Raffaello Hotel Review

Excellent service, fantastic rooms, great location and the rooftop is really unique

For a 4 star hotel they are lucky I'm giving them 3 star rating. Room was ok. The kitchenette had no coffeemaker the microwave was dirty, and someone who had stayed before us had left their food in there. Still there when we got our room. GROSS!!!! But beds were comfortable.

No refrigerator, no coffee maker, no complimentary water, no ironing board, no room service, no makeup counter

There is no possibility to have breakfast, only with room service, rather large rooms the bathroom is small

Very nice spacious rooms, great showers. Pretty cramped elevators and there's only two of them, just a heads up.

Very bad experience it was not hotel it was very old building no facilities room clining coast 50 $ per day the sink was broken it was nightmare the coast per day expensive
Booking. Com should remove it from their website as 4 stars hotel
Because it is not anymore hotel
Very bad experience

Room was spacious and clean. Staff polite. Doorman super friendly!

I had a good time at Raffaello Hotel its low keys and down the street from the mall

The staff is extremely nice and the room was very well maintained. Its in a great location for tourists if you want to see some landmarks or just go shopping. If you don't mind the walk it's about half an hour to Navy Pier, Millennium Park, and Lincoln Park. It's also less than a block from the 360 Chicago Observation Deck. Don't forget to grab a donut from Glazed and Infused right downstairs and a drink at Drumbar on the rooftop.

We had international friends stay for a week. They spoke highly of the room and the dining accommodations were up to their stsndards.

*****6/15 update*****
review pending due to being contacted by the property and offered amenable solutions to the issue; however, I will leave up part of the original review until we actually see the room; at which time, I will update with our experience

***** original review
I booked a Junior Suite at this location, for my birthday right after Memorial day... being tempted by their fair prices ($130-150/nt for a suite room $99 standard room) & great location (just off Water Tower Place).
However, we almost immediately regretted staying at the Rafaelleo Hotel.
The lobby was TINY- with room for about 5 guests in total. It seemed as if yhe lobby was designed to get people to leave. Then the elevator was less than 5' sq ft of space. It was like a "half-elevator". It only fit 2 people (without luggage).
We get up to our "suite room" and are immediately blasted with musty, humid, hot air. There have some sort of central air system versus pretty much every other hotel on earth that has individual air/heating units.
Called down to desk and we attempted several fixes, Needless to say, the "central air" did NOT work. The room was very hot for the entirety of the stay.
Also, there are no bathtubs/or even jacuzzi tubs in the entire hotel, including the Grand Suite.
The Junior Suite bathroom was very small and uncomfortable; just like the rest of the room. The sink drain was partially clogged. And when one of us took a shower around 2AM, there was no hot water available, called down to the desk again and was told the night mechanic was off-duty that day.
Not to mention how DIRTY the rooms were... there was dust all over plus the walls had discoloration and clearly hadn't been updated in YEARS.
The only way to cool down the room was to leave the windows open... so we were greeted with loud traffic honking away at dawn!
The Valet was expensive, $65 a night, and in order to self-park you had to walk all the way down the block to a public garage and it still cost $40/day.

When asked where we should go, since everything at the Rafaelleo was closed the Valet suggested the Knickerbocker Hotel just a block away- which was funny because the Knickerbocker ended up being a beautiful place and their rooms were CHEAPER than the Rafaelleo!

The Raffaello was in a good location and had quality service

Clean room, great location. Slow elevators, terrible smelling soap/hair products (GUYandGIRL brand smelled like lemonade- luckily I had some old Hampton inn stuff at bottom of travel bag)

We stayed in one of a block of rooms reserved for a wedding. The stay was perfect! The hotel is in beautiful condition. The room was very comfortable. Its suite setup allowed us to spread out comfortably whether we were watching tv, enjoying a beverage, or sleeping. The fitness center allowed a good workout. The lobby was comfortable and made...

Elevator is the slowest and smallest in Chicagoland. Well it feels that way to me anyway.

