Ambassador Chicago

STAY AWAY. Hidden $142 Mandatory Fee at Check-In I arrived at the Ambassador Gold Coast last night with a prepaid, non-refundable reservation booked through American Advantage Travel. When I went to check in, the front desk refused to give me my room unless I paid an additional mandatory $142 “All-Inclusive Membership” fee. I’ve stayed at this hotel before, so I was completely shocked. I asked to speak with management, and manager Artreece Benson told me there was nothing they could do because this was supposedly the reservation that American Advantage Travel had submitted. The explanations kept changing. The front desk first told me the $142 was something they had “worked out with the third party.” Then they said it was an “All-Inclusive Membership” that American Advantage had booked for me. Management continued to insist it was part of my reservation. However, while standing in the lobby, I called American Advantage Travel. They contacted hotel management directly, and the hotel reportedly told them there were no additional charges on my reservation. Meanwhile, hotel staff continued telling me I had to pay the $142 or they would not release my prepaid room. I also reviewed my booking confirmation while I was there. There is absolutely no mention of a mandatory $142 membership, all-inclusive package, or resort fee. At that point, I had already paid for a non-refundable room and had checked in around 9:00 PM. My options were either: * Pay the additional $142, or * Lose my prepaid room for the night. I paid because I had no realistic alternative. Afterward, I looked through Google reviews and found multiple guests describing nearly the exact same experience involving unexpected demands for mandatory fees at check-in. Based on my experience, I will be filing complaints with my credit card issuer and the appropriate consumer protection authorities. The hotel and American Advantage Travel each pointed the finger at the other, leaving me to pay the unexpected charge. STAY AWAY. They pull the SCAM off through a hidden mandatory fee at time of arrival. Read the recent Google reviews and consider another HOTEL alternative.

No room coffee here, so I went down to the lobby for some. It’s 6am and no employees to be found. I wait and wait for some help. Then I start calling out— politely at first. Not a good optic for a hotel like this! Finally, an employee walks by the STILL EMPTY reception desk. He points to a coffee maker and a paper cup. I’m just trying to bring 2 coffees to my room, so I ask for a second cup. The employee who showed me the machine told me they have no more cups and suggested I wait an hour for restaurant to open. Where am I? I expected more from the Ambassador Gold Coast. Not satisfied with the service here.

We booked Ambassador Chicago / Ambassador Gold Coast through Agoda for around $180 for one night. The price looked competitive compared with other hotels in the area, so despite the mediocre reviews, we decided to take the risk. That was a mistake. From the beginning, the experience was poor. At check-in, we were simply handed the keys. No explanation was given about breakfast, additional charges, mandatory fees, or any “Private Guest Club” fee. Nothing was clearly disclosed to us at the front desk. The room was extremely disappointing. It was bare, cheap-looking, and far below what I would expect from a hotel in this location. The furniture was minimal and low quality, the bathroom was small and basic, and the whole room felt neglected rather than “boutique” or charming. The next morning, we tried to use the bathtub/shower and found that the drain was clogged. We could not wash properly. This is not a minor inconvenience; it is a basic hygiene issue and completely unacceptable for any hotel charging guests for the night. Breakfast was another bad experience. We paid $35 per person, only to discover after paying that some buffet items, including croissants, were not included. Charging that amount and then excluding basic breakfast items is absurd, and it should have been clearly explained before taking payment. The most unacceptable part came after checkout. About an hour after leaving, we were charged an additional $142.96. We had to ask for an explanation and wait hours before finally being told that this was a “Private Guest Club” fee. This fee did not correspond to any real, visible, or useful service we received. It felt like nothing more than a way to inflate the final price after attracting guests with a lower advertised rate. No one told us at check-in that this charge would be applied. No one explained what it included. No one made it clear that our final cost would increase so dramatically. Once this charge and breakfast were added, the total cost went well above $350. For that amount, we would never have chosen this hotel. There are far better hotels in Chicago at that price point. This property is not just disappointing; it feels misleading. The room quality is poor, the service is minimal, the facilities are badly maintained, breakfast is overpriced and unclear, and the final pricing lacks transparency. I would never stay here again. I strongly advise others to avoid this hotel and, based on this experience, I would also avoid any related properties in their network.

This place is absolute trash. My friend and I booked a room with two beds, then he had to cancel his trip due to an unexpected illness. I tried to downgrade to a single, but was refused. That's fine, I understand the hotel's position. The first issue was was the parking. They advertise paid valet parking l, but, when we showed up, their parking was full. The valet directed us to a nearby parking garage that was not accessible by the public. When I went to check in, there were no two bed rooms available, despite the fact that they'd refused to modify my reservation. I told the guy at the desk that was fine, I was happy to take a single and a refund of the price difference between the rooms. He said only a manager could approve that, and the manager was, conveniently, not present. I tried to track down a manager the next morning and was told that he/she wouldn't be at the hotel until 9am or 1130am (depending on which employee I asked). The rooms were clean, but pretty dated and unimpressive. The TV repeatedly lost signal. The breakfast wasn't included in the price of the room and is $35. The staff were polite, but pointless. I 100% will not be coming back, and I'd encourage anyone reading this to stay elsewhere.

I wish I had seen warnings like this before booking. This hotel (and others in its group) engages in misleading practices that trap guests. Despite the owner's claim that they "absolutely do offer direct bookings," the reality is they funnel reservations through third-party sites. You are not booking directly with the hotel — you're routed to a separate billing platform. Upon arrival, they then demand additional funds or charges that were not clearly disclosed upfront. The rooms are small, dated (very late '90s/early 2000s vibe), and poorly maintained. The classic Gold Coast location is the only real positive, but it doesn't make up for the subpar condition and customer service issues. The response from ownership is also misleading — it deflects responsibility instead of addressing the core complaints about transparency and third-party funneling. This is not a one-off; it appears to be their standard operating model. Strongly recommend steering clear and choosing a property with straightforward, honest direct booking. Other guests need to be warned before they waste money and time on this.