The Renaissance is one of my favorite hotels in downtown Chicago, a city blessed with lots of excellent properties. I have stayed at the Renaissance several times and have never had a bad time here. It is a modern hotel with old-fashioned design values. Therefore the rooms are a bit florid in design, but overall the accommodations are very comfortable with nice amenities. I usually get a room with a large bed, and there is still ample room for a small sofa, coffee table and writing desk. The bathrooms are always well-kept and pleasant without reaching the five-star level of a Four Seasons.
There are touches of marble, a nightlight under the vanity comes on if you have to go pee during the wee hours, and a terry bathrobe to make you feel comfortable. There is an indoor pool, Jacuzzi, and smallish but decent workout room located on the fourth floor.
The elevators are fast and smooth, and an escalator takes you from the lobby to the restaurant on the second floor. Nice decorative touches include colorful murals of blue sky and clouds above the escalator. The service is always amiable without being intrusive, and whenever I check my bag with the front desk I always get it back promptly. The main drawbacks are a totally uninspiring exterior design and its so-so location at the north edge of the Loop.