After shutting down for a four-month makeover, Chicago’s Talbott Hotel at 20 E. Delaware Place is nearly ready to reopen its doors to both guests and Gold Coast neighbors. Slated to relaunch May 1st, the historic 1927 structure has been the recipient of a top to bottom makeover overseen by interior designer Kara Mann. With the Chicago-based decorator known mainly for her work in high-end residences, the Talbott represents Mann’s first hotel project.
The scope of the renovations will see the total number of guest rooms increased from 149 to 178. Built originally as an apartment building, the Talbott has always featured relatively large guest rooms for downtown Chicago and will retain its roomy accommodations even with the bump in overall key count.
Starting with a primarily neutral color base palette, the new-look rooms feature a number of subtle but complimentary design accents. Airy curtains, upgraded light fixtures, and white marble window sills contrast against copper colored upholstered seats, animal printed benches, champagne-toned metal bed frames, and inky carpeting. The result is bright in appearance and represents an appropriate marriage of contemporary style and the old-school, 1920s elegance that previously defined the Talbott.
Downstairs, the “front” desk has been relocated behind the lobby’s elevator bank to create a more intimate check-in experience. The move also opens up more space for the Talbott’s upcoming indoor/outdoor dining concept. Dubbed Twenty East, the restaurant comes from Chicago’s Four Corners Tavern Group and is expected to serve “contemporary American fare with a French technique.”
While still very much under construction, the Talbott’s ground floor space will soon sport a mix-and-match collection of “cozy” furniture to invite not only guests to dine, but also lounge and work. Other newly added hotel amenities include two completely renovated meeting rooms on the second floor as well as an all-new fitness center in the building’s basement level.
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