Staying at the James, Chicago’s newest hotel, is like visiting your younger brother. There’s electronica music piped into the lobby, where beautiful people sip cocktails from oversized glasses.
Modern artwork is everywhere. And everything looks, as they used to say on “Saturday Night Live” so … angular.
Technology surrounds you in the room, from high-speed wireless Internet access to flat screen TVs, iPod docking stations, and a lot of other gadgets that I couldn’t seem to figure out.
I stayed at the James a few days ago (after having written about it for one of my other outlets) and felt that while the ambiance was terrific — what else would you expect from one of the masterminds behind the W Hotels? — it really all came down to one thing for me.
And that was the bed.
Coming at a time when I would do anything for a good night’s sleep, the bed was the perfect combination of pillows, duvets and a no-nonsense, firm mattress. I slept like the dead.
It is refreshing to see a hotel take a minimalist approach to sleep at a time when the competition is trying to pile everything but the kitchen sink on its signature beds.
I’m sure the James, which is opening two more hotels in the near future, will get a lot of raves for keeping it simple.
Christopher Elliott is the author of Scammed: How to Save Your Money and Find Better Service in a World of Schemes, Swindles, and Shady Deals. Critics have called it “eye-opening” and “inspiring” — it’ll “grab your attention and won’t let go.” Order your copy now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble or iTunes.
Elliott is consumer advocate 
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