PUBLIC Chicago

The worst hotel I have ever stayed. There is not a good word I can use about it. I saw several rooms since I was part of a group and I couldn’t find any other that I would have wanted to be in. No room cleaning during the 3 days we were there and unpleasant desk personnel, our air conditioning broke and we were never able to connect to the desk. The line at the desk was extremely long because there was only one person in charge and a very longline of guests registering. We finally talked to the doorman who sent someone to repair. I would not go back or recommend this hotel.

We booked with trip advisor and the website said “free breakfast “ and No additional charges. After we paid for the room, we were presented with a bill of 261.00 $ and a deposit of 125.00. Those fees were never mentioned before we arrived. I also tried to call ahead to check about possible “hidden “ fees and could not talk to a live person. We are not drinkers so did not use our 6 “drink” cards and we had to leave for the airport at 6:30 a.m. and breakfast didn’t begin until 7:00. We were charged 261.00 for nothing! I would like a refund since we didn’t use any of those services and were not told about them when we booked.

Love the hotel overall and neighborhood! However, I prepaid for room and had a receipt that I owed $19.96 upon arrival. No problem. When checking in, I was told that I owed $170.00 (non-refundable). I questioned that and was told I didn’t read the fine print. BS! BAIT AND SWITCH! I am not a happy customer. I have stayed here before without this issue. Breakfast buffet was ugh!

⭐️ One Star — “Permanently Closed” Might Be the Most Accurate Thing About This Hotel The Ambassador Hotel Chicago at 1301 N State Street shows up on Google as “permanently closed.” Funny enough — that’s probably the most accurate description you’ll find. We booked a six-day stay during a very busy weekend, lured in by charming online photos across several booking platforms. Do NOT be fooled. The images are misleading at best. I typically love historic hotels full of character, but this one is in desperate need of a complete overhaul — starting with whoever owns or manages it. Let’s start with the positives: there were three wonderful bartenders who were the only highlight of our stay. They were kind, attentive, and clearly doing their best. Now the rest: • Customer service? Nonexistent. Call from your room and no one answers. They just stare at the phones like they’re cursed. • Housekeeping? Absent. We called every day and only got our room cleaned on day four. Before that, they just dropped off towels and sheets like we were at a dorm. • Room? Large, yes — but filthy. The carpet is disgusting, furniture smells bad, and everything feels neglected. • Hallways? Smell of sweat, mildew, and a failing HVAC system. • Front desk? One guy running the night shift who genuinely tried to help — but he was clearly working within a broken system. The overall vibe was closer to a run-down motel than a once-grand hotel. The staff clearly aim to do as little as possible, and the place runs on low effort, low morale, and zero pride. This hotel has great potential and a perfect location, but it’s been run into the ground by years of poor management and neglect. We will not return. In fact, I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone — not even for a one-night stay.

The hotel overcharges. it seems cheap but then when arrived they obliged customers to pay an extra "membership" in order to get the room; while i was at reception many new arriving cutomers where shocked as none of that was disclosed at booking. they also did not accept my BA pre-paid hotel voucher and we had to dispute for one week that i had already paid the hotel. BA was helpful. they have now fraudaulently charged my card for an amount which was not billed nor justified after 2 months i was there with no authorisation and we are in a dispute. shameful.