Hyatt Regency O’Hare Chicago [In-Depth Hotel Review]

I love the classic Hyatt Regency layout with the massive atrium inside and recently stayed at a hotel with this feature: Hyatt Regency O’Hare Chicago.

I spent 4 nights here in mid-September 2024 while visiting for the Chicago Seminars, the biggest (and one of the oldest) points and miles conferences in the U.S. The event was held on-site, and the hotel was near capacity every night of my stay.

The hotel’s busyness meant I didn’t get a room upgrade and that wait times at breakfast could be long, but the service was still good, and the hotel was easily worth its cost each night. Plus, the complimentary airport shuttle was superior to what most hotels offer.

Here’s how my 4-night stay played out.

Booking the Hyatt Regency O’Hare Chicago

The Hyatt Regency O’Hare Chicago participates in the World of Hyatt program. As a Category 2 property, the hotel was available for 8,000 points per night during my stay (the standard nightly award price).

During off-peak dates, nights can be booked for as few as 6,500 points per night. That jumps to 9,500 points per night during peak dates.

Rooms were available for $222 if paid with cash. Paying 8,000 points per night provided a redemption rate of 2.78 cents per point, well above our average valuation of Hyatt points at 1.5 cents each.

Hot Tip:

When paying cash at a World of Hyatt property, consider using The World of Hyatt Credit Card or the World of Hyatt Business Credit Card. Either card will provide 9x points per $1 spent at Hyatt properties — or possibly more if you have elite status.

Location of the Hyatt Regency O’Hare Chicago

As the name implies, the Hyatt Regency is close to Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD). The hotel is located in Rosemont, Illinois, and isn’t close to downtown Chicago.

However, using the nearby Rosemont Metra stop, you could take public transit downtown in about 40 minutes.

Checking In

Following the instructions in the welcome email from the hotel, I easily found the complimentary shuttle outside the airport arrivals area. This was a great first impression for my stay.

The shuttle dropped off at the hotel’s main entrance, and the driver was friendly while helping guests with their luggage.

Upon arrival, I entered on the ground floor through the revolving doors.

Inside, there was abundant information on how to find key facilities, including reception.

The escalators and stairs in front of me made it very obvious where to go.

I was immediately impressed with the size of the overhead atrium in the hotel’s main tower, where reception and most of the main amenities were located.

There was a small check-in line, but the hotel had a separate check-in area for World of Hyatt elites. That line was shorter and moved quickly.

When it was my turn, a friendly employee found my reservation quickly, confirming the number of nights and that I’d booked with points. He took a security deposit with my credit card and explained the essential things I needed to know for my stay, such as the location and hours of the restaurants and bar, the location of the fitness center, and where to find my room.

I asked which food outlets were available for dinner, which he found amusing. He understood when I explained that I’d just flown in from California, so my body didn’t think it was 9 p.m. The restaurant was closed, but he pointed me to the bar and said it had a menu, not just drinks.

Elite Benefits

Several days before check-in, I received an email from the general manager outlining my World of Hyatt elite benefits. The email also stressed the high number of Globalists at the hotel that weekend, such that there could be long lines for breakfast, and said that all of the hotel’s suites were booked, so there wouldn’t be any upgrades available at check-in.

I received a room on a high floor (listed as a preference in my Hyatt account) and complimentary breakfast each morning at the restaurant. I also received an offer for late checkout, though I didn’t need it, and I would’ve received free parking on my stay if I had a car. This perk only applies to Globalists when staying on award nights, though.

While I knew not to expect an upgrade, the check-in agent still apologized that no upgrades were available during my stay and wished me a return visit when a suite would be available.

King Bed Room

I stayed on the ninth floor in the main tower, and paths from the central elevators to the rooms around the edges had a cool “walking through space” vibe as you were surrounded by nothing.

Rooms were lined around the edge of the atrium with an open-air setup and potted plants along the way.

Room 914, my room, was in a small nook off the main hallway.

En route, I found the ice machine and a surprisingly clean microwave.

