One of the perks of owning the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card is receiving up to $400 in annual statement credits for eligible purchases made at participating Hilton resorts. The difficulty in using this benefit, is that it only applies to those specific properties Hilton classifies as “resorts”. In the United States, the vast majority of these are located in warm-weather climates like Florida, California or Arizona.
Note: Prior to 2024, the resort credit was $250 per year, however it now comes in two $200 semi-annual credits (one credit to use January to June and the other to use July through December).
As someone who lives just outside Chicago, I’m pretty much in a Hilton resort wasteland. In order to use this benefit, I have to plan a whole vacation like in 2022 when I stayed at the Hotel del Coronado.
Fortunately, Illinois has one property that does classify as a resort, the Hilton Chicago Oak Brook Hills Resort. Since the resort credit is “use it or lose it”, I’ve gotten into the habit of booking a room here when I don’t have plans to use the credit elsewhere. I’ve stayed at this resort twice in the last six years — once in 2018 and again in late 2023. Both times the sole reason was to use up the resort credit before it expired.
History and Location
The hotel was built in the 1980s, so I assumed it would be a little dated. When I stayed there in 2018, however, I was pleasantly surprised as it had recently completed a dual-phased renovation. When Hilton took control of the property in 2014, their stated renovation goals were:
- Stress the “resort culture” and its most stunning feature, the views
- Enhance the overall look and functionality of meeting rooms and guestrooms
- Improve use and flow of the lobby, restaurants, and public spaces
Even in 2023, the renovation still looks great even though it’s been seven years already. The resort is conveniently located just 17 miles from O’Hare Airport and 20 miles from downtown Chicago.
Lobby
The result of the relatively recent overhaul is a modern and elegant lobby. It still looks brand new and that clean, modern feeling reverberates throughout the entire hotel.
Hotel Rooms
During my 2023 stay, the goal was to earn the most Hilton points I could without spending more than $250. So I booked a suite that had a bedroom plus living room. In addition, I booked the more expensive “double points” rate to earn twice as many base points.
King Bedroom Suite with Living Room
The suite itself was really nice! Everything from the carpet to the furniture looked brand new. Assuming the room had been renovated several years ago, it has aged very well.
When I opened the door to the suite, I found myself in a large living room. There was easily room for three to four people to fit comfortably amongst the couch, chair and desk.
Across from the couch was a wall-mounted flat screen TV, making this room a perfect hang out area.
The bedroom was located through the living room doorway. What’s really nice about the suite is you can shut the door and close off the bedroom from the living room. That’s a nice privacy option if you’re staying with family or friends and want to have some separation.
The bedroom was big, fitting a king bed, a dresser and two night stands. There were a lot of gold accents, and I particularly liked the headboard, all of which made the room feel elevated.
The Bathroom
Compared to the room itself, the bathroom was just average. One thing I noticed is that the tile work between the toilet and shower showed signs of wear. That area of a hotel bathroom must wear quickly because I’ve noticed this in many hotel rooms over the years.
Bottom Line
The “double points” room rate, including taxes, was $218. I also charged a beer and some hot wings to the room, so the total bill came to $249.42. Within a few business days, that entire amount was reimbursed by the resort credit. What’s great about the whole thing is I still earned Hilton points for my stay. In total, I earned 12,025 Hilton points for a stay I paid absolutely $0 for!
Standard Two Queen Beds Room
My original stay in 2018 was during the summer and I had my two daughters with me. The goal of that stay was to have a resort-like, one day, stay-cation on the cheap. The room rate on that stay was higher, so I booked a standard room with two queen beds.
Our room was clean and being on one of the upper floors, it had a beautiful view. On a clear day you can even see the Chicago skyline to the east. The room was on the back side of the resort, so we had views of the beautifully manicured golf course and the outdoor pool. We even had a birds eye view of an outdoor wedding that occurred that afternoon.
Using Elite Status Benefits
Executive Lounge
Another benefit I receive as a Hilton Honors American Express Aspire cardholder, is Hilton Diamond Status, which provides access to the Executive Lounge.
I visited the Executive Lounge the morning after my stay to check out the free breakfast. There were only three hot food options available that morning — scrambled eggs, sausage and breakfast potatoes. They also had fruit, a variety of bread to eat as is or toast and yogurt. To drink they had bottled water, soda and a Starbucks coffee machine.
Hotel Amenities
Pools
The outdoor pool area can’t complete with sprawling resorts you might find in warmer climates, but it’s pretty nice for what it is. Even though we didn’t arrive until after lunch, there were several lounge chairs still available. Keeping with the “resort culture” theme, the hotel had staff walking around taking drink and food orders. They also have a snack shop called Noonan’s right next to the pool where those relaxing pool side can pick up a quick snack or beverage.
There was no reason for us to use the indoor pool on such a nice summer day, but it’s a nice option for off-season or rainy days. They also have a few ping pong tables by the indoor pool that we enjoyed.
Dining
Things have certainly changed from 2018 to 2023 in terms dining benefits for those with elite status.
Back in 2018, I received vouchers for the Sunday breakfast buffet worth $18 per person. The breakfast buffet was top notch and had everything you might want. From eggs to oatmeal, waffles to pancakes, even lox and bagels, the buffet had all the breakfast basics covered. There was also a chef making omelets and waffles to order!
Post-pandemic, the resort offers access to complimentary breakfast in the Executive Lounge for up to two guests for qualifying Hilton Honors members in lieu of the $15 daily food and beverage credit.
Room Service
Room service is one thing that hasn’t changed. Back in 2018, my daughters were young and thought it’d be fun to order room service for dinner. The menu had some nice options and everything we ordered was very good. I had the charcuterie pizza which is exactly what it sounds like. Cheese pizza with several different types of Italian meat toppings and it was very tasty! My kids liked their burgers and fries and really just enjoyed the whole room service experience.
B. Restaurant / B. Lounge / B. Cafe
Next to the lobby is the restaurant space. The resort calls it three different things but everything is really in one large space. The restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner while the lounge is a good spot to have a happy hour cocktail. The cafe focuses on quick items like Starbucks coffee, pastries and grab-n-go options.
Golf
The Willow Crest Golf Club looks like a nice track and is a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary, which preserves wildlife habitat while protecting the property’s natural resources.
The hotel has many other amenities that I haven’t taken advantage of, including a fitness center and meeting/conference rooms.
Miscellaneous
During the summer weekends, there’s a lot of action happening across the resort. It was very lively! During the day, the hotel had a kids station setup poolside. Kids could be entertained with arts and crafts while their parents enjoyed the pool. At night, they set out chairs so guests could watch a movie al fresco.
Bottom Line
I’ve enjoyed both stays at the Hilton Chicago Oak Brook Hills resort. It’s recently renovated and has many of those “resort culture” amenities that you’d expect from a Hilton resort property.
