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The Fitzpatrick Hotel is Lodging with an Irish Flair
by
Courtney
Caldwell
He
saw castles of silver, surrounded with orchards full of golden apples. Strange
beasts, the likes of which he had never witnessed in Ireland, roamed the fields.
Niamh kissed Oisin and welcomed him to her enchanted land.... To
help bring forth dreams of mighty Irish gods, morphing goddesses and mystical
beasts, the Fitzpatrick Hotel provides a copy of “Ancient Irish Legends,”
a re-telling of some of the best loved and most famous tales of Irish mythology,
in each bedside table for guest’s reading pleasure. And
this how my experience began at the Fitzpatrick Chicago Hotel. There aren’t
too many hotels that inspire a “wow” response as the first word out
of my mouth upon entry. But this time was different. In a recent visit to Chicago
I had the amazing pleasure of staying at the Fitzpatrick, a small European boutique
hotel tucked neatly away from the Windy City’s usual suspects of hotels.
The entrance
was charming and quaint, decorated with authentic Irish memorabilia, and most
impressive -- a sprawling wooden spiral staircase -- led to Fitzer's, an underground
restaurant and pub. There, in a low-ceilinged, shadowy atmosphere, wooden tables
and chairs dotted the cozy room. A traditional Irish bar, boasting a wide selection
of Irish beers, stouts and spirits, seemed the centerpiece of the room with its
rich imported wood panels, beveled glass and specialty concoctions.
If you’ve
never been to Ireland, you didn’t need to close your eyes and click your
heels three times to conjure up a sense of reality. Photos of famed Irish sports
figures, great actors and aristocrats decorated the walls from end to end. You
couldn't leave the restaurant without learning a thing or two about Ireland’s
rich and hearty heritage.
Lunch
was delicious and servings generous. I now wish I had tried the traditional shepherd’s
pie or bacon and cabbage but there was just no room. It was one of those meals
when delivered everyone stops talking and just stares at the portions with their
mouths agape, wondering aloud if they should have shared a meal instead. Doggie
bags were discussed before we even dug in.
By early evening Fitzers transformed into a happy hour gathering. It had an ambiance about it; one that lured you back to drink real Irish beer and mingle with people from around the world in this small intimate setting. The menu offerings created an aromatic splendor that engulfed your senses on descent of the spiral case. Globetrotters huddled near the bar -- spouting unique stories of cultural differences but still sharing a camaraderie that transcended borders and accents.
Fitzpatrick Hotel, having been recently restored, features three penthouses, 100 suites and 40 executive rooms, including the Liam Neeson Penthouse Suite, named after the famed Irish actor. My suite was one of only seven on each floor, which meant there were no long hallways to navigate and no hidden corners or nooks and crannies to worry about. For those with concerns about personal safety at hotels with mile-long corridors, the Fitzpatrick provides peace of mind. There’s a phone in each hall, a security camera, and two elevators, which move quickly to accommodate busy schedules.
Owner John Fitzpatrick took great care to personally select the soft golden color scheme woven nicely into the Irish theme and history that adorned every square foot of the suites, hallways and lobby.
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The penthouse bedroom of the Fitzpatrick Hotel. |
The king suite, which I called home for two days, was unlike most others I’ve experienced. Upon opening the door, I was greeted by a cozy foyer with three stairs that led down into a sunken living room. Among the things you might expect like a couch, chair and coffee table, were a well-equipped desk, a color floor television with Internet access and a game-boy, as well as a closet with a safe for your valuables. And this is just the living room area. It even had its own temperature controls.
A dining table with two chairs was positioned below the foyer entrance with a wrought iron rail dividing the foyer and table, leaving you with a sense of fine dining in an elegant home or fancy restaurant. It made in-rooming dining comfortable and offered a sense of security knowing that room service delivery was literally steps from your door, and not intrusive to your sleeping quarters.
The adjoining bedroom was fully equipped with its own color TV set, plenty of bureau space, and most impressive, a somewhat regal canopy over the head of the bed. But that’s not even the best part. Each mattress in every suite is a Simmons Beauty Rest Felicity Pillow Top. I thought I died and went to heaven sleeping on this mattress. (In fact, I was so impressed that when I returned home, I went straight from the airport to a local furniture store to see if they carried it. I was ready to buy one on the spot, as I hadn’t slept that well in months.)