I have stayed in many hotels from California to New York ... this hotel was endearing and had personality but I would like to say for the 360 some dollars I spent to stay here for 1 evening (while working ) I was not happy nor was I comfortable! I was greeted by a pile of ants in the bathroom and after my shower I almost fell down because the entire bathroom was so slick , no exhaust fan no shower curtain so there was water flowing over the entire floor and the bed was seriously the most uncomfortable bed I have EVER slept in in my entire life !!!! I have worked in places all over the entire United States and this was seriously close to the worst . I NEVER write reviews but I cannot believe the amount of money I spent on this hotel and the serious lack of convenience or cleanliness was horrific.

NOT FOR BUSINESS TRAVELERS

NOT FOR WOMEN WHO WEARS MAKEUP AND DOES HER HAIR

Cute refurb on an old building but the money is in the common spaces and not in the rooms.

Tissue paper for blankets
Zero counter space for makeup
Zero space on shelves
The worst blow dryer
ZERO COFFEE in room
Coffee shop not opened in am
Elevators so small they are too packed to get down at 630 am
Human hair all over the shower
Lumpy mattress
Cheap soap on sheets that sinks
Dirty carpets

And all for 1300 bucks for 3 nights.

The heating system never got above 70 degrees even though we turned up. It definitely put a damper on my stay, but other than that the hotel was nice. And centrally located. I would recommend, just maybe not during the Chicago fall or winter.

I was not very happy with the room. The windows were filthy and I could barely see out to the city! It was pretty drab.

We've stayed at the Raffaello Chicago twice now for weekends in the city and both experiences were wonderful. The staff was accomodating and welcoming, the room was clean and felt luxurious, an amazing view of the Hancock Center and the lake, the location was perfect for a walk down Michigan Avenue, the rooftop bar was to die for, and for a reasonable rate, especially during the off-season(January-March). It's understated luxury keeps us coming back!

good location but the rooms and furniture are rundown. Furthermore, we didn't get the room we booked. The staff was not very cooperative to help us. We were only helped after several interventions.

Great place for a weekend getaway. Smaller room, but tastefully maintained. Elevator wait times can lead to issues when conducting business in town. Once I adjusted my leave times, all worked out great.

Amazing location in downtown Chicago. Knowledgeable staff that was helpful and well decorated, clean rooms. Great views of downtown Chicago and next door to the John Hancock building. Close to several restaurants and shopping boutiques. Affordable prices with all the amenities you could ask for. Will suggest it to other travelers and will be repeating a visit here in the future.

We had a great time. The room was clean, but if you have a decent sized family or lots of luggage know that the elevators are small.

Top notch with tons of secret hidden charm. Definitely shouting its praises from the rooftop.

The location is very convenient but the hotel facilities and service is not sufficient for an hotel of this level. Rooms are rather small and it was nor possible to regulate the temperature. It was pretty clean.

Best location near everything. Delicious bar with large terrace at the top.

Excellent hotel for the price we paid for. Great location. Fast check in. No much staff but very efficient. You can park opposite to this hotel for 36 Usd / 24 hours. Expensive but Chicago is a very expensive city. Views are from the 17th floors.

Great sized rooms. Staff was as expected. Parking not included unless paid for separately. Personally though the beds were hard and uncomfortable. Expect to pay if you want to eat or drink hotel providings.

No major complaints, nothing major to brag about.

Tip: book on their website for best value.

Mid-range 3-star hotel in an excellent location, close to the magnificent mile and 360 chicago. One vote less because we were charged for the card even though it had already been paid in advance.

Clean, Friendly Staff, Perfect location in the city. Walking distance to the Navy Pier, Magnificent Mile and Millenial Park.

Near John Hancock Center, very clean, nice room. We reserved a room with King bed, which is what we got upon arrival. Very quiet. Comfy bed with nice pillows and very soft linens. Staff is very friendly. Downfalls are: no parking (very expensive valet @ $67/night and area parking - also pricey $30-$60/24 hours), no breakfast of any kind included. There is a little coffee/donut shop with some fantastic looking donuts in the lobby area though. In spite of this, we'd probably stay here again.

