Power hours: Combine Chicago's world-class shopping with a holiday getaway on the Mag Mile.
By Angie Fratto
While the cold in Chicago may send us locals hibernating until spring, it’s a great time to take in the city and its surrounding neighborhoods. With world-class shopping in both the city and ‘burbs, thie Windy City is poised as a retail mecca for everyone on the holiday list without busting the budget. (more…)
Second home: Rendering of a Hyatt House suite
By Mark Chesnut
Business travelers and vacationers will have yet another brand to consider when taking longer trips. In September, Hyatt Hotels Corporation announced that it is “evolving” its extended-stay brand into a new concept, called Hyatt House — and that it would rebrand its 38 existing Hyatt Summerfield Suites hotels, as well as 16 Hotel Sierra hotels that Hyatt recently acquired from a company called LodgeWorks, L.P. (more…)
Pleasing palate: a PUBLIC Chicago hotel guest room
By Mark Chesnut
The Windy City will get a fresh injection of hotel style on Oct. 11, when PUBLIC Chicago opens its doors. Ian Schrager, the hotelier known for his luxurious boutique properties, is recasting the former Ambassador East Hotel and its Pump Room restaurant into what developers hope will become a trend-setting icon among Chicago hotels.
With his new Chicago hotel, Schrager — who opened his first boutique hotel some 25 years ago — is taking aim at the uniformity that he says has afflicted the boutique hotel concept since it became one of the hospitality industry’s fastest-growing segments. PUBLIC Chicago will feature social areas including the Living Room and Library, which will have a coffee and dessert bar, and the Backroom, which doubles as a screening room for private meetings and events. (more…)
Runners conquer Mile 12 of the Chicago Marathon on Franklin Street. Credit: jordanfischer.
By Nina Kokotas Hahn
On Oct. 9, I’ll be running the 2011 Chicago Marathon — that’s just four weeks away, but whose counting? I’ve trained, woke up bleary-eyed to run in the dark, iced ‘till my skin was numb and stretched, even while reading to my kids. I’m a native Chicagoan who has run and volunteered for this race before, so I know the 29-neighborhood course like the back of my hand. I am ready. Heck, I’ve even done the one thing I seem to forget year after year: made a hotel reservation. (more…)
If you want to run into a rock star during Lolla weekend, book a room at the Hard Rock.
By Valerie Moloney
Whether you’re a Lollapalooza virgin or fifth-timer, you’ll want a cushy place to rest your head after sets by the Arctic Monkeys, The Kills, Eminem and a jillion other indie and mainstream artists. Between the hipster hangs and celebrity haunts, Chicago has established itself as the country’s premier music festival for the weekend of Aug. 5-7. Here’s where to stay and possibly stumble upon a rock star while you’re in the Windy City. (more…)
Park place: The Gansevoort Park Avenue NYC has a stylish rooftop venue.
By Mark Chesnut
With summer heating up and business travel continuing to fill up hotels, the time is right to head to the roof for the best views and the freshest breezes. Here are five scenic options to enjoy a meal or drink. (more…)
Fashion to the rescue: The Emergency Style Kit for men at the Elysian in Chicago.
By Mark Chesnut
What to do when you’re on a business trip, checked into your hotel and suddenly realize you’ve forgotten an important item of clothing, or perhaps a gift for family or clients? The solution, in many cases, may lie with the hotel’s personal shopping service. (more…)
Guests easily drift off to dreamland thanks to the pillow menu at Chicago's Swissotel.
By Valerie Moloney
In honor of Mother’s Day, I thank my mom for the little things – like how to apply lip liner, for example — as well as the big stuff, from outfitting my first apartment to calling me nightly after leaving home for good. Returning to my childhood address, I recall what I miss: her bank of perfumes, her prized pageant photo and the multiple pillows – overstuffed and fluffed – atop her California King.
Whether I picked it up subliminally or she voiced it out loud, one of mom’s lessons was never to ruin a good night’s sleep with a crappy pillow. (more…)
Soak up the views of the Chicago skyline from Roof, theWit's fabulous bar.
By Jessica Labaire
A DoubleTree hotel? Well ya coulda fooled me. Way to step it up, DoubleTree.
So DoubleTree is a Hilton and theWit is a DoubleTree (which means warm cookies and Hilton points). I don’t necessarily get it, but I sure do like it. My previous impression of DoubleTree was sort of low budget — not sure if that was an accurate impression — but it was mine. I am happy to say, though, that I’d give the brand a second look after seeing what they’ve accomplished with this downtown Chicago hotel which is also dare I say it … affordable <GASP>. Well, at least comparable to five-star hotels at higher rates. (more…)
Mixing business with Bollywood: Residence Inn in Deerfield's Indian-themed manager's reception.
By Mark Chesnut
Whether business took you to a Chicago hotel or Boston hotel, you may gotten an invitation when you checked into a hotel recently. Perhaps you’ve even sipped a cocktail at one of them. But are hotel manager receptions really worth it? For travelers looking for free refreshments and perhaps a bit of local insight, the answer just might be yes. (more…)
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