The Drake

The rooms were dated, but still exceptional. I had a corner room on the 10th floor for a single night. The overall service was very accommodating and professional. I thought it was charming to see a couch in the elevator. You can truly feel the history while walking through the hallways. There is a display of signatures on the ground floor that included the likes of Grace Kelly, Muhammad Ali, Aretha Franklin, and Princess Diana. The place is steeped in heritage and tradition. Whoever was in room 1010 last night had a companion that was loud enough to hear through the wall and in the common area hallway. Her enthusiasm seemed rehearsed but consistent from around 330am to around 400am. The feminine companion's erotic performance seemed routine and rhythmic, almost practiced, but it was occasionally accentuated with verbal encouragement to her masculine partner Early on she asked her partner if they like to go slow. His responses were short and straightforward as if responding to the questions of a taxi driver engaged in polite chit chat. Their speed varied and occasionally raised to the point that their bed's headboard began to tap against a shared wall. I was able to go back to sleep after I heard their hotel room door slam between 430am and 5am. That morning I went downstairs and had an exceptional breakfast at Cafe on Oak, I had an eggs Benedict combination that had tomato and crispy bacon underneath one egg and a skirt steak and biscuit under the other egg. The coffee was an essential eye opener. The service was very friendly.

We stayed a couple of days (26-28 Dec. 2023). The staff were exceptionally welcoming, helpful, and friendly. The hotel areas we saw and our room all appeared to be in good shape - bed was great, the linens were nice, and the view of the lake was 'magnificent'. On the down side, the area around the main entrance on Chestnut often smelled like an Amsterdam Coffee Shop (i.e., very strong odor of pot smoke). Perhaps the most problematic issue, though, was the heat in room. You can't open the windows and you cannot get the room temperature below mid-70's. We did ask for a portable fan, but it just circulated the warm air. This seems to be a persistent issue that really needs to be addressed. Even with these two issues, though, we enjoyed our stay and commend the staff for doing their best.