A Recent Traveler from Aurora, IL had this to say:

"My husband and I booked 6 nights at the Pelham over the Christmas holiday in 08/09. We checked in very late at night due to delayed flight from Chicago so we assumed we were just given the wrong room by the night staff or that the room we were supposed to have was not available. The first room we were given was so small that one had to inch around the bed sideways to get into the bathroom. There were no windows and the door to the closet (the only storage in the room) or the entry door could not be fully opened because they hit the king bed. We decided not to complain that first night but to just deal with it and speak with the manager in the morning. However, the climate control in the room was broken and despite setting the thermostat on 75, the room stayed 62 all night. ''The next morning I went to the front desk and spoke with the manager. He was apologetic and said we were not given a deluxe king as we had booked and he would have us moved as soon as a room was available. We left the hotel well before noon and did not return until approximately 4 PM. I checked in with the manager who told me the room was not yet ready. We went back out and returned about 5:30 to find the manager gone for the day. When I explained the situation to the young woman behind the counter she became rude and stated no one told her anything about a room change. She did not offer to call anyone so I told her she would need to call the manager. She glared at me and then picked up the phone. After speaking with the manager she gave me keys to a new room without so much as an apology. There was no offer to help us move our luggage or any sort of compensation mentioned. ''Our new room was the one shown in the photos on the website and, although the bed was very soft, we were pleased with the look of the room. The carpet was not completely swept but I was sure this would be taken care of the next day when the room was cleaned again. We took a nap before heading out for the evening. Upon waking the room was over 80 degrees. Figuring we did not have the thermostat correct, we adjusted the temperature and off we went. When we returned the room was still that hot. We again adjusted the temperature to no avail. My husband went to the front desk and after almost an hour, someone came to fix the A/C. ''We woke the next morning to a room that was again stuck at 62 and would not shut off. At this point I called Book it and asked to be moved. I was extremely pleased with the efficiency and the attitude of the Book It staff. They arranged for us to be moved the the Monteleon and called the Pelham staff and handled the move for us. ''The staff at the Pelham was belligerent and unhelpful. The accommodations are in need or overhaul even for an historical hotel. The hotel has good bones. We live in an 1890s Victorian in Chicagoland. We are well acquainted with the challenges and opportunities an historic property bring. We did expect a climate control system that had more than two temperatures, a clean room and helpful staff. Most importantly I expected management to instruct his staff there had been a problem and to receive an apology or some compensation when the problems persisted. Do NOT stay at the Pelham. For the difference in price, the Monteleon is worlds apart and above this hotel as I am sure are others in the area. "

Posted: Mon, Feb 09, 2009

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• Would Return or Recommend:No