It was so good fancy and calm inviroment cost some money but very worth the stay comfy beds and exelent wifi

Not impressed at all. Rooms were large but not very clean. Old, dirty carpet with stains all over. The view was blocked by all the furniture as well. There are no coffee makers in the rooms. The beds are tiny as well. We got a double room and the beds were smaller than full sized. I would say like a twin XL maybe. In addition, the beds were not comfortable. Woke up each morning with an aching back. Pillows were tiny too. Also, their website says they provide robes for each guest. Not true. No robes at all. The elevators are TINY and during peak times you may have to wait for several elevators because only 3-6 people, depending on the luggage, can fit in the elevator at once. Parking is ridiculously expensive. $70/night for Valet. The hotel lobby is small so people checking in run in to the people waiting for the elevators. It was a cluster when we arrived. The website also mentions a rooftop terrace which was not accessible unless you go through the bar. Our 15 yr old daughter was disappointed because she couldn t go through the bar to visit the rooftop terrace. The only good thing about this hotel is the location. I would recommend the Westin or Hilton.

This hotel is in a great location - right next to the Hancock building, close to shopping and just a few blocks from the red line. The bed was extremely comfortable and the room was nicely appointed, although the carpet was a bit shaggy and dingy. I stayed at the Raffaello in May and the weather was cold and hot. The hotel controls whether the heat or AC is on, so be mindful that the thermostat may only blow out hot air if you're there during a random hot day and need AC. All of the staff were friendly, but not knowledgeable of hours and menus when asking about local places for a late bite to eat. I recommend the Southern Cut restaurant across the street if you want a late bite. Everything we ordered was incredible*. See my Southern Cut Barbecue review next.
There is a donut shop downstairs and a bar that I did not get to see on the 18th floor. In the afternoon there is infused water in the lobby.
I hope to stay here again soon!

The staff is very nice and attentive. The location is nice, with a great view and close parking.

Little gem in downtown Chicago. Very reasonably priced room for downtown Chicago.

Nice hotel and we had a quick check in. Did not anticipate 70.00 for valet parking (read it was less inline).

Amazing place, great accomodations, wonderful staff!!!

I booked a two- double bed room. Our stay was for 4 including my 1 year old grandaughter. I checked in around 8pm. I was offer a an upgrade to a King suite with a rollaway bed at no extra cost. We we were all tired and cold as we had spent all day walking around Michigan ave. We took the "upgrade," we were excited. However, that was short lived. The elevators are not stroller friendly;they are so small! The room they upgraded us to, room 210 was all the way in the back, ok no biggie. When we went inside the room, it looked nice (except the big stain on the carpet). The suite was cold, so I canked the heat up. My family and I were super tired so we sat down to relax before heading to bed. A few minutes in the room someone knocked on the door and as my daughter walks to get the door, a staff from the hotel opens the door and walks inside. We were all surprised and scared but he said he was checking the heat. He walked througout the suite and then tells us he will turn the boiler up then leaves. We immediately locked the door. Besides the scare other cons: There was no vending machine on site. The headboard of the bed was damaged and looked very tacky, the room did not really get warm;the heater blew warm air. lose screws on a electrical box that clearly stated "Do not open", there were blow up beds in the closet. The front desk staff seem cold not very welcoming. I am extremely dissapointed with whole experience. we were so tired and just wanted to sleep that I didn not complain. As soon as I woke up, we got.our stuff and could not wait to leave.
I will not be booking with them again. Honestly, I felt insulted that they gave me the room they did.

Bed was very comfy and room was cozy. Didn't realize the louvers for the HVAC were closed until we were about to leave, so it never seemed to cool down. Alex (Valet/Bellhop) was amazing!! Recommended several spots we wouldn't have gone to but glad we did.

Clean, spacious rooms (stayed in the deluxe suite), friendly staff, amazing location, and an overall great price. Would recommend to anyone. We had a really pleasant stay!

Cheap room. Parking cost me half of what the room did.

