Know Before You Go: The Peninsula Chicago
The Peninsula Chicago exceeds our expectations every time, and we look forward to each visit. This was our fourth time here — an adults-only trip, though we have previously stayed as a family. With an ideal location for Michigan-avenue shopping, attentive service, sprawling rooftop pool, sanctuary-like spa, top-notch afternoon tea, and spacious, high-tech rooms, this luxury Chicago hotel is top of its class.
OVERALL RATING
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Exceptional
Overview
At-a-Glance
Date of stay: August 2021
Length of stay: 1 night / 2 days
Property type: Swanky yet elegant city hotel and spa on Michigan avenue with trendy rooftop Z Bar
Trip type: Couples getaway (previous trips included family weekend getaway and couples getaways)
Tailor-made for: Shopping and wellness enthusiasts, those who enjoy great views and a buzzy scene
Highlights
"Peninsula Time" -- guaranteed check-in as early as 6AM and check-out as late as 10PM
Z Bar rooftop lounge design and views
Views from pool, fitness center and spa on top floor
Vosges chocolates welcome gift
Exceptional, intuitive service
High-tech, recently renovated rooms
Good to Know
No kids club or play room
Some of the hotel's services may be unavailable due to COVID (afternoon tea, house car, Pierrot Gourmet restaurant)
Overall dining program is okay but not stellar
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Location & Setting
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The hotel's Michigan Avenue downtown location is superb. Guests have great access to shopping, dining, sightseeing, etc. Saks and Neiman Marcus are located right next to the hotel.
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Property & Grounds
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This is one of the best places in Chicago to stay with a family. During winter, the whole hotel is dressed up in its festive holiday finest, including an enormous Christmas tree in The Lobby Restaurant.
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Room
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We stayed in a Deluxe Room (Room 1427) which was spacious by city hotel standards and well-furnished with 1 King Bed, sitting area with table and 2 armchairs, entertainment center and desk, 1 bathroom with tub (with detachable shower nozzle) and shower, spacious closet and drawers, a small bar area, and blackout curtains. We also toured a 1-Bedroom Suite, which had an ideal configuration for families (last 3 pictures below).
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Booking with Grand Luxury Hotels included the following Pen Club benefits:
• Daily breakfast for 2
• "Guaranteed room upgrade" -- which we did not get (and they omitted addressing at check-in), but the hotel instead provided 2 kids swag bags filled with child-sized slippers, electronic magic fairy wands, Peter Bear plushes, and Peter Bear t-shirts for us to bring home as a substitute
• Welcome gift -- Vosges Chocolates
• $100 property credit
• Early check-in / late check-out -- standard with the hotel group's wonderful new "Peninsula Time" benefit where guests can check-in as early as 6AM on arrival day and check-out as late as 10PM on departure day
We were also given a tour of a Deluxe Suite (Room 1032) which was recommended by the front desk staff as the best option for a family of 2 adults and 2 children. The Deluxe Suite had a separate sitting area with sleeper sofa, small table and 2 armchairs, bedroom with King-size bed and 1.5 bathrooms.
Deluxe Suites can also connect to a Deluxe Room to accommodate up to 6 people with 2 bedrooms, a sleeper sofa, and 2.5 bathrooms. Peninsula typically offers a discounted family rate on connecting room bookings.
On previous stays, we have stayed in the Executive Suite, which was spacious and included a plethora of thoughtful bath amenities (dental kit, nail care kit, shaving kit, etc.).
The Executive Suites also have large bathrooms by city hotel standards, with views from the tub over the city.
Recent room updates brought fresh and modern furnishings and state-of-the-art electronics to all the hotel's rooms. However, bathrooms were not updated.
Notably, the street noise was pretty loud from our 14th floor room. Thankfully, we are heavy sleepers, but lighter sleepers might have been disturbed at night.
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Service
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Service here is above and beyond -- they think of everything. The service experience is attentive and professional without feeling stuffy and you can't miss the signature Peninsula Hotels white bellman uniform.
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The hotel recently introduced a PenChat feature (similar to the Four Seasons chat app) where guests can text with the hotel staff rather than call.
The hotel group's new "Peninsula Time" benefit is also a unique and extremely value-added service.
On a previous stay, when we asked for help with getting our dinner bookings moved up at a hard-to-book restaurant, the Concierge was courteous, prompt and effective.
There were lots of wonderful little details in room service like evening turndown service, bundling up charger cords, fitting our open champagne bottle with a rubber, pourable stopper while we were out.
Personal tour of health center, spa, and the Deluxe Suite (that we did not stay in but expressed interest in seeing) were all nice touches.
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Dining
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With one of the best spaces and views in the city, the trendy rooftop Z Bar is a proper scene and frequently busy. If you are staying at the hotel, they will bump you to the top of the list if you walk in and there is a wait, but reservations are strongly encouraged.
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Lunch and breakfast at The Lobby restaurant was great, as always. The Lobby has a separate children's menu and is equipped for pint-sized diners.
On past visits, afternoon tea or Sunday brunch in The Lobby with live string or piano from the balcony has been a highlight. Both were unfortunately temporarily suspended due to COVID.
Request a window seat when making reservations at The Lobby as the 3-story floor to ceiling windows offer fantastic city views.
Lunch at Shanghai Terrace, with a Cantonese and Shanghainese menu, was delicious. There is indoor seating available, but the large outdoor terrace is a great urban oasis when weather permits.
The hotel's dinner program was okay but not great relative to other dining options in Chicago.
We opted to have a special dinner off-premises at Michelin 3-star restaurant Oriole during our stay and it was exceptional, not to be missed.
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Family Services & Amenities
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From our previous stay here with a 3-month old: We requested a crib, which came with high quality bedding, luxury Baby Pibu bath products, and a duck rattle toy as a baby welcome amenity. The Concierge arranged for a babysitter for us one night via a nanny service and everything was very professional and well-organized.
Here’s the full list of in-room junior guest amenities, from the hotel's website:
• Schedule a visit upon check-in at the Front Desk for Peter Bear, the lovable mascot of The Peninsula, to stop by to say hello with a wagon of treats!
• Age-appropriate bath amenities
• Welcome amenity of Peninsula treats for junior guest with items such as gummy bears, chocolate chip cookies, popcorn and more
• Children's size robe and slippers
• Crib and linens can be placed in room prior to arrival with advance notice
• Playstation or Wii set up in room with advance notice
Additional family-friendly accommodations, from the hotel's website:
• Families can relax in the hotel’s half-Olympic length swimming pool and order snacks or a meal to enjoy poolside or on the Sun Terrace
• Child-friendly menus are available in all hotel restaurants, as well as Children's Afternoon Teas
• Chicago kids' maps are available via the Concierge for children that wish to explore the city
• An on-property digital Peninsula Scavenger Hunt is available via the Front Desk
• The Camp Peninsula package features an in-room tent setup as well as 50% off the cost of an adjoining room for children ages 12 and under. Kids can also eat for free from the children's menu and enjoy a range of amenities tailored just for junior guests.
• The Peninsula Spa offers manicures and pedicures for children
• Babysitter services can be facilitated through the Concierge with advance notice
There are a variety of Peninsula Academy programs offered for kids (advance notice required).
The hotel also has a Keys To The City program with access to incredible "only-in-Chicago" experiences, including animal encounters at the Shedd Aquarium.
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Activities
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The hotel is within steps of Michigan Avenue and all of its Magnificent Mile shopping, including Neiman Marcus and Saks right next to the hotel, and is less than six blocks away from Lake Superior and the lake shore, and a short drive to many of the city's top family-friendly attractions, including the Navy Pier, Millennium Park, Grant Park, Shedd Aquarium, Soldier Field, the Children's Museum, the Contemporary Museum of Art, and more.
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The hotel typically has a BMW house car and a custom, Peninsula-branded Mini Cooper S Clubmen available on a first-come, first-served basis -- this service was suspended due to COVID. We booked a package on a prior stay that included a 3-hour city tour in the house car and it was a highlight.
The Peninsula Academy offers lots of onsite and offsite activities and one-of-a-kind experiences. For example, guests can take advantage of luxury private shopping trips, helicopter and boat tours, floral design classes, hard-to-find tickets to Broadway (in Chicago) shows, dim sum cooking classes, and bootcamp with a former Navy SEAL, to name a few.
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Wellness
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The hotel spa and health club with half-Olympic-size indoor pool, outdoor sun terrace, fitness center, and award-winning spa are all fantastic. You can glimpse amazing views over the city from the top-floor pool, sun terrace, and fitness center.
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The spa has a ton of adult services, but also offers Disney-themed magical spa experiences for kids, including: Princess & Queen (mommy & me), Shining Knight, Royal Treatment, and Belle of the Ball. If you are planning to visit the spa on the weekend, book early.
The fitness center is large and well-equipped. M commented that the bootcamp at the fitness center looked awesome, but we didn't have time to take advantage of any classes / scheduled activities given the short stay length.
The aerobics center, directly across from the fitness center, is also large and well-equipped for group classes.
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Wow Factor
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This hotel leaves a lasting impression based on its enviable location, ample wellness amenities, and wealth of activities for a city hotel.
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Value
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While usually fairly pricey, The Peninsula Chicago offers value-priced, off-season winter packages for families and couples. The hotel’s Peninsula Time program with extended check-in and check-out hours also helps deliver additional value relative to peer hotels.
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Overall
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We highly recommend this property for couples and families and will certainly make a point to return.
Rating Legend*
💛💛💛💛💛 Exceptional
💛💛💛💛 Notable
💛💛💛 Standard
💛💛 Substandard
💛 Unsatisfactory
*All ratings are relative to similar-class properties
