Travel FanboyMy quest to stay in the funkiest hotel rooms may have hit the apex long before I hit my middle-aged travel stride. The Hyatt Regency O’Hare, which acts as a sleepover for weary travelers and conventioneers, doesn’t have a proper theme to lean into, so they just went with “brown” for their Deluxe Suite.
Look at this place. This is a chocolate bi-level dreamscape. It’s stepping back to a time when umber was the palette du jour. I want a smoking jacket, appropriately brown liquor, and a cigar to further bring the space to life.
I came to the Hyatt Regency O’Hare out of necessity—I had work to do and home renovations made it difficult. I had a plethora of Hyatt points in hand, and, at the time, my Globalist status all but guaranteed a 4 PM check out, so the Deluxe Suite became my home for 24 hours. It was serendipitous timing since I could overnight some important documents at the on-site FedEx office. My dining tour consisted of an acceptable attempt at an old fashioned at Red Bar and an expectedly ordinary breakfast buffet, free as a Globalist, at the O’H American Grill.
Back to this bananas room. It was a pleasant place to work. The desk is conveniently centered with plenty of outlets within arm’s reach. I pretend to watch something industry-related and productive in the background. For fresh air, some balconies overlook one of Chicagoland’s beautiful expressways. The direction of my balconies wasn’t ripe for plane spotting, not that I would know what the hell I was looking at. And the splendor would be drowned by the noisy highway.
The true area of fascination is the slim, spiral staircase that takes you up to the sleeping loft. I’m unsure I could get those steps permit-approved in my town, but Rosemont is apparently much more liberal. A large, Hyatt Grand Bed barely fits the space, facing an oversized 65” screen. There is a full bathroom, closet, and entry on that second floor.
Other room features include a dining table that seats six, a lounge area with a small couch bookended by accent chairs, and a dry bar area with a coffee maker and fridge.
They did take care to diversify the textiles: brown cloth chairs and couches, brown faux-leather accent sofa, brown wood cabinets, brown oval and diamond-patterned carpet, brown lacquered dining table and footrests, brown fake plants, and brown-veined tiles.
The hotel is updating its rooms, but this masterpiece of mahogany remains undisturbed. Scuffed hard materials and balding softs seem to be the norm among the Hyatt Regency portfolio of suites, and this room is no different.
The benefits of understanding and earning points and miles aren’t limited to first-class transatlantic flights, it’s the flexibility they provide when you have unexpected needs. This wasn’t necessarily a sexy redemption, but I got to stay in an eccentric room and still make a self-imposed work deadline.
The Deluxe Suite 1 King Bed is 1131 sq. ft., considered a “Standard Suite” and can be had for as few as 14,500 Hyatt points per night.
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