City: Chicago, IL
Category: Accommodations
Address: 11 E. Walton St.
17. Hotel Indigo Chicago
City: Chicago, IL
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (866) 521-6950, (312) 787-4980
Address: 1244 N. Dearborn Pkwy.
Description: This mid-priced boutique hotel is tucked into the tree-lined streets of the Gold Coast. The 165 rooms and 2-room suites create a kind of Cape Cod beach-house ambience, with bright cheerful colors (think periwinkle blue and carroty orange), hardwood floors, whitewashed furnishings, and photo murals of objects like sea glass on sand or a delicious-looking bunch of blueberries. Even the accessories go beyond the norm, including blue phones, shell-shaped lights, and Krups single-brew coffeemakers.
18. Sofitel Chicago Water Tower
City: Chicago, IL
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (312) 324-4000
Address: 20 E. Chestnut St.
Insider Pick:
Description: Slicing through the sky with grace and beauty, this 32-floor prism of glass was designed by renowned French architect Jean-Paul Viguier. Well situated near Gold Coast restaurants and nightlife, as well as steps from Oak Street and Mag Mile shopping, it offers modern luxury accommodations and top-notch service. From the sleek, spacious, couch-filled lobby scented with dramatically displayed fresh flowers to its grand glass staircase and its multilingual concierge staff, the Sofitel aims to impress. Sink into a velvety club chair with a martini at Le Bar or dine at fine-dining Cafe Des Architectes.
19. The Sutton Place Hotel
City: Chicago, IL
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (866) 378-8866, (312) 266-2100
Address: 21 E. Bellevue Place
Description: Upscale without being uptight, this independent hotel has received high marks from travelers who appreciate the friendly service. Though they offer complimentary Cadillac rides (by appointment), you probably won’t need one with a location within walking distance to some of the Gold Coast’s best restaurants and shops. In fact, if you intend to drop some cash at close-by Michigan Avenue or Oak Street shops, ask about the hotel’s retail discount program. The 246 rooms, done up in homey neutrals, feature deep soaking tubs, plush robes, and Gilchrist & Soames bath products. On the ground floor, the Whiskey Bar & Grill is a mainstay hot spot from club mogul Rande Gerber (a.k.a. Cindy Crawford’s hubby).
20. The Talbott Hotel
City: Chicago, IL
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (800) 825-2688, (312) 944-4970
Address: 20 E. Delaware Place
Description: Done up in hunter-green velvet armchairs, fireplace, Oriental rugs, and mahogany-paneled walls, the lobby of this 149-room hotel welcomes with an air of old-fashioned hospitality. Built in 1927, the AAA Four Diamond hotel has also been named by National Geographic Traveler magazine as one of its favorite US hotels (just two in Chicago were listed). In the rooms expect classic simplicity, with bonuses like free Wi-Fi, turndown service, and umbrellas in the closet (how civilized). Belly up to the bar at cozy Basil’s, named for Basil Kromelow, the hotel’s owner since the early 1960s.
21. Essex Inn
City: Chicago, IL
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (312) 939-2800
Address: 800 S. Michigan Ave.
Insider Pick:
Description: Considering the amenities here—free shuttle to the Magnificent Mile and Navy Pier, huge glassed-in 4th-floor indoor pool, free Wi-Fi—this South Loop hotel gives you big bang for your buck. It’s also just a block from the famous Buddy Guy’s Legends blues club and one of the closest off-site hotels to McCormick Place. All of the 254 brightly decorated rooms and suites include refrigerators (perfect for those dining leftovers), and many have views of downtown Chicago, the lakefront, or Grant Park.
City: Chicago, IL
Category: Accommodations
Address: 720 S. Michigan Ave.
23. Wyndham Blake Chicago
City: Chicago, IL
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (312) 986-1234
Address: 500 S. Dearborn St.
Description: The 19th-century former offices of Morton Salt make up part of the home to this historic Printers Row hotel (it was merged with the adjacent Duplicator building in 1987). The classy stay puts you close to the Art Institute, Millennium Park, and State Street shopping and just a few minutes’ stroll from the Red Line El. In the 162 guestrooms, chocolate browns and deep reds create a warm feel, while 12-foot ceilings and large windows make it airy and light. Take advantage of complimentary continental breakfast, in-room spa services, and the Zagat-rated Custom House Tavern for contemporary American cuisine.
24. Days Inn Chicago
City: Chicago, IL
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (888) 576-3297, (773) 525-7010
Address: 644 W. Diversey Pkwy.
Description: Guests often describe this Lincoln Park hotel as “boutique,” and not surprisingly so. Though the 133 rooms (including 45 business class) are simple, they come with plushly covered beds, free Wi-Fi, free access to the around-the-corner Bally’s Total Fitness, and complimentary deluxe breakfast (think fresh-squeezed juice, bagels, and waffles). Once known as the “rock and roll Days Inn” for its many pre-fame musical guests—everyone from Radiohead to Alanis Morissette to Gregg Allman—it still rocks. Case in point: awards like Days Inn Hotel of the Year, general manager of the year, and several awards for quality. Plus, check out the fun photo-op with a Chicago “Cows on Parade” cow in the entrance hallway.
25. Majestic Hotel
City: Chicago, IL
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (800) 727-5108, (773) 404-3499
Address: 528 W. Brompton St.
Description: You’re part of the neighborhood at this 1920s-built hotel along a quiet Lakeview street, and just a short walk to Lake Michigan. The lobby, complete with gas fireplace, gives you a sense of the upscale, old-English charm you’ll also find in the 52 rooms. If you can, it’s worth splurging for a larger room with sunny sitting area. Not all is old-fashioned, though: Roomlinx Interactive TV is offered, as well as passes to the nearby Fitness Formula health club. Complimentary continental breakfast, coffee and tea service, and afternoon cookies too. The Majestic’s nearby sister hotels are similar in style: the City Suites (933 W. Belmont Ave., 800-248-9108) and Willows (555 W. Surf St., 800-787-3108).
City: Chicago, IL
Category: Accommodations
Address: 166 E. Superior St.
27. The Allerton Hotel
City: Chicago, IL
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (877) 701-8111, (312) 440-1500
Address: 701 N. Michigan Ave.
Description: You can’t miss the iconic “Tip Top Tap” sign on the upper stories of this 443-room national landmark hotel built in 1924 in Northern Italian Renaissance architecture. The sign harkens back to the 1940s and ’50s when the hotel housed a fashionable lounge of the same name. Now, since a recent multimillion-dollar renovation, the Tip Top Tap offers ballroom space, and the hotel’s updated rooms feature a comfortably sophisticated look.
City: Chicago, IL
Category: Accommodations
Address: 160 E. Huron St.
29. Chicago Marriott Downtown MAGNIFICENT MILE
City: Chicago, IL
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (800) 228-9290, (312) 836-0100
Address: 540 N. Michigan Ave.
Description: An attention-grabbing vertical cone of color rocketing out of a circular bar is the focal point of this hotel’s vast, glittering lobby. It’s also a sign of the re-energizing of this conveniently located, convention-friendly hotel. Some of the 1,173 stylish rooms offer windows that open, others spectacular views of the Mag Mile below.
City: Chicago, IL
Category: Accommodations
Address: 521 N. Rush St.