Weekend in Chicago

Guest: IR (Crown Point, Indiana)
Date of Stay: 10/28/11 Review Submitted: 11/10/11

My family and I very much enjoyed our weekend in Chicago staying at the Penthouse at Grand Plaza. The penthouse was comfortable and very attractive. The views from the windows and balcony were world class. The downtown location was ideal. We look forward to returning for another stay in the future.

Recommended for:Girls getaway, families with teenagers, people with disabilities, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, adventure seekers, sightseeing, age 55+.

Perfect!!!

Guest: Violet (Alpine, CA.)
Date of Stay: 10/20/11 Review Submitted: 10/30/11

We spent a wonderful week in this beautiful penthouse! What a view!!! We loved the fireplace. It really puts out some heat. Everett the doorman was quite helpful. We just wished he was on duty more. He was our favorite. It's perfectly located on the Red line too! We paid $28.00 each for a week CTA pass and used the heck out of it! There's a full grocery store on the street level and a Trader Joe's a couple blocks away. Restaurants galore! Our favorites were the Chop House ($$$$$$$), Pizano's ($$$) and Joe's Seafood ($$$). There are lots of restaurants that deliver too. Jeri Lou and James were very helpful and everything went off without a hitch. Great communication. We hope to visit again!

Recommended for:Girls getaway, people with disabilities, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing, age 55+.

detellen@hotmail.com

Guest: er (Miami)
Date of Stay: 09/29/11 Review Submitted: 10/04/11

Would recommend. Staff is accomodating. Views are spectacular. Carpet needs replaced. I am a nitpicker, so my rating of good would probably be excellent for most people.

Recommended for:Girls getaway, families with teenagers, tourists without a car, families with young children, sightseeing, age 55+.

A View To Die For

Guest: Andy and family (Toronto, Ontario)
Date of Stay: 08/30/11 Review Submitted: 09/02/11

Absolutely fantastic panoramic views from atop this 55th and 56th floor penthouse in the heart of Chicago. All aspects of our stay were tended to with the utmost of professionalism with that little something extra to know you are not just a number. Jim and Jeri-Lou outdid themselves with every little detail of this wonderfully appointed condo. Top-drawer service and accommodations at your fingertips.

Recommended for:Girls getaway, families with teenagers, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing, age 55+.

Girls' Weekend at the Grand Plaza!

Guest: Cleaver Sisters (Erie, PA)
Date of Stay: 08/11/11 Review Submitted: 08/17/11

The Penthouse at Grand Plaza was a perfect place for 8 forty-something women to enjoy a weekend in the heart of downtown Chicago. The view from the 55th floor condo is SPECTACULAR! It is a panoramic view of city with the lake in the background. (Note that you can stand on the balcony, but there is no furniture, nor are you allowed to bring furniture out on it.) The condo provided all that we needed...a furnished kitchen, towels, linens, etc. All of the furniture is tasteful and in good condition. We took advantage of the pool on the 9th floor amenity level. The location was extremely convenient to shopping and restaurants. We walked to Millennium Park and the waterfront. There were separate elevators in the building for the upper level floors - never had to wait long for one. There is a complimentary parking space in the building parking garage as well. The listing states that there are 2.5 baths. I only found 2 full baths...one on the first level and one in the Master bedroom. I believe the owners plan to replace the carpet soon - it was a little weathered. Other than that, the photos accurately reflect the generally good condition of the rental. Lastly, the owners provide VERY detailed information for the renters...extremely helpful. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves...highly recommend!

Recommended for:Girls getaway, tourists without a car.

The Penthouse was wonderful and the views are to die for!!

Guest: Four Amigos from Florida (Jacksonville, FL)
Date of Stay: 06/28/11 Review Submitted: 07/07/11

We would have liked to spend all our time just relaxing in the penthouse taking in the fabulous views. That is not possible in Chicago when there is so much to see and do, it was great to have a wonderful place to come home to after a long day though. We did spend sometime enjoying the penthouse and the view from the balcony every evening of our visit. You have a great view of Chicago fireworks from the balcony if you stay on a night the city is shooting them off on the lake, I think wed and sat nights. It was nice to have everything we needed and not have to buy little things like coffee creamer, sugar, spices, and so on. Jim and Jeri-Lou try to provide all the little things you might forget, right down to q-tips and cotton balls. The beds were comfy and the furnishings were lovely, nice decorating throughout almost makes it feel like home. I would highly recommend the penthouse at the Grand Plaza to anyone staying in Chicago. The location is the best in town, best shopping and dining, also centrally located to get anywhere you need to go in Chicago. Thank you for a wonderful stay at the penthouse Jim and JL. Next time I am in town I hope to stay again, my only regret is we could not have it for our entire trip, it was worth moving in the middle of our trip to be able to stay for the four days we could get it. The only way to stay in Chicago is the penthouse at the Grand Plaza!!! :)

Recommended for:Girls getaway, families with teenagers, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, adventure seekers, families with young children, sightseeing, age 55+.

Grand Plaza Penthouse

Guest: Pat (Lexington, KY)
Date of Stay: 07/02/11 Review Submitted: 07/06/11

Our stay was for 4 days. The pictures look good on the internet, however, it was taken with a very wide angled lens. The view is beautiful from the unit. After we booked the penthouse, the female owner of the unit called us several times prior to our trip and reviewed in detail the condo "rules". On one conversation, she kept us on the phone for 45 minutes reviewing the rules. She did not ask if we had 45 minutes to talk on the phone and very much interrupted our day to review what was sent to us via email. When we entered the unit, due to the intensity of the rules given to us, we thought the penthouse would be immaculate. It was not. The carpet was dirty, the shades did not work properly (which caused the penthouse to be excessively warm in the morning), and there were marks on the walls throughout the condo. In other words, with all the nagging rules and regulations that had to be reviewed both verbally and written by the owner, this was not an upscale rental unit. We felted compelled to photograph inperfections so that we would not be accused of damage. Additionally, the owner called us during our stay so that she could come to the rental unit and drop off some cleaning supplies! I found for the amount of money we spent, we could not relax. The unit was hot due to insufficient blinds. The blinds there were in very poor shape.The cords were freyed and we were afraid they would break on us and we would be responsible for them! There was a pool, however, on the weekend we stayed there, the pool was so crowded with young beautiful singles that our children or adults could not enter the pool. Even though this rental "looks" enticing, I recommend that you keep looking!!! The unit was clean but definitely not fancy. The fold out sofa bed was an air mattress and had a hole in it so it deflated over night. There were very many restaurants around. The owner was overly helpful answering questions and she invaded our privacy by coming by our rental during our stay. Chicago is a wonderful place with an excessive amount of activities to do.

Owner response:I usually do not respond to our guests reviews, however due to the comments left I feel we have been misrepresented. The people that left this review were non-paying guests of someone else. We have installed new carpet throughout this unit as of August 2011. The shades work just fine (if you know how to operate shades). The sofa bed is fully functional and works just fine. We do have a few rules (non-smoking, no pets). I guess there are some people that will never be pleased.

Recommended for:Sightseeing.

Perfect for our stay in Chicago

Guest: Anna (Long Beach)
Date of Stay: 06/15/11 Review Submitted: 06/26/11

Our family had a great time staying downtown Chicago and enjoying a Northwestern graduation. Lots of space for our family and enjoyed the view immensely. Plenty of space for everyone-enjoyed the deck outlook and the amenities of the building. Parking was easy-and convenient. Looking forward to another visit someday.

Recommended for:Girls getaway, families with teenagers, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, families with young children, sightseeing, age 55+.

John & Alice ( Connecticut)

Guest: Alice (Connecticut)
Date of Stay: 04/19/11 Review Submitted: 05/01/11

This is a stunning condo! A great location with gorgeous views makes for a wonderful experience. The condo is clean, well maintained and extremely spacious. You immediately feel at home and everything you need is provided. The owner are very helpful and ensure that you have all the information you require to have a relaxing stay. We can't wait to return!

Recommended for:Girls getaway, families with teenagers, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, families with young children, sightseeing, age 55+.

Great week!

Guest: Family vacation (Syracuse, NY)
Date of Stay: 04/17/11 Review Submitted: 05/01/11

We arrived by car on a Sunday. The check-in process was exactly as advertised. The parking garage was convenient; although it was tight we maneuvered our Chevy Suburban in and out on a daily basis. We left the following Saturday. The check-out process was equally smooth. The apartment was spectacular: spacious and comfortable inside, amazing views outside. We had plenty of room for eight people. Everybody enjoyed it immensely. The kitchen is fully equipped and the dining room table accommodated all of us. The provided linens and towels were designer-quality. The amenities of the building were great too. There is a Jewel-Osco grocery on the first floor (not to mention a Trader Joe's two blocks away). The exercise facility and the business center on the ninth floor also came in handy. The building location really is ideal. Many fine restaurants are in the immediate vicinity; we especially enjoyed Weber's Grill right across the street. Michigan Ave. is three blocks away. A CTA Red Line stop is at the foot of the building. We drove to the Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium and Art Institute without difficulty. We unreservedly recommend this property and we hope to return ourselves. In spite of some inclement April weather we had a great week!

Recommended for:Girls getaway, families with teenagers, tourists without a car, families with young children, sightseeing.