We had a few drinks at the rooftop bar. I would definitely recommend going there. The drinks were great and the view was amazing.

Very good location The rooms are fine. They have a roof terrace with a perfect bar to have a quiet drink.

Really nice hotel, located one block off Michigan Ave/Magnificent Mile. Service desk personnel were always helpful. My room was right next to John Hancock Center, so the view was great! The only downsides are the old carpets and no complimentary wifi on the room (but it's free at the lobby, so that wasn't much of a problem after all).

Rooms are great and the price is right. The staff and services available when you want it is horrible. Staff at the bar for entry on the 18th floor, I would fire in seconds and I own 2 business's.

Beware of lack of WiFi on higher floors. I was pleasantly surprised at a great deal I found on a room at Raffaello, but I quickly realised why they must be selling them off... I was put in a room quite high up in the hotel, and found that the WiFi was non-existent (it appeared, but was so weak that I couldn't connect on any of my devices). I had some time-sensitive work to do during my stay, so I called down to reception - he was polite and apologised, but he couldn't offer me a solution except for me trying to connect again. I tried restarting everything, re-connecting etc. over a number of hours, and even the next morning it was still impossible to use. I went down to reception and explained that I really needed to do work, but they still couldn't offer me a solution, except for working in the common 'business center' area within the hotel. The work I needed to do was with people based in the UK (including conference calls overnight on Chicago time), and at 4am I really didn't want to have to get dressed, leave my room, take my laptop and go to a different floor. I really shouldn't have to do that when I've booked the room on the promise of having internet IN my room. I double-checked my booking confirmation - it said 'free high-speed WiFi' in no uncertain terms.
I raised my issue for a second time with reception, who again were polite, and this time offered for me to change to a room 7 floors below (I'm not sure why they didn't offer this the first night). The WiFi was much better further down in the building, and reception seemed to know that this would be the case, so I have a feeling they were/are selling rooms for much cheaper knowing that the WiFi doesn't work in the much higher floors. It really ruined what could've been an amazing experience at such a beautiful hotel. I should've been able to get my work done and enjoy the gorgeous city, but instead I was stressed out at missing my work responsibilities, and I missed a work deadline because of it.
To note, everything else in the hotel was great - the whiskey bar on the top floor is exceptional, rooms were clean and location is fantastic. I was sad that the donut bar had disappeared though!

Great area of town, cans always available service at the hotel was food and our room was beautiful.

The hotel is beautiful and in a nice location, but there are things to note, in my opinion. The staff is exceptional. Extra security by requiring a card for elevator use. Cleanliness is good. Drawbacks were: we arrived around 11pm, with carry out food, no drinks. There are no non-alcoholic drinks to be found. The store across the street was closed. My kids drank water from the bathroom sink:( Our room was oddly arranged where it was difficult to see the TV from one bed. The heat and air cannot be controlled entirely by your room. We spent the first night miserable from being hot and the room stuffy. I called the desk in the morning to request a room change, but found out the building heat was on therefore we couldn't cool our room, but we could open a window. This helped, until the rain started. The double beds are very small. I'm average and my daughter is a small teen, and we were cramped. The shower is decent, but not much pressure, more of a rainfall head. The parking is a costly nightmare! Valet with them is $68/night, or you can walk a couple of blocks and use a valet garage for $38/night. I did this the first night. We waited for our car for over 45 minutes the next morning. Chose the more expensive option the second night. It was nice, just expensive in my opinion. Please just be aware of all parking in Chicago. I spent about $450 in 3 days between the rental and parking fees. I definitely recommend buses, taxis or ubers. Most disappointing was the rooftop...one of the main reasons I booked here...I never saw it. Having kids I didn't want to go up late during "bar hours" and it was locked in the mornings when we'd imagined going up for breakfast. I never saw posted hours either. We gave up after several attempts.

There was bed bugs on my bed (room 911).. recently stayed at the rafaello this past weekend 7/12 - 7/15 when I brought this issue to the hotel front office (with pictures of the bed bug bites on my thigh and shoulder) they moved me to a room with a shot ac unit (room 1107) for the final night.. after they had the room inspected the manager claimed the inspection came back negative and I could have had an allergic reaction to the detergent on the sheets or gotten bit somewhere outside of the hotel. That s impossible because I have NO ALLERGIES and I wear pants when I m out (pants that cover my thighs) .. I woke up on the 14th of July with 12+ BED BUG BITES on my left thigh and 4 BED BUG BITES on my left shoulder. They also rented the room out to another poor customer that same day! The Rafaello Hotel claimed no liability and showed NO CONSIDERATION WHATSOEVER. 1 star

Fantastic location, rooms were decent size, rooftop bar was nice, view could have been better (overlooking some apartment buildings)

Right now because of the pandemic they are practically giving away free rooms!

The Raffaello is not a terrible hotel.

The gym (pictured), while small, gets the job done. It has an elliptical, a recumbent bike, a few treadmills, a dual pulley station w/ a pull-up bar, two benches and free weights up to 50lbs.

The ceiling in the gym is low, the tv isn't connected to cable and, for some reason, the water cooler wasn't plugged in when I used it on my first day.

The refrigerator in my room is 1/4 size larger than the standard issue fridge. It is my understanding that not all rooms have refrigerators and that they are in the process of removing them from several of the rooms.

The actual room was nice. Spacious. The heat in my room (room 508) didn't work. When I switched the unit from cool to heat, the unit still pushed out cooled air.



The street facing windows in my room were covered in soot. Not that my room has a view, but it would be nice for there to have been fewer layers of dirt.

The shower in the bathroom has a single immobile pane of glass that covers half of the opening. Even if one only uses the vertical overhead showerhead, water will still spill out of the shower. For those unaccustomed to using handheld showerheads, water will absolutely spray out of the shower and lead to slippery conditions on the tile floor.

The rooms are well lit. Most of the lights must be turned on locally - which is both a plus and a minus. Plus bc you know how to turn on the lights you need, negative because you've got to put in a lot of effort to get all the lights on that you need.

Outlet coverage in the rooms is excellent. They even have dedicated USB ports next to the bed.

The staff were nice and friendly. Everyone.

Directly across the street from the Rafaello is a well-stocked and surprisingly large grocery store.

Staff very helpful, especially David on the door! Bed very comfortable, would definitely return.

Pretty nice. A little dated and beat up but pretty clean. Staff is nice.

Room accommodations were were and staff cordial. Unfortunately their rooftop Dream Bar's roof was not open

Central to everything downtown Chicago. Rooftop bar. Very reasonable rates. Room clean and updated. Elevators a little slow.

Very clean
Nicely decorated
Comfortable
Friendly people
Comfortable bed
Plush towels
Spacious
Well located

A true gem, this place, in the heart of downtown Chicago! The room refrigerator is an usual bargain. Other hotels should take note!

Excellent place to stay while in Chicago! We got a free upgrade to an executive suite for all the 11 days we stayed there. The room service is excellent and very very very clean!

This place is a DUMP! Do not stay here. Rude employees, unwilling to help, that is if you can find them. Usually no one is at the front desk.
Carpets in room are disgusting. Ceiling is water stained, cracked and peeling. Room was too hot even with heat turned off.

If you want to spend a lot of money on low maintenance and a wrecked room, then you are in the right place. The hotel had certainly its good times, but probably more than 80 years ago. At check out I was yelled out by an older lady from the service because I had dared to ask if my name on the bill could be spelled correctly. And this for $ 250 a night, no one needs that! The good thing about the hotel is a working Wi-Fi. Otherwise I can not think of anything positive. Never again!

Customer service was inflexible and not accommodating. They refused to help me schedule a taxi for my colleague, who was in the US from another country, for his 4:30 am ride to the airport. Kept insisting that he had to come down early that morning or call down. When I noted that I was calling on his behalf because he's a foreigner, they still refused to help. These are the kinds of things that demarcate fantastic hotels from mediocre ones.

Staff was friendly But there was big management issues. Our bathroom lock was broken and we complained about it. Answer was they cannot do anything about that on that day and funny thing was that the person who came to our room to check that door told us that If someone is in the bathroom then don't go - Simple ? They said themselves 4 star amenity. But very much disappointed with this.

Good location, comfortable well appointed rooms. I enjoyed my brief stay in Chicago and Raffaello Hotel was a great base.

Location is great, short walk to most things. Room was on the smaller side, but made up for it in cleanliness and price. The room heating is not working properly, but most other utilities and services are great. Staff are always friendly.

Very overpriced for the quality of room. I walked into my room and first thing I noticed was the smell of mildew then looked at the carpet which was filthy. The toilet paper holder that is behind the bathroom door is loose and coming off of the wall and the floor in the room is uneven and is creaky. There is mold in the shower as well. Not worth $380.00 a night.

1 star for excellent location. Rooms are hot when it s unseasonably warm out & air conditioning doesn t work. Walls are paper thin so you get to listen to the neighbors EVERY word. WiFi is non-existent...stay elsewhere

King size Business suite. Loved it very comfy beds;nice staff. Showers are weird but they'll work.

One star says it all.
Glad we checked in for a day only so we can get a better one the next day.
We got a suite room booked and as we entered it was smelling of smoke. Complaint at reception and they changed the room.
The second room was ok, but now the AC Unit was not working. It was about 9pm and they sent a technician in. He drilled in the ac outlet to check and woke up my toddler. Fixed the AC leaving us with a crying toddler in middle of night. Furthermore the bathroom plumbing is bad with water dripping whole night and in the morning when we got up the whole carpet is wet!!! This is a big hygiene concern.
Also- they were not able to put the crib together the first time and then got another crib.
Certainly not worth the money/hassle for your family.Thanks.

Great location by the Lake and the Hancock, but it's a bit pricy for some of the lackluster hotel amenities you get.

our room was an absolute nightmare. We got almost no sleep because the hotel is kept so hot. When you ask why you can t have ac they give you a really cheapskate reason that they re a historic hotel. But you still took my present day money, so give me present day features.

Nice, clean and luxury rooms. DrumBar on the roof is kind of expensive and Hotel is very close to down town thru red line subway or walking a few minutes. Great place to stay.

The details: had a deluxe suite for 3 nights. Room already had a fridge.

Plusses: overall size, kitchenette, roomy bath, nice shower, double sinks, great location for shopping, Hancock, Navy Pier, and LSD; nice TP and real tissues, and many windows.

Minuses: VERY hard bed (and it was sagging in the middle). Housekeeping left a sink full of dirty water in the bath for us on day 2. They also failed to notice an open window from previous guests (see below). Poor ventilation with A/C. Drapes had several missing pull bars and even when closed, they didn't cover all the gaps. Wi-Fi was sketchy at best and wasn't secure. TV in bedroom couldn't even get all the channels due to poor reception. Lastly, no coffee makers in the room. This was a shock.
Overall: Individually, save for the horribly hard mattress, none of these were deal-killers per se, but altogether, they were a big wet blanket on our stay. Room size is nice albeit narrow. Makes navigating difficult when the sofa bed is out. In the bedroom, first night on a bathroom run, I smashed my toes on the ottoman which extends over halfway into/across the room. An odd layout. On our last/3rd night we discovered why the A/C was struggling so much to cool/de-humidify. The prior guests had left a window open about 6" and the housekeeping didn't notice it (and close it). Also, on that note, the windows were absolutely FILTHY. Others have noted the elevator challenges; we had those too. Shout-out to bellhop Alex(ei). He was friendly, helpful, and sincere. Best aspect of the people part. Rooftop bar is a nice amenity; and we were looking forward to experiencing it. Alas, it wasn't open during our stay (Mon-Thu). This should be communicated more clearly on the website. A solid '3' but I could've easily gone '2'.

Excellent location! The staff is very friendly and attentive, rooms clean and with a good bathroom. I think you need the option of breakfast included !. They have to visit the bar that is on the top floor since it has a very nice atmosphere and a good view of the city