Circling the stairwell in the corner of the hotel’s main tower, I found my room.

A positive feature of this location was that few people passed my door, reducing the chances of noise.

Immediately inside the room, the bathroom was opposite a full-length mirror. A closet with French doors was just beyond the bathroom’s entrance.

The small closet had extra bedding, a few hangers, a folding luggage rack, and an iron and ironing board.

The bedroom opened beyond this small entryway, and floor-to-ceiling windows ran the room’s length.

Art hung on the wall, and the room used numerous shades of brown and tan in its color palette. A wall lamp flanked each side of the bed. The king-size bed and sheets were comfortable, but the pillows provided only minimal support.

Each side of the bed had a marble-topped nightstand and several outlets. The left side nightstand had an alarm clock and Bluetooth speaker.

The other nightstand only had a notepad. Each nightstand had a wooden drawer, which was empty.

Opposite the bed was a TV atop a wooden dresser with multiple drawers.

Inside the dresser were a small digital safe and an empty minifridge.

Next to the dresser was a desk and chair. The desk had a phone, power outlets, an ice bucket, bottled water, a lamp, and multiple USB-A ports. There was also a menu for room service.

I also found a coffee machine here, disposable coffee cups, and coffee-making supplies.

On the wall near the closet, I found a digital thermostat that worked as expected.

Bathroom

To be blunt, the bathroom was incredibly small. If my wife had been with me, using the bathroom at the same time would’ve been difficult.

The bathroom had the necessities — a sink, mirror, and toilet — but no extras. I found a step towel, bath mat, and hair dryer on a shelf under the sink.

The shower was small and barely provided room to turn around. The silver linings were the solid water pressure and the fact that the water heated up quickly.

In the shower, I found pump bottles of Pharmacopia products. A pump bottle of Pharmacopia lotion was also near the sink.

Towels were in a small cubby of shelves near the bathroom’s door.

View

While the room had many windows, the views weren’t great. They looked over the parking garage and ventilation systems.

Rooms in Other Towers

The hotel has added 2 additional towers beyond the main atrium, which house some premium rooms. These were accessed through hallways leading off the atrium on the main floor, and rooms in these towers had separate elevators from those in the atrium.

These rooms also have a newer look and feel with updated amenities, such as this presidential suite a friend booked for the weekend.

Amenities

Airport Shuttle

The Hyatt Regency O’Hare Chicago provided a complimentary airport shuttle around the clock.
I received an email with a link to track its real-time location before arrival. The shuttle’s location and estimated wait time were also displayed on screens near the main entrance, providing incredible convenience.

Fitness Center

Adjacent to the check-in area, a small fitness center was available 24 hours a day. It was accessed with a key card and had free weights and several cardio machines. Towels and water were near the door.

Meeting and Event Facilities

The Hyatt Regency O’Hare Chicago was connected to the convention center by an indoor skywalk, offering 110,000 square feet of event space. It could be accessed in multiple ways, such as from inside the hotel (using the main entrance) or this side entrance to what the hotel called the International Level.

Another entrance led directly into the conference center section of the hotel, located near the parking structure.

The International Level offered multiple rooms that could be subdivided and a foyer that made for a great cocktail event space on the first night of the conference.

The International Level offered 10,956 square feet of event space, holding 1,200 people as a singular event space or holding up to 450 people in the largest room when sectioned off. The space could be divided into 6 sections.

The conference center had 1,960 square feet of space, offering 24 rooms of varying sizes.

This area also had access to the lobby floor via stairs, and the Rosemont Ballroom had 15,045 square feet of space that could be divided into as many as 4 sections.

Luggage Scale

Near the reception desk was a luggage scale to weigh your belongings before heading to the airport.

Elevators

Glass elevators provided views over the atrium and moved between floors very quickly — though without a nauseating sensation.

The elevator area was accessed through walkways between the outer section (where rooms were) and the central area for elevators, and these went in different directions on alternating floors to create a unique look.

However, the waiting areas themselves were rather plain.

The spacious elevators were located in the center of the atrium near reception. Guests needed to tap a key card to access floors with guest rooms.

