I travel to Chicago for work & leisure a few times a year, and have been meaning to try the Swissotel.
I was pretty underwhelmed overall. The room itself was mostly fine, but in general the stay was just OK.
THE RESERVATION: I found a decent rate on TravelZoo and booked it directly on the Swiss website about a month before my stay. I called the day before to confirm, and no one could find any record of my reservation. I even e-mailed my confirmation to the gentleman in reservations, and all he could do (after several calls and him agreeing that their system had simply lost my info) was forward my e-mail to the reservation manager. And when I called the next morning to ensure it had been addressed--guess what--the reservation manager had no idea and I needed to start over with the explainations and fixing. All this, and I was assigned a room with a view of mostly the office building next door. I'd like to think they would have marked my reservation for a better room, given all the hassles.
THE ROOM: My room was comfortable (very good bed linens and towels) and clean. There's an Ipod docking station but I never was able to make it work with my Ipod. The drapes don't block the light, however, so even with a west-facing room it was bright very early in the morning.
THE DINING: I had breakfast in the hotel restaurant and room service. The restaurant was steep, even for a business hotel. Oatmeal/toast/bacon took me close to $40. Room service, however, was prompt and good. I had for a surprisingly large and yummy pizza--there was easily enough for two. I chose chicken/spinach/artichoke and was tickled that I got to relax in my room with a meal ($16 for the pizza) that fit well within my expense report limits.
THE ANNOYANCE: Upon checkout, I asked the concierge about how long the shuttle ride to O'Hare would take. I was shocked at the 90 minute time she quoted--after all, it was early on a Saturday--but she was insisted that was the travel time so I scheduled myself accordingly. As it turned out, it was just under 45 minutes, and I had lots of time to kill at the airport.
THE LOCATION: Overall, the location is just OK--it's walkable to Mag Mile, State Street (just under a mile), theatre district, Navy Pier (again, just under a mile), a nearby movie theater, and restaurants. But unlike other comparable hotels, there aren't delightful restaurants and great shops just outside the door--you'd better wear comfortable shoes at all times.
IN SUM: It was missing the amenities I've come to enoy and expect--turndown, free internet, high quality toiletries--from hotels in this price range. It may be fine for corporate gatherings, but for the independent business traveler or the family on a leisure trip, you can do better. If you just need a place to crash, the Swiss is fine. But if you want to enjoy the hotel and the city, I'd suggest the Omni or the a boutique spot like Monaco or Amalfi for a more enjoyable stay.