Hotel Lincoln

Room was beautifully updated. Had ample mirrors and outlets for my 2 friends and I to get ready for a concert at the Aragon Ballroom. Beds were very comfortable. Staff was very friendly and knowledgeable. Checking in and out was very simple and easy. Definitely will be staying here again.

We have been staying here yearly since 1990. Sometimes I wonder if nothing has changed - yet - if you get a cozy room or suite with updated carpeting and homey art and a lake view PERFECT! But if not you might get a “modern” room with the ambiance of a towable trailer. What the place lacks occasionally will be tolerated for the location and access to recreation, the zoo, the beaches, Michigan Ave, Old Town, dining, entertainment etc. My suggestion if updating is the plans would be to not go all out sterile modern. The best rooms in this place have an understated elegance and comfortableness. If all modern plain sterile rooms I’m moving on to another hotel.

Location

Location, coffee shop and restaurant!

It was in the quieter side. I got 2 free drink tickets for the coffee shop or bar on the rooftop.

It was nice and central and close to the park and the Michigan river. The upgraded room is a MUST, my rating is only on the upgraded room not the first room.
The room was very spacious, very clean and I loved my time there.

Top

Good lightong and modern decor

Perfect location to visit family who lived in Old Town, parking available right across the street, able to walk safely everywhere I needed to.

I am not a person that often complains or leaves negative reviews, however, this was truly one of the biggest nightmares and headaches. I originally booked for specific dates to attend my friend‘s wedding. I was traveling out of town, which is already a stressful enough experience. When my friend sent me a confirmation Excel, I noticed that the dates of my stay were incorrect. I emailed the contact twice and called the person three times that my friend gave me as a direct report. The person never responded to me, even though I was making attempts to contact them months in advanced. Due to that person not responding I contacted the customer service line, which, if you’re not familiar with this, they do not work directly at hotel which makes this process even more complicated. Once I got a hold of the representative from customer service, I asked them to review the dates I booked. They originally confirmed the dates that I made based on my reservation code so I thought that I was good to go. Then my friend sent me another email stating the incorrect dates that she had listed confirmed by a person who works at the hotel. Ithen contacted the customer service line again in that time they told me the dates had changed and we’re in the incorrect dates. I then asked them to change it back and they sent me a confirmation email and told me the reservation should be fixed. Again, I did all of this months before the trip. Now it was time for the wedding and the morning after the incorrect date, I checked my card statement and noticed that there was a no-show fee and the full rate of stayingat the hotel charged to my card. I then contacted customer service who tried to connect me directly to the hotel and after three attempts oftrying to call them, nobody answered. I was unable to leave a voicemail so my call could not go through. When I arrived to the hotel, I did confront them in person, and I will say the two gentlemen working the front desk were extremely understanding and did give me a full refund from the day that I did not stay there. They had me in their system with the incorrect dates, even though I received a confirmation email and pulled up my reservation number to prove the dates that I had that were correct. The hotel room that we stayed in was extremely dirty. There were stains on the bed and you could tell that it had not been cleaned due to garbage from previous people left behind. The bathroom door was broken, the shower pressure was ridiculous and would flood the bathroom, and the shower drain did not work meaning all of the water stayed in the tub while you showered. The room itself was extremely outdated however it was spacious. There is also no fridge or microwave in the room. I would not recommend this hotel to anyone and again I am not a person who frequently complains and I am a pretty low maintenance person. I understand how difficult service workers job is, however, the organization and miscommunication was ridiculous.

Room was nothing like advertised, white walls and very bare. Nothing hung on walls, thermostat not connected and heating/cooling unit had one speed which was full blast until unit was unplugged from outlet. No light fixtures on ceiling in room, empty electrical boxes but no light fixtures. Lobby was unimpressive and looked very worn and old. Reserved “lake view” room but all we could see from the 11th floor room was a fire escape and brick wall. Definitely NOT a Hyatt property, very disappointing.

The upgraded room was 100% with the money. Clean and big

The location of Hotel Lincoln is great and very convenient if you want to be near Lincoln Park and explore that area of Chicago. However, there were a few things during our stay that could definitely be improved.

Parking information was very unclear. I called ahead for assistance and the phone system’s option for parking help didn’t connect to anyone. When I was transferred to the front desk, the phone rang repeatedly without being answered. I ended up briefly stopping in front of the building and going inside to ask in person. While my partner was still trying to reach the front desk by phone, the front desk attendant was sitting there with headphones on and the phone ringing. Once I spoke with her directly she was friendly and explained where to park, but it took much more effort than it should have to get that information. There was also no valet attendant present when we arrived, which added to the confusion.

Parking ended up costing about $80 for two days. That’s somewhat expected for Chicago, but it didn’t seem like the lot was owned by the hotel. I was also surprised by a $15/day amenity fee that is billed at checkout. This wasn’t mentioned at check-in and I wasn’t told what amenities it covered.

The room itself was smaller than I expected. I had booked a “park view,” but the view was mostly a busy intersection with Lincoln Park visible in the distance. The building also felt older than I anticipated. The room didn’t look visibly dirty, but it also didn’t feel particularly clean or fresh.

Overall, the hotel has a great location and the staff we spoke with in person were friendly, but clearer communication about parking, better phone responsiveness, and more transparency about fees would have made the experience much better.

I rarely write negative reviews, but my stay at Hotel Lincoln (February 28) was disappointing enough that I feel future guests deserve an honest account.

From the moment I arrived, things got off to a rough start. Despite having completed mobile check-in, I waited 10+ minutes in line while a front desk agent stood visibly idle, not helping guests, not signaling availability... while her two colleagues scrambled. It was an odd and frustrating welcome.

Our room was the biggest letdown. It was not clean, not well-maintained, and frankly not what the hotel's website depicts. See photos below.

The next morning, we had coffee with friends who were also staying at the hotel, checking in four hours after us. They had received welcome amenities (coffee vouchers, water bottles) upon arrival. We had received nothing. We later discovered at checkout that we had been charged an amenity fee for those very amenities we never received. A front desk agent acknowledged this and said it would be removed, but it shouldn't have happened at all.

The parking situation was also mishandled. We were told at check-in that the rate would be $35/night. We were charged $88 at checkout with no prior explanation.

To top it off, the same front desk agent who was unhelpful at arrival later pointed me upstairs when I asked where the restroom was — a restroom that was, quite literally, steps away from where I was standing.

I had just signed up for a World of Hyatt rewards membership before this trip. This stay has me seriously reconsidering that. The staff at Elaine's coffee shop and Americano restaurant were fine, no complaints there, but the front desk experience and room quality fell well short of what you'd expect from the Hyatt brand.

I've since followed up with Hyatt's consumer affairs team and hope this gets addressed. Posting here as well so that both the hotel and prospective guests have the full picture.

Very friendly staff, great roof top bar

Great location. Very clean. The staff were extremely friendly and helpful. We may have found a new hotel for our summer trips to the city.