The suite didn’t end there. Off to the side of the bedroom was another set of stairs leading to another foyer area which contained another closet, a wet bar with refrigerator and sink, a second chest of drawers, and finally, the bathroom. It took two days to figure out where everything was because there was just so much to explore. It was easy to picture myself living here.
Of particular notice was the attention to detail in the bathroom, and on the desk. It was clear that management put a great deal of time and thought into what travelers want and need on the road.
Not only did the bathroom offer the usual amenities of shampoo and hand lotion, but it also included a toothbrush and shaving kit. These items are rare in any hotel unless you purchase them in the gift shop. It also included a magnifying mirror for make-up application or shaving. Between the magnifying mirror and excellent lighting, fears of walking into a board meeting looking like Bozo the Clown were squelched.
Needless to say, the lighting was perfect for preventing such foolery. Too many hotels fail at lighting bathrooms adequately for women travelers. They’re either so dark that you can’t see what you’re doing, or so bright and harsh, that you don’t want to see what you’re doing.
The desk was so well equipped I wanted for nothing. In addition to the two-line phone and access to Internet, it had cardholders that offered directions for remote access while you were out.
When I returned from dinner I found the bed turned down, the radio turned on to soft jazz, drapes drawn, a large fluffy bathrobe sprawled across the bed with slippers placed at the foot upon a night mat, and an Irish chocolate on my pillow. Lights were placed on low, which offered an entirely new ambiance to the room, one more romantic and relaxing. Too bad I was traveling alone.
A bottle of water and a lovely book of Irish history and poems lay waiting on the nightstand all designed to whisk me away into dreamland. They’ve taken great care to provide the feeling of Irish culture and what it must be like to live there. If that was their intent...it worked. I wanted to move.
While I found many customary amenities, the Fitzpatrick goes the extra mile by creating an atmosphere so authentic that you can’t help but feel you’re somewhere else. They make it easy to let your imagination flow. For business travelers who’ve had a long hard day pounding the pavement, especially in the harsh cold reality of a city like Chicago, the return to the Fitzpatrick will quickly help turn your rough day into a distant memory of another lifetime.
The only thing I found not to my liking was the openness between the living room and bedroom, which were not separated by a wall or a doorway. It would have been a bit uncomfortable to have a meeting in the suite with the bedroom exposed.
Because of the openness, the two television sets were back-to-back, one facing each room. This caused confusion with the remote when switching stations if both sets were on. Subsequently, both sets couldn’t really be on at the same time, or if they were they had to be on the same station. These small challenges would not prevent future visits. In fact, not only do we recommend the Fitzpatrick Chicago Hotel, we urge you to try this place and send us your comments.
Women travelers, who seek a more personal touch, will find this place especially unique and friendly. After questioning a few female patrons on elevators and in the lobby, we learned that many had been coming back for years.
Amenities at the Fitzpatrick are more than one story will allow, but we do want you to know that there’s also a private executive dining room for breakfast, a fully equipped gym, meeting rooms, an old fashioned barbershop that is easily accessible through Fitzers, a Benihana restaurant next door, a rooftop heated pool, doormen to help with cabs, a salon on the 4th floor, and a wide variety of rooms with multiple designs from which to choose. Now for the pricing, are you ready? Sit down. Depending on season and days of week of course, suites range from only $149 to $189 per night.
Personally, this is what surprised me the most. I truly expected the smallest suite to start at $199 and run to $399. I don’t understand how they can offer so much for so little -- but who am I to question?
It’s quite clear that the Fitzpatrick has the customer in mind. For those who travel alone or frequently, the Fitzpatrick is easily a place you can call home. It has everything you could possibly want or need without ever having to leave the building. In fact, once you’re settled in, you may never want to leave again.
Stay tuned. So impressed with this property, I’ve asked to review the other two Fitzpatricks in America; both in Manhattan. Those reviews will be coming later this spring, that’s if I can wait that long to again experience the charming world of Irish authenticity in the heart of American mayhem.
For more information on the Fitzpatrick Chicago, located at 166 East Superior Street, call 800-367-7701 or check out their website at www.fitzpatrickhotels.com. And if you can’t wait for our Manhattan review either, contact Fitzpatrick Manhattan or Fitzpatrick Grand Central at the same 800-number and web address. They can take your reservation for any one of them.
And don’t forget where it all originated. There are also Fitzpatrick hotel properties in Dublin and Bunratty, for those traveling to Ireland. These are definitely experiences you don’t want to miss whether here or there.
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