and the front desk manager named Leah was absolutely incredible! She was professional and kind and she went above and beyond to help us remedy the mixup. I can’t say enough about how great she is. Here is my breakdown of this property. Pros: Location is perfect to museums and sporting events, great view of the lake, good restaurant/bar in lobby with outdoor seating, nice decor, friendly staff, cute sitting area in lobby, comfy bed. Cons: Noise along Michigan avenue is problematic. We were not able to get a lot of sleep on Saturday night because of motorcycle drag racing going on until about 2 AM just outside of our hotel. We spoke to the desk agent who was incredibly apologetic and had informed us that they called the police several times, but unfortunately the police were not able to get to it. Definitely not the fault of the hotel. Also, there are some weird quirks about the room. For example, there’s one switch that controls the lights on both nightstands on either side of the bed. In other words, both lights are on or both lights or are off. The bathroom light has a motion sensor so if you want to use the bathroom in the middle of the night without turning on the light and waking your partner up, you basically can’t. As soon as you open the door the bright bathroom light comes on. It’s a bit jarring. In general, I would recommend this hotel because of its great location.

Amazing service and great people working here. Especially kiera. She help us out alot.

I recently stayed at Le Méridien Essex Chicago during the NRA Show, and unfortunately, my experience was very disappointing. I rated my likelihood to recommend the hotel as a 3 out of 10 because the room condition and the way the issues were handled made my stay stressful and uncomfortable. The first room I was assigned did not appear to have been cleaned properly. The floor was not vacuumed well, and I noticed food crumbs in multiple areas, including under the chair by the window, under the desk, and by the bed. There were also very visible food crumbs on the chair by the window and in the gap between the armrest and the seat. I also found a hair on the bed. When I called the front desk, Sara told me that the only room available for me to switch to was on the 4th floor. I am personally very superstitious about the number 4, so I was not comfortable moving there. It was also a lower-level floor, which I expected would be noisier. Sara also told me that housekeeping could clean the “one area” I had mentioned at first — the chair and surrounding area — but not mop or clean the entire floor. That did not make sense to me, because the cleanliness issue was not limited to one small area. At first, I was told all rooms were booked due to events in the city. Sara later found me a room on the top floor, which was an ADA room. While it was better than the last room, it still had issues. I still noticed a few crumbs, although not as many as the first room, so I cleaned them myself. However, I then noticed two ants in the room. I dealt with those myself as well, but I was concerned they might come back. After I went out to explore the nearby park and returned, I found more ants — around five or six — by the side of the bed near the window. The floor in the second room also did not seem to have been mopped well. When I used tissue paper to clean the ants from the floor, the tissue became dark immediately, which made me question how clean the floor actually was. I was told housekeeping had already gone home for the day, so no one was available to mop the floor. Eventually, I asked for extra towels to place on the floor. There was also a privacy concern in the bathroom. The curtain left a gap, and it felt possible that someone from the building across could potentially get a glimpse inside the bathroom. Even if visibility was limited, it did not provide the level of privacy and security I would expect from a hotel room. Sara later sent the maintenance staff member, David, to address the ants. David came up with a bottle of RAID, but I told him I was concerned that the room would smell and that it could be toxic. He agreed and did not spray it. I suggested that he come back with diluted bleach to sanitize the area where the ants were found, and he did that. I appreciated that David listened and tried to help. Another major issue with the second room was the large TV placed on the desk. It took up so much desk space that I could not open my laptop screen properly, and the TV also blocked the outlet, so I could not plug in my laptop. Since I had an online meeting that evening, this was a serious inconvenience. Fortunately, David helped free up an outlet by unplugging another appliance in the room. As you can imagine, all of this took a lot of time. I was not able to shower before my online meeting because I was dealing with the room issues. I had to attend the meeting first and shower afterward, which left me with very little time to sleep. The next morning, the front desk manager called around 10 a.m. because she had been told I had issues with my stay. I was on the bus at the time and asked her to call me back in five minutes. She never called back. That made me feel like the hotel did not take the situation seriously. That said, there were some positive parts of my stay. Before my room was ready for check-in, I was offered a toothbrush and toothpaste so I could freshen up in the restroom on the second floor, which I appreciated. The bellman was also professional, helpful, and always had a big smile on his face. I think the bellman was probably the best thing out of this hotel and I hope he gets a bonus. The location is excellent, right next to Grant Park and close to Lake Michigan. I enjoyed biking in the park and visiting nearby landmarks. Overall, while I appreciated the location and a few helpful staff members, the cleanliness issues, ants, lack of proper housekeeping support, privacy concerns, and the amount of time I had to spend resolving problems made the stay very disappointing. I expected a much higher standard from a Le Méridien and Marriott-affiliated property.

Kiera at the front desk was amazingly helpful- great location and 5 star experience.

We are so happy to be staying at Le Méridien Essex Chicago. We were welcomed with excellent customer service by Sam at the front desk. Sam was professional, friendly, and attentive to our needs and he helped us quickly get settled in. The hotel lobby, its amenities, and the room are clean, tasteful, and spacious. Le Meridien’s close proximity to Grant Park makes it a great hotel destination for anyone wanting to explore Chicago!!