Chicago had precious few hotel openings in the period from January 2012 through May 2013. That all changed last week with the opening of three hotels at once. The scene promises to reach fever pitch by year's end with the Virgin, Godfrey, McCormick Hyatt expansion, and Langham Chicago (more on that tomorrow) on the way. Tourism is on the rise again and, with many new projects taking a boutique format, the thicket of new concept hotels may not add up to overbuilding. 2014 promises to be equally exciting, but lets start with what's already opened in the past 18 months. Six substantial hotels have been put into service: Aloft Chicago City Center, Hyatt Place River North, Fairfield Inn & Suites River North, ACME Hotel, Ivy Hotel, and Hotel Lincoln. Start with the bar and end with a room. Oh, and kick in some reviews to help these new players forge a reputation (whether sterling or stinky). This being a heat map, expect to see updates and revisions every few months.
·Hotels Week 2013 [Curbed Chicago]
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Curbed Chicago's 2012-13 Hotel Openings Heatmap
Hotel Lincoln
Since Hotel Lincoln has been open 16 months now, it also made our Hotel 38 list of essential Chicago hotels. Birthed from the shell of a Days Inn, the Hotel Lincoln maxed out the speakeasy, Roaring Twenties vibe. On the park and removed from the thicket of overrated downtown hotels, it includes a great indie coffee shop (Elaine's Coffee Call), one of the best farm-to-table restaurants (Perennial Virant), and an in-demand rooftop lounge and bar (J. Parker). The lobby is tops for hipster and glammed-up European sightings.
The Ivy Boutique Hotel
The Ivy boutique hotel opened in Spring 2012 and has already made a name for itself with one of the city's chillest rooftop lounges-- the 16th floor Sky Terrace. The Streeterville hotel has just 63 rooms and prides itself on attentiveness to guest needs. The decor resides in earth-tones with a mix of local art. There's also fine dining on the 15th floor. A Hotel Chatter review concludes it doesn't quite live up to its billing as a one-of-a-kind luxury boutique product-- but it's still nice.
ACME Hotel Company
The New York Times recently gushed over this spunky new River North offering. We haven't been there yet, so it's hard to definitively speak to the praise. We can tell you it has high-tech gadgets, affordable room service and an in-room "snack station", and some really good foodie fare: a West Town Bakery branch and the soon-to-open Berkshire Room. The building formerly housed a Comfort Inn, so the transposed rock-and-roll aesthetic is a welcome thing.
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Aloft Chicago City Center
Curbed already did its job covering Aloft's grand opening on June 19. What makes this place a safe bet is proximity to the city's greatest concentration of haute cuisine and nightlife and offerings of its own in those departments. The very social atmosphere of the lobby, lounge, and Beatrix restaurant does well to engage the life on the street. Cool decor and mid-priced stays.
Fairfield Inn & Suites, River North
The Fairfield Inn & Suites in River North (a Marriott brand) is a member of the "tri-hotels" (with Aloft and Hyatt Place) that opened for business mid-June. Sharing some central amenities with the conjoined Aloft and Hyatt, the Fairfield has a more relaxed vibe than Aloft and a less staid one than Hyatt. Rooms start in the low-200s and offer generally impressive cityscape views, even from lower floors. