The 22-story office tower on the northwest corner of Clark and Monroe streets has been undergoing a transformation to become a Hyatt hotel for while, and the hotel giant has now announced that the location will be one of the first to be branded with their new Hyatt Centric flag when it opens in April 2015. Hyatt describes the Centric brand of hotels as designer hotels that put both business and leisure travelers in central locations of destination cities. Indeed, the Clark and Monroe location would be very convenient for people with business in the federal buildings, city hall, or the financial district. The 257-room hotel will include a rooftop bar and a signature French restaurant, which could be welcome additions to an area of The Loop which hasn't seen much new activity in years.
For obscure Chicago history buffs, this 1927 building designed by Frank Chase is also the site of the infamous cow path, where a 1844 variance on the property from its original farmer owner meant it had to be constructed to preserve a cattle path for cows that no longer existed. With adaptive reuse of historic buildings going on all over town, it's fortunate that Hyatt was able to preserve this often-overlooked building with a swanky new hotel that could breathe new life into the block.
·New 257-Room Loop Hyatt Slated to Open February 2015 [Curbed Chicago]
·Vintage Loop Building to Beget Mid-Sized Hyatt-Brand Hotel [Curbed Chicago]