In a couple of weeks Chicago will have a new luxury hotel. But the Langham Chicago differs from other top-tier hotels in one important respect: when it opens July 10th, it will become the world's only hotel in a Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe-designed building. Occupying floors 2-13 of the 52-story IBM Building at 330 N Wabash, The Langham offers 316 rooms and suites, 15,000 square feet of private event space anchored by the beautiful double-height Devonshire Ballroom, and what the hotelier hopes will be one of the city's most coveted spas.
Director of Public Relations Rebecca Werner opened The Langham to Curbed for a preview earlier this week. As any PR pro would, Werner took great care to ward off photography of unfinished spaces. Given that the spaces are mostly finished anyway, we obliged and stuck to clean and tidy rooms and corridors. Our meanderings began on the 7th floor and worked down through the 3rd floor ballroom. The upper floor hallways and elevator lobbies brandish Bauhausian design in the form of elegant ceiling lamps, dark hardwood paneling, and modern art by local artists (which included a blow-up of Mies' Farnsworth House). Travertine is the mineral of choice for floors and fixtures throughout the hotel, further enshrining The Langham's allegiance to Mies.
The rooms and suites were distinguished by their general spaciousness, opulent bathrooms, high ceilings, and Miesian furnishings. It's a good thing these spaces are meant to spoil— the normal rate for a single room is $475 (opening specials will give you access for around $350) and it skyrockets from there. Moving down a level or two, we entered the Chuan Spa zone, modeled on Chinese elemental notions of healing and relaxation. It's a big complex, featuring many types of massage loungers, full spa services, themed rooms, a lovely pool and hot tub, and locker rooms equipped with saunas, steam rooms, and aromatherapy showers. We came upon one signature device that we didn't fully understand— something to do with a vibrating, massaging hot tub. Sounds nice, anyway. On our way out we glimpsed the Devonshire Ballroom, stacked high with boxes. At least we came away with a chandelier shot. Denied access to the lobby, designed by Mies' grandson Dirk Lohan, the rendering will have to suffice for now.
·The Langham Chicago [official]
·Architect Gossip [Curbed Chicago]
·The Langham Chicago Will Now Open in July [Hotel Chatter]
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