We got into a heated debate at dinner tonight trying to rank our trip goals for the next year and I thought it would be fun to ask this group:

What’s the best family hotel you’ve ever stayed at, and why? Looking for places that actually nailed it for parents and kids at the same time, not just one or the other. Bonus if there’s a waterslide.

For me the most recent best/standout was Blackberry Mountain. The kids’ programming was awesome, the hiking and activities were fun for grown ups, and the food was beloved by everyone (an unusual feat).

The ‘major renovation’ has been adding two corners of Japanese paper on each side of the bed and a new headboard. The rest of the hotel seems to look exactly the same (inc Lobby, bathrooms). Classic FS review management tactics.

My review wasn’t even bad but that despite good service, this felt like being in any FS in the world rather than being in Japan. Totally inauthentic. It’s the only hotel we regretted choosing in Japan.

Just confirmed our decision never to stay with FS again. Everywhere we go, there are better options these days.

I spent 2 nights at Aman and MO, and 3 at RM this time.

The first thing I want to say is that if someone asks me to recommend one and one only hotel to stay at Marrakech - I will definitely recommend Royal Mansour. It is in the league of its own. SPA at RM is top experience. The architecture, design all top level of human’s craftsmanship. It’s all handwork. Commissioned by the king to showcase Moroccan hospitality.

Amanjena is definitely worth visiting. I consider Aman a solid brand, higher than other luxury chains, and try to stay at their properties if I am in the country they are located in. Amanjena is more private (obviously) than RM and MO, and their grounds are unique. Though architecture is less Moroccan in a Royal Mansour way, it still feels like sth from One Thousand and One Nights.

MO is MO. Could be anywhere I believe. It has villas only so that’s a plus if you want to chill on your own villa with a real pool (not a small plunge pool). Villas are big with a lot of outside space. Let’s say choosing between FS and MO in Marrakech, I would go with MO.

My rank overall:

1. RM
2. Aman
3. MO

Look at my comment below for a detailed breakdown.

So we just got back from an epic weekend at Bandon Dunes in Oregon. I'm obsessed with this place.

Fellow mod & TA u/shermancchen and I snuck in last minute when we saw a gap in their reservations and did 91 holes this last weekend, and I we didn't even play all the courses. I am a fairly new golfer and my partner and I are really getting into the game.

Bandon has the best golf - it's literally like Disneyland for golfers - but the hotel and accommodations are not great.. And I get it, you're not there for the rooms or the resort.. however, I am super curious where everyone is going to get some rounds in while on vacation?

I recently played Papagayo Ocean Course, Golf de Beauvallon while in France, and did a trip to Black Dessert (I owe you all a review on this!) in St George Utah.

We have a couple more golf trips coming up and need all the intel from you all.

What have been some of your favorites? Are you just adding a round into the vacation, or are you going somewhere specifically to golf? Tell me all your faves! What should we add to our list?

I visited St. Regis Punta Mita at the end of March with my kids. Quick context for anyone who follows my posts: I stayed at the Four Seasons Punta Mita on the same trip, and the natural question for anyone considering the area is which of the two resorts is the better fit. After this trip, my answer is that they're both excellent and the right choice depends entirely on what you want out of the stay. The St. Regis is smaller, more design-forward, and meaningfully more polished than it was three years ago. If you've ruled it out as "the adult-only option" based on old intel, it's worth a fresh look.

About me

I'm a luxury travel advisor and a parent of three kids. I travel 12+ weeks a year, almost always with my children, so I evaluate every property through the dual lens of an advisor and a parent.

Property overview

The resort opened in 2009, sits on 22 oceanfront acres inside the same gated 1,500-acre Punta Mita peninsula as the Four Seasons, and just completed a $45 million property-wide renovation timed to its 15th anniversary in 2024. Phase one wrapped in early 2023 (lobby, eight Ocean Front Beach Villas, Las Marietas restaurant, the Marietas Pool and beach, Altamira Lobby Bar, outdoor wedding spaces). Phase two finished out the rest of the rooms, suites, the Beach Club, and the Remède Spa.

The renovation incorporated travertine marble, blown glass, clay tiles, hammered brass, and silk rugs. The aesthetic is what they're calling Mexican-Mediterranean, with hacienda-style arched patios and commissioned pieces from Mexican artisans like Perla Valtierra (Guadalajara) and Caralarga. I really loved the style. It felt both authentic to the place but wonderfully fresh and new.

Total inventory is 120 rooms, including five new residential-style beachfront villas. Two-story buildings only, no tower. Every room faces the ocean.

Location and getting there

Fly into Puerto Vallarta (PVR). The drive is about 45 minutes. Punta Mita is a gated community with double entry (community gate plus hotel gate), and the only resorts inside are the Four Seasons and St. Regis (with Pendry and Montage planned for 2027/2028, which I'll believe when I see).

Accommodations

Four room categories. They're easy to keep straight, which I appreciated:

1. Casita (entry level). Either one king or two queens. Ground floor or second floor, both with ocean views.
2. Junior Suite. Larger casita layout with a sitting area attached. Bedroom not separated from the living space.
3. One-Bedroom Suite. Bedroom is fully separated from the living space
4. Villa. Five total, beachfront, residential-style. One, two, and three bedrooms. The three-bedroom Presidential Villa sleeps up to ten.

What's standard across all rooms: butler service (even at the entry level), bathtub plus indoor and outdoor shower, espresso machine, walk-in closet, ocean view (some are partial garden, but all face the ocean), thoughtful local-product minibar (handmade beers from Bucerías, artisanal chocolates made for the brand).

There are 35 connecting rooms total. Casita-to-casita connectors are configured one king to two queens. Suites can connect to a casita as either one king or two queens, your pick. Suites are always one king on their own. For families with three or four kids, the two-bedroom villa was my favorite: full kitchen, plunge pool, jacuzzi, lounge area where they'll set up a private barbecue dinner if you want one. Three full bathrooms means kids don't have to share, which (as anyone with multiple kids knows) is its own form of luxury.

My recommendation for most families: connecting casitas on the ground floor. Easier with younger kids, you get the same view, and the property is so walkable that "ocean access" isn't a meaningful differentiator.

Food and beverage

Six restaurants under Executive Chef Pablo Arias, who came on with the renovation:

Carolina is the signature. Contemporary Mexican fine dining with five-course and seven-course tasting menus plus à la carte.

Mita Mary Boat Bar & Bistro is the toes-in-the-sand taqueria and the property's best casual outlet. Shrimp tacos, octopus, fish tacos, ceviche, lobster specials, cold beer. One of the waiters overheard me talking about how I really needed a taco because I was starving after a long day of travel and he brought me a complimentary plate. Service and tacos were 10/10. This place also gets booked up with outside guests- it is popular for a reason.

Las Marietas is the main breakfast and lunch restaurant. Renovated as part of phase one. Buffet breakfast with an omelette and quesadilla station, ceviche bar, fresh juices. It's actually a very strong buffet, which I generally don't say about hotel buffets.

Sea Breeze is the all-day pool and beach restaurant. Lunch is casual (burgers, sandwiches, salads, empanadas, quesadillas, served pool and beach side). Dinner shifts to a trattoria concept with wood-fired pizzas and pastas. Cozy, family-friendly.

Sushi Por Casona (the sixth outlet) is at the adults-only pool. Nikkei cuisine, sushi, sashimi, poke bowls. Open 24 hours for the bar with food service starting at noon.

Kids menus are available at every restaurant.

Pools, beach, spa, fitness

Three pool areas, all renovated in the project:

• Marietas Pool is the new family pool, dual-level infinity design with views of the Marietas Islands.

All

• pools are deep so if your kids are not strong swimmers, bring floaties.
• Adults-only pool
• Sea Breeze Beach Club pool on the swimmable side of the property

(all ages).

The beach is swimmable on the right (north) side of the property. Calm water, white sand, complimentary kayaks, surfing lessons and paddleboards for rent. You can also book private boat excursions out to the Marietas Islands (the famous "hidden beach") directly from the resort beach. The left side of the property is more for relaxing than swimming.

The Remède Spa was completely renovated. Ten treatment rooms, separated humid areas for men and women, outdoor showers, dry sauna, a new Couples Spa Suite with private plunge pool and side-by-side massage tables, and a Temazcal.

The fitness center is open 24 hours and offers complimentary TRX, dance, and power jump classes (did not try but hear they are fun). Outside the resort there's a jogging trail running through the gated community.

Kids club and family programming

The Children's Club takes kids ages 5 to 12. Younger kids can use it with an adult. Activities include cooking lessons, daily handcraft activities (a $35 add-on for some craft sessions, otherwise complimentary), an afternoon movie, and a designated play room. The kids club is on the smaller side compared to the Four Seasons next door.

For teens, there's no dedicated club, but the resort can set up activities.

Service

Service feels warm, intuitive, and highly responsive without being overbearing; everything (to me) felt well-coordinated but not scripted. Every room includes butler service, which acts as a consistent point of contact throughout the stay. Requests are handled quickly, often within minutes, and the team adapts fast to guest preferences after just a short time on property.

Is this a family resort?
Yes, with context. St. Regis Punta Mita works best for families who want luxury first, with kids integrated into that environment rather than the resort being built around them.

It fits a wide age range, from young kids through teens. The kids club is strong enough that parents can comfortably carve out time alone, and the programming holds attention for children who are used to structured activities. Younger children are also well accommodated, but the experience is strongest when kids are old enough to participate independently for stretches of the day.

The beach and pool setup supports families without feeling overly communal or chaotic. Guests are spread out across the property, so even at higher occupancy it rarely feels like a heavy family scene. Dining and common spaces stay refined, but still relaxed enough that families do not feel out of place.

Water conditions vary by season and side of the peninsula, but there are typically calm, swimmable areas that work well for kids with supervision. The layout is compact enough that getting between beach, pool, and rooms feels easy, which matters more for families than raw size.

Bottom line: it is a luxury resort that accommodates families extremely well, not a family-first resort.

Final takeaways

The renovation is beautiful. St. Regis Punta Mita went from a property that was admittedly starting to feel dated to one that's holding its own against any new build in Mexico. It's smaller, quieter, and more design-forward than the Four Seasons, with the same level of service polish and a meaningfully better aesthetic point of view than it had pre-renovation. I'd go back myself with my kids.

Who this is for

• Couples and babymooners who want a polished, design-forward beach property with strong service
• Multigenerational families with older kids and grandparents traveling together
• Travelers who want a smaller-feeling resort inside a larger destination they can explore (Punta Mita village, the Marietas Islands, two Jack Nicklaus golf courses)
• Returning Punta Mita travelers who've done the Four Seasons and want a different feel

Who this is not for

• Travelers who want maximum activity programming and a constantly busy resort
• Anyone expecting cheap meals. Food is excellent and pricing reflects the renovation.
• Travelers prioritizing a teen-specific space. Four Seasons still wins on that front.

Overall, Belmond Cap Juluca in Anguilla really surprised me to the upside. It’s an extremely unique resort, with an incredible beach, lovely pools, good enough service and food, and solid rooms. The closest parallel I can think of is Rosewood Little Dix Bay in the British Virgin Islands, given the way rooms are spread out evenly across an enormous and beautiful ~mile-long beach, with dedicated beach chairs allocated to each villa.

About me: After being a client of Sarah’s for 10 years, I just joined her team as a travel advisor. Please don’t hesitate to reach out directly for advice, questions or help with anything.

Positives

Getting there:

We flew direct from Newark via AnguilaAir / BermudaAir and it was seamless + wonderful. The plane was 50% empty and the service and seating was excellent. I highly recommend this direct flight if you are in the cities it serves!

Beach:
In short, the hotel sits on one of the best beaches I have ever experienced. The beach stretches roughly a mile and is limited, effectively (although not legally) to guests of the resort, with deep, soft, pillowy sand and incredibly clear, iridescent water that feels almost electric in bright sun. It’s the kind of setting that stays with you.

Pools:
There are three relatively small pools, and while none are heated, they warmed up surprisingly well from the sun. The main pool, constructed from beautiful green marble, features a two-sided infinity edge that spills directly toward the beach, offering a stunning view. It’s approximately 20 x 45 feet but has only eight loungers. If you get one, it’s a blessing, as the pool never feels crowded, but I could see it being frustrating if the loungers were full. That said, during our stay, it was almost always empty; we frequently had the main pool entirely to ourselves.

The standout, however, is the new spa pool. Perched on the second floor of the spa, it offers a commanding view over the entire cove and was almost always completely empty. This addition (it was only built last year) was a major reason we chose Cap Juluca, and it absolutely delivered.

More broadly, the sheer scale of the private beach and the inviting, swimmable ocean take pressure off the pools and public areas, ensuring that facilities rarely, if ever, feel crowded.

Dining:
The hotel has four beautifully designed and thoughtfully positioned dining venues. Cip’s (Italian) and Pimms sit on a rock outcropping at the edge of the cove, dining there feels like you’re floating above the water. My wife and I were genuinely dumbstruck walking in; we both said it reminded us of some of our favorite meal locations in Greece or along the Amalfi Coast.

At the other end of the spectrum, the Cap Shack offers a toes-in-the-sand, remote “Gilligan’s Island” vibe, but still manages to feel refined and intentional in its design.

Overall, I consider dining here to be a big positive, given the siting of the restaurants, the views and the stunning design. Service and food in the restaurants (more on that below) were good.

Rooms:
I would consider the rooms a modest positive. They are thoughtfully designed—modern, but still preserving of some of the resort’s original character. Importantly, they get dark, cold, and quiet at night, and feature high-quality finishes like slab travertine countertops and showers, very heavy doors, generous outdoor space, and a reasonable sense of privacy. The rooms get plenty of light via windows on both the front and the back of the rooms, and skylights on the second floor and feature a great view over the beach.

That said, they are still just rooms, not free-standing villas or pavilions, which is worth noting at this price point.

Potential concerns

Service:
The biggest potential concern for travelers is service. As is often the case in the Caribbean, service can be hit or miss. I would rank Cap Juluca’s service as better than most high-end hotels in the region, but not on par with similarly priced properties in Europe, Asia, or South America.

In my view, you need to evaluate the Caribbean on its own terms (with St. Barths being a notable exception). If you’re not comfortable expecting occasional service hiccups, I wouldn’t blindly recommend this, or many Caribbean hotels.

In our case, service was well-intentioned and generally very good, with issues limited to things like golf carts not arriving when scheduled, and turndown service arriving after we returned from a two-hour dinner. In my opinion, none of these were deal breakers. Service at the restaurants, and especially reception, the pool, and the spa, ranged from great to excellent.

Food:
Food is the second common critique of this resort. Personally, I thought the food here was the best we had on this trip to Anguilla (including meals at Blanchards, which is often considered among the best on the island). The quality of the ingredients where high and everything was tasty.

That said, people frequently highlight food as a weakness, whereas I consider it to be a positive. After reflecting on this, I think this largely comes down to expectations. Yes, it’s an expensive hotel, but the Caribbean is not a culinary destination. Within that context, Cap Juluca ranks in the top ~25% of luxury/ultra-luxury Caribbean resorts I’ve experienced in terms of food.

If you’re looking for exceptional, Michelin-level dining at a beach resort, you’re better off in Europe, the Maldives, etc.. The Caribbean, again, with St. Barths as the exception, is not where I would generally go for culinary excellence.

Summary:

If you’re looking for flawless service and truly exceptional food in a beach setting, I wouldn’t wholeheartedly recommend Cap Juluca, though this combination is rarely, if ever, found in the Caribbean. including at both Amans.

However, if you value an extraordinary beach, stunning water and scenery, privacy and space, incredible sunsets, three largely empty pools (including one with a stunning elevated view over the crescent bay), beautifully designed dining venues, and a near-total absence of mosquitoes, paired with well-intentioned service and good (but not world-class) food, Cap Juluca delivers in a way few other resorts do.

Even though we stayed in one of the lowest room categories, it ranks (#69, see list here) easily among the best in the Caribbean and ahead of our stays in top-tier one-bedroom villas at places like Rosewood Little Dix, Rosewood Le Guanahani, and COMO Parrot Cay, largely due to its remarkable setting, the spa pool, and the beautiful design of its public spaces.

Its beach, and specifically swimming in that bay, is something that will stay with me for the rest of my life.

That said, Cap Juluca still sits comfortably behind what I consider to be the very best resorts in the Caribbean: Amanera, Eden Rock St. Barths, and to a slightly lesser extent, Amanyara.

The Maybourne Group operates 4 of the very best hotels in London - The Emory, The Berkeley, The Connaught, and Claridge’s. We’ve done some AMAs here before on the brand and their new preferred TA program called Maybourne Illustrated. But I wanted to do a deep dive into the London properties and do a quick comparison between each.

For context, I am a TA and a mod here. I spent over a week in London last month checking out some of the top hotels in the city. For this specific review, I stayed at The Connaught and The Emory, while also touring The Berkeley and Claridge’s with the teams there.

The Emory and The Berkeley

These two hotels are connected and you can kind of think of them as one property, so I’m going to write about them together.

The Emory opened in 2024, it still feels brand new. Only 61 keys and it’s suites only. But yes, technically the Studios and Jr Suites are just larger rooms. Very spacious rooms in a great layout nonetheless. The Berkeley is the older, more traditional sibling, and The Emory is the newer, younger one. You can generally feel that difference in the clientele too.
The arrival at The Emory is deliberately understated. Entrance is tucked down an alleyway, no grand facade, no real lobby. It’s just a small glass room that functions as a front desk. It’s definitely very quiet and feels more private residence than hotel.

Different floors were done by different designers: Andre Fu on top floors, Patricia Urquiola, Pierre-Yves Rochon, and Alexandra Champalimaud across the others. This is really a theme across all the Maybourne properties in London, where different floors can feel like a hotel within a hotel. The best floors at The Emory are Andre Fu, in my opinion. And the 8th floor is also where you just start to clear the trees over Hyde Park, so park view on the top floor is the best too. We were in a Park Junior Suite on the 8th floor and I loved the room. It’s hard to get something with a nice view in London. Toto toilet in the bathroom, excellent light and blind controls, well stocked complimentary minibar. Sound insulation is also impressive considering it faces a busy street.

Service was very good. Our butler and the guest services staff always knew our names. WhatsApp access to the butler team made everything easy, and they had the house car ready soon after check-in to take us to lunch. They also try their best on early arrivals and late check-outs, and if your room isn't ready you have access to the Surrenne Spa in the meantime. But no, it’s not guaranteed like The Chancery, and they also no longer include airport transfers. 

The Berkeley side has a full lobby and its own concierge / front desk area. It’s much larger at closer to 200 rooms, so it feels more like a traditional hotel vs. that intimate feel you get at The Emory. Different floors are designed differently here too. Some are more Japanese inspired, some more Art Deco, and some even very American. The other big difference in the rooms here is that they have more of the Balcony / Terrace rooms that face the quieter street and church on the other side of the building. I liked the Japanese floor the most, but there’s something for everyone. We’re also able to guarantee an upgrade at time of booking at The Berkeley right now!

Surrenne is shared across both properties and spans four underground floors. It has a well-equipped gym, steam room + sauna, snow shower, 22-meter pool, and a Tracy Anderson studio that is unlike anything I've seen in a hotel. Think bouncy floors in a heated room lol. It doesn’t get that busy even though it’s shared with The Berkeley, since there’s also a rooftop pool on that side.

Breakfast was decent. All a la carte at abc kitchens. It’s named this way because it’s supposed to combine the concepts of all abc kitchens from NYC. Never really loved those restaurants in NYC but I think they do a good job with breakfast here. You can take breakfast at the cafe on The Berkeley side too. There is also a Cedric Grolet outlet next to the cafe there, which can mean a nice welcome amenity for our clients 😉 The rooftop bar is fun, some of the best views in London, and the drinks are great. Go up at sunset if you can!

Who is this for? 

• The Emory is for people who want the newest hard product in London with real privacy. If you want something that feels like a high-end private residence rather than a hotel, this is the best option in the city right now.
• The Berkeley suits people who want the same address and spa access but prefer a more traditional hotel feel, and rates are more accessible. 
• Either way you're getting one of the best wellness facilities in London and a Knightsbridge location that works well for shopping, easy park access, and getting around the city.

The Connaught

This was my other stay that week. It's been around in some form since the early 1800s, it's in Mayfair, and it has a quiet but polished vibe that very few hotels manage to pull off.

Arrival was seamless - doorman to help with luggages, escorted to the room, butler walked through everything and noted all personalization requests. It's the same attention to detail as The Emory, in a slightly more formal service style. There are 121 rooms total, and they’re all kind of different given that it’s a historic building. It’s recently renovated but with a real sense of place. I wouldn’t say that it feels dated at all, and you all know I usually prefer modern hotels. There is a more modern side of the hotel too. The Mews townhouse suite might be one of my favorite hotel rooms in the city.

We were in a Grosvenor Suite on the traditional side. Victorian style windows, chandeliers, and a separate small study where they give you postcards to mail back to friends and family. The way they describe it is like an 18th-century drawing room. The traditional side has the fountain view and Mount Street, which is beautiful. The contemporary side faces Adams Row, a much quieter but maybe less attractive street. I will say the supercars circling Mayfair can get a bit loud at night on the traditional side though. One difference from The Emory - the minibar here has fewer inclusions, alcohol and snacks are paid. 

The F&B here is world-class across the board, it’s my favorite of all hotels for on site dining in London. Helene Darroze holds three Michelin stars and is one of the best fine dining restaurants in the city. The Connaught Bar is always high up on the list of 50 best bars. The martini trolley service is worth experiencing at least once. We had a very solid Sunday roast at the Grill. You can also order off the restaurant menus for in-room dining, which are genuinely good options. Breakfast was excellent, everything tasted just a bit better than abc kitchens. It is also served at Jean Georges.

And there's an Aman Spa underneath the hotel, the only one in the UK. It’s on the smaller side, I probably personally prefer Surrenne still but it’s not a bad option as well.

Who is this for? 

• People who want the definitive but more low key London luxury hotel experience. It’s a traditional hotel done right, it doesn’t feel stuffy or tired, just quietly very very good at everything. 
• It’s also for the foodies who want the best on site F&B options.

Claridge's

Didn't get to stay here this trip but did spend a full afternoon here. If The Connaught is quiet luxury, Claridge's is the opposite. It's the see and be seen hotel. The history also goes back to the 1800s, and that history is very much part of what you're paying for. Grand Art Deco lobby, busy at almost any hour, multiple bars and restaurants, 200+ rooms. It’s the biggest in the portfolio and probably the most social.

Like the others, each floor and wing has a different design identity, and the same room category can look completely different depending on where you land in the building. For example, some Claridge's Suites have two bathrooms, some don't. They also have the best interconnecting room options in the portfolio if you're traveling with family.

Afternoon tea in The Foyer / Reading Room is probably one of the most well-known in London. They reserve space for hotel guests, which matters because it does book out. The bar situation is great too - Claridge's Bar is in a beautiful Art Deco room, and The Painter's Room next door is a quieter, more intimate option. The Fumoir is a hidden gem.

Everything here is also recently renovated. There’s been more reviews about Claridge’s on here so I won’t go into too much other details.

Who is this for? 

• People who want the most iconic London hotel experience. The one that feels the most busy and lively.
• It’s also the best option if you need interconnecting rooms for families or are traveling with a larger group.

🫖🫖

Overall, you can’t go wrong at any of these properties. As we always say, it’s about matching people to the right one.

Also, I did want to mention. The cross-portfolio integration is quite impressive. The Connaught booked Claridge's afternoon tea for us, and at the tea they offered to charge it back to our Connaught room. This can be done across all F&B outlets under the Maybourne properties in London. We were also addressed by name at Claridge's even though we weren't staying there. Then the staff at The Connaught Bar asked how our stay at The Emory was going, since that’s where we were staying when we visited the bar. For four technically separate hotels, it operates more like one seamlessly run brand than almost anything else I've seen. Service really is a highlight at all of these Maybourne properties.

London is a great place to be if you like luxury hotels, especially within Europe. And in my opinion, the Maybourne portfolio sits at the top of that market. Happy to answer any questions on these or on London more generally.

Hotel: The Langham, Chicago

Room: One Bedroom Club Level Suite, river view

Rate: ~$1,300/night

Length: 3 nights

Booking: Direct

TLDR: The views are awesome. The bed is great. The club lounge is the only part of this hotel where I got real five-star service. Everything else feels like a property that opened in 2011 and never got the memo that it's 2026. For $1,300 a night, the attention to detail isn't there.

Some context on what I'm looking for

A great city hotel, to me, is a hotel in an amazing location with exceptional service from the concierge to the bellman to the housekeeping team, and it makes you feel at home when you're in the city. The Connaught in London. The Greenwich Hotel in NYC. Those are great city hotels.

Chicago is one of the best cities in America and it doesn't have one. The Four Seasons gets recommended. The Langham gets recommended. Reddit has mixed reviews on everything else. I was hoping the Langham would be the one. It wasn't.

Arrival

• Drop-off was smooth. Doorman opened the door, said hi, pointed me to the second floor for check-in. Without him I would have been lost. Good start.
• Check-in agent never used my name. Most luxury hotels train staff to say your name 2-3 times during check-in. Zero here.
• Room was ready at 3:30pm which is fine

The Club Lounge (the highlight)

• This is where the hotel earns its stars. The lounge staff were warm, smiling, great morning energy. The only place I experienced real service the whole stay.
• Breakfast was a solid spread. Not spectacular, but solid.
• Full candy bars stocked in the lounge. I'm a sucker for free high-quality snacks, so really good touch.
• If you stay here, club level is the move. Outside the lounge, service falls off a cliff.

Concierge

• Texted to book a shave appointment. They responded quickly with recommendations.
• Then they texted me a credit card authorization form in PDF format to fill out in order to book it.
• A great hotel concierge books the appointment and trusts the room. If I cancel, charge me. The fact that I have to fill out a form to get a 30-minute shave booked is a tell. A great city hotel does not make you fill out PDFs. They help you on the go.

Room (good stuff)

• River view is spectacular. Worth a pause at the window every morning.
• Bed, pillows, sheets all great. Zero complaints.
• Bathroom amenities were generous. Dental kit, hairbrush, the things some hotels make you call down for.
• Separate bidet, which is actually one up on both the Connaught and the Greenwich (we're all spoiled with electric bidets, but I'll take a separate one over none).
• Shower is big, good water pressure, nice products. Loud when you turn both heads on, sounds like someone gurgling water at you, but not a real complaint.

Room (the dated stuff, and this is the hotel-wide problem)

• Drapes open with a loud mechanical hum. The kind you stopped hearing in nice hotels around 2014.
• Curtains randomly opened and closed at night. Walked into the living room and they just opened on their own. I think the motion sensor is broken.
• A couple of lamps didn't work.
• Closet light was my biggest pet peeve. Three switches, only one of them did anything, and even with that one on you couldn't see what was in the closet.
• No USB-C in any of the built-ins. They had a little USB-C add-on accessory at the bedside, which was a nice touch, but you can feel that the room was wired in 2011.
• Bathroom scale was missing.
• WiFi was slow.

For $1,300 a night, somebody on the housekeeping or maintenance side should be testing the lamps and the drapes and the switches between guests. The fact that nobody is, is the real review.

Service (outside the lounge)

• Front desk: cold. No warmth, no smiles, no name.
• Housekeeping knocked for turndown service, asked if I wanted water, I said no, they said "bye" and left. I didn't even know that was turndown until I thought about it later.
• The actual housekeeping work was good. They rolled the cords. They folded clothes I'd left on the bed. The quality was there, the human warmth wasn't.

The room service thing

• Dinner came fast and the food was fine.
• Asked them to come pick up the cart at 9:15pm.
• 10pm rolls around, cart still in the room. I put the privacy sign on and got ready for bed.
• 10:15pm, phone rings. It's room service asking if it's still a good time to come grab the cart. You don't call a guest's room at 10:15pm when the privacy sign is up. (I don't know, maybe I'm being picky on that one. Curious what people here think).

Bottom line

• Room: 6/10. Beautiful view, comfortable bed, dated everything else.
• Service: 5/10. Lounge staff carries the whole score. The rest is uninterested at best.
• Detail: 4/10. Broken stuff in a $1,300 room is the cleanest signal that nobody's checking.
• Value: not great.

Chicago still doesn't have a great city hotel. The Langham isn't it.

What is everyone here picking when they're in town? Would love to be wrong about there not being one.