Hotel Report: Hyatt Regency O'Hare

I got home from NYC/NJ/NC late Thursday night and was dead all day Friday. I even took the afternoon off as sick time so I could sleep. I beat myself up on those trips--no sleep, too much stress, too many things going at once, delayed flights, walking in heels, heavy and awkward bags to lug around. I can't rebound like I used to.

So what am I doing today? Getting up at 4 a.m. to do work I should have done this weekend, high-tailing it to the airport, and landing in Chicago, where I'll spend four days before jetting off to...wait for it...

...it's worth the wait...

...I promise...

Detroit! Can't beat that with a stick, now can you?

And then I come home late (of course) on Friday.

All right, so, since I've checked email and voice mail and already resigned myself to staying up until midnight working, I figured I could at least take the 30 minutes I have before the first of several meetings/schmoozing events this evening to turn in my requisite report on my hotel room.

I am staying at the Hyatt Regency O'Hare. I have stayed at this hotel many times. It is a Hyatt in the classic late '70's/early '80's style, with the atrium effect (rooms on open hallways which overlook a floor to ceiling central atrium with the nifty all glass elevators in the center of the hotel). The last time I stayed here, which was probably almost two years ago, now that I think about it, it was still that drab, crappy brown they decorated everything in back 25 years ago. However, upon entering the lobby this time, I discovered that they've updated the place. Or at least it looked like they had at first. Mostly they just hung creepy, ultra modern new light fixtures and threw some Jetson's-style furniture and frosted glass into the mix. They've also piped in that weird, futuristic Asian-style mood music that I'm certain is sending subliminal messages. I mean, to sum it all up, really, I think the appropriate turn of phrase is, you can put a dress on a pig, but it's still a pig. Still, they tried really hard and paid a lot of money and I really have to applaud them for that. No, really.

Anyhoo, moving on, I'm in room 541. I have a balcony overlooking the portico at the hotel entrance, a parking garage across the street, and the service access to the Rosemont Horizon (or whatever it's called these days). It is gray and snowy here, but the air smells good, which is nice (I know this, as I stood on my balcony for about five seconds before I came inside because I was freezing my ass off). The room itself is okay. The bed looks comfy and the bathroom is nice. The best part (and this is worth an instant 15 point bonus) is that there is a minibar with cashews in it--woohoo! I am eating some now. These are better than the ones at the Renaissance last week, as these are dry roasted and covered in salt. Unfortunately, they have also stocked the bar with Pepsi and Miller products. Boo!! I'm a Coke and Bud girl.

Okay, time's up, off I go to make nice!