Internet

Speeds were slow when using the hotel’s Wi-Fi, though connections were consistent. I got average speeds under 4 Mbps on downloads in my room. That was likely due to its remote location away from the center of the hotel.

Pharmacy Vending Machine

On the ground floor, near the main entrance, a CVS vending machine sold personal care items like bandages and toiletries.

Shipping and Printing Center

There was a FedEx Office location on the ground floor for guests’ printing and shipping needs. It offered banners, signs, business cards, office supplies, and more.

ATM

The hotel had an ATM on the ground floor, near the main entrance, next to the screen to track the shuttle.

Pet Relief Area

A pet relief area was near the side entrance, leading toward the parking area. Plastic bags were also available for picking up after your dog.

Parking

Ample parking was available for guests. Self-parking was available for $45 overnight for hotel guests and $55 for non-guests.

There was covered parking in a garage and an open parking lot.

Food and Beverage

O’H American Grill

This was the hotel’s main restaurant, located to the right of the reception desk on the main floor. O’H American Grill was open daily from 6 to 10:30 a.m. for breakfast and noon to 2 p.m. for lunch.

The Hyatt Regency O’Hare didn’t have a Regency Club lounge, so I had breakfast here daily. The buffet’s offerings surpassed my expectations.

The hot dishes on the buffet rotated daily and were clearly labeled for allergens. Moreover, each morning, the buffet had a surprising vegan item, such as sweet potato hash with kale and imitation sausage.

There also were multiple fruits and cold cuts available each day.

Juices were available, and an espresso machine was at the end of the buffet. Cereals and pastries were also available in another section of the buffet.

During my stay, a large number of Globalists used their complimentary breakfast, so the hotel created a separate breakfast line just for Globalists. Sharing a table with strangers was the quickest way to get seated.

Red Bar & Lounge

Sitting above the hotel’s main entrance and near the reception desk, the Red Bar & Lounge was open from 4 p.m. to midnight.

While the bar had an extensive drink menu — including beer, wine, and mixed drinks — it also had a food menu. Options included burgers, pasta, and a Mediterranean mezze platter (which I thoroughly enjoyed).

Perks

On the ground floor near the hotel’s main entrance, Perks was a coffee shop-style outlet that included grab-and-go items. You could get sandwiches and espresso-based beverages made to order or grab yogurt, soda, chips, and more to get on your way quickly.

Perks was open from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily.

Along with a handful of tables and chairs just beyond the market’s footprint, Perks made things easy by letting guests pay with cash, card, or charging to a room.

Service

The staff exceeded my expectations during this stay. When a hotel is at full capacity, service can suffer due to long waits at breakfast, lines forming at checkout, and other bottlenecks.

I thought the staff did a great job managing expectations during a busy period and working through these elements as best they could. For instance, when lines formed at breakfast, staff found solo travelers willing to sit at tables with people they didn’t know, reducing wait times by maximizing space.

When checking out, staff came through the line saying anyone who didn’t have questions about their bill could hand in their keys and get an email invoice rather than waiting in line. These “work smarter, not harder” elements reduced waiting times for guests through efficiency, which I appreciated.

Employees were also friendly wherever I encountered them, whether that was asking for non-dairy milk for coffee at breakfast, grabbing a snack from Perks, or boarding the airport shuttle. During a busy weekend with many people expecting elite benefits, the hotel provided them to the extent possible while also letting guests know (clearly) what was realistic.

Final Thoughts

I wound up at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare Chicago out of practicality, given that I was attending an event at the hotel. I went in with low expectations, and the hotel exceeded many of them.

The service and daily breakfast were excellent, and the room — though basic — met my needs. The hotel shuttle put many other hotels’ transportation offerings to shame, and the price was excellent.

Would I stay here again? For practical reasons, I definitely would. The hotel isn’t convenient to Chicago’s tourist spots, so I wouldn’t stay here if that’s what I wanted to spend my time on. If I needed a hotel near the O’Hare airport, I would definitely book this hotel again.