HotelChatter

First, the extent of the construction was not too, too terrible -- but definitely noticeable:

arriving at the hotel means navigating scaffolding and plywood barriers. Construction also brings extra noise (I heard drilling from my room, although not until 11 a.m.) and extra dirt on the floor-to-ceiling windows. Worse, some of the rooms with the desirable Chicago River and Lake Michigan views are unavailable because there are cranes blocking the east side of the building.

Ew. The reviewer was also notsomuch into the decor: he said the room felt a bit dark with everything painted a putty-grey color, the kitchenette in every room made the place have an "efficiency apartment" sort of feel, and there were promotional materials all over the place -- including a letter from Trump inviting guests to buy a condo in the building. Oh, ok.

But the positives: the bathroom was nice (with Trump toiletries, natch), the Rebar had incredible views and excellent food, and the roomservice breakfast was "perfect."

The article leaves us with one little tidbit we didn't really enjoy:

"Just remember to bring extra cash: you'll feel cheap tipping a bellhop anything less than $20 for opening a door."

Ah, good: with $20, that bellhop could almost buy a bottle of that in-room water.

[Photo: Peter Wynn Thompson / NY Times]