By Shawn Gallagher
Greetings from Chicago, Illinois! I recently had a chance to stay at the Hyatt Centric Chicago Magnificent Mile. This hotel is located in the heart of Chicago near Michigan Ave; a great location for tourists and business travelers alike. I also got an upgrade to the executive suite, which was a nice additional touch to this stay.
Let’s go over my experience at this Hyatt Centric.
Booking
If you’re looking to use points, this is a category 4 hotel. You’ll need 12,000 to redeem 1 night during off-peak periods, 15,000 during standard periods, and 18,000 during peak periods.
This hotel is also an opportunity to utilize a category 1-4 free night. There are several category 4 hotels in Chicago, and this Hyatt Centric is a strong choice among them.
Related: A full guide to the World of Hyatt loyalty program
Check-in
Part of the hotel was under renovation when I went (I think the ground floor entrance and the elevators?), so I had to use a side entrance.
I got upgraded to the executive suite, which is the standard level suite at this hotel. If you’re a Globalist wondering about your standard suite upgrade, this is the one.
I made my way to room 930.
Executive Suite Impressions
The suite was very spacious, and it was more than enough room for me. I feel like the pictures don’t do it justice.
This living room is the first room when you walk in. Part of the couch turns into a sofa bed, making this suite practical for small families.
A large, 55 inch TV and a desk are across from the couch.
The water bottles were complimentary.
The bedroom is a further walk past the living room. This part of the suite was also spacious, and I got some great views out of the window.
As I mentioned earlier, the location of this hotel is fantastic. It’s one block from Michigan Ave, and a CTA Red Line station is a short walk away (and the station itself is just one stop from the loop). Plenty of bus routes are around the hotel also, which I utilized multiple times.
The bedroom has a second, smaller TV in front of the bed.
A small closet was also located inside the bedroom. I had my dress shirt and coat hung inside.
The king bed was comfortable. Hotel chains pretty much use the same mattress for most of their properties, so you won’t notice too much of a difference from Hyatt to Hyatt or Marriott to Marriott. I have always liked the beds at Hyatt properties.
Related: Hyatt Regency Boston Harbor, a review
The bathroom was located on the way from the living room to the bedroom.
There wasn’t anything particularly enticing about this bathroom; I’d say it was average on most fronts.
Shampoo, conditioner, and body wash were BeeKind, by Gilchrist & Soames.
A few more amenities were by the sink including mouthwash and toothpaste, which I thought were a nice touch.
Suite and Hotel Experience
The placement of the executive suite helps keep noise out. The bedroom in particular, which was deep into the suite and far away from the hallway, essentially had no noise issues and was nice and quiet.
One thing to note about the suite was the lack of natural light in the living room. Since the bedroom is the only spot with windows, it can feel a bit dark and cramped the farther away you are from the bedroom.
The Level Two Restaurant is the onsite dining at this hotel. Free breakfast for Globalists will be from here.
The hotel was very quiet. It was a Thursday night in the middle of January; most travelers seemed to be here for work/business.
Concluding Thoughts
This was a very comfortable stay, with more than enough space thanks to the suite upgrade. Definitely note the convenience factor with this Hyatt Centric; you can’t really beat the heart of Chicago next to Michigan Ave with CTA Red Line access, whether you’re there for business or leisure.
All photos taken by the author.