This was quite the hopping place for NYE! Good bar atmosphere - although it got kinda crazy late at night. Great room with a beautiful view of the Chicago skyline. They even gave us a gift bag with water, a disposable camera and some goodies when we checked in!

I booked our stay at the W Lakeshore due to the great value on a city view room. When I made the reservation, we had decided we did not need to rent a car for this trip. Unfortunately, that changed as soon as I hit submit, as our ride for the weekend was in a fender bender and could not provide any transportation. Normally this would not be a problem, until I saw the price for parking at the W Chicago Lakeshore - $55 per night! Insane! Add to that the valets did not provide a permanent car tag for the stay. Upon each arrival, we had to get a new tag, provide our name, etc. and were reminded of the fee with large numbers printed on the face of the tag - $55 - as if we did not remember.

The room left me puzzled. I have never experienced a bathroom quite so.....open. A window from the bathroom that opens into the bedroom? Really? What exactly is the point? The shower itself also had no door - or curtain, or anything else to prevent the water from spilling out onto the floor. Each day, the shower was the most unpleasant, cold experience of my life.

On to the bed....extremely high off the ground....and hard. Absolutely nothing heavenly about this bed.

Positives: the hotel was decorated in true W style - modern and contemporary with great lighting and funky furniture.

Cons: bathroom configuration is odd and uncomfortable, bed was uncomfortable, shower was unpleasant, valet parking was a huge ripoff. The location was ok for walking so if you do not need to leave the immediate area, skip the rental car and save the $55.

On another note, Wave, the restaurant was pretty good. The first night there our food was phenomenal. We treated daughter and her bf to dinner another night and it was only average that night. So, hit or miss. But the decor was a hit with 20-somethings.

IMPORTANT NOTE: when using the public restroom in the lobby - there are 2 way mirrors. YOU CAN SEE INTO THE MENS ROOM AND THEY CAN SEE YOU. Only at the sink, but somewhat disturbing all the same.

I am a frequent W visitor....just will not add this one to my list of faves.

Stayed here for two nights in January for pleasure. The staff was very good, service was as expected for a W,speedy check-in/out, every question was answered immediately. Breakfast here was not great, poor value. The room had a comfortable bed, very dark at night, easy to get a good sleep. However, things seem to be a little worn out, it looked like a renovation job rather than a modern hotel designed as such. Bathrooms were not really modern at all. Rooms were poorly soundproofed, but thankfully our neighbors were quiet at night.

We spent two nights at the W Chicago Lakeshore and I cannot say enough about every aspect of this property. I have stayed at many downtown Chicago hotels, and this one ranks among the best. Everyone we dealt with was pleasant, friendly and helpful from the concierge to front desk to housekeeping. The only slight disappointment was the Whiskey Bar on the top floor; while I had no complaints, I expected a bit more. We enjoyed the lobby bar much more. The comfort of the room was phenomenal; exceptional view of Lake Michigan and Navy Pier. I must agree with another review I read prior to my trip - the Oriental bathroom door and shuttered window into the bedroom area is a bit odd, but we got used to it. My theory is that this dissipates the shower steam. As a swimmer, I appreciated the large indoor pool and the generous hours it is open. Would definitely stay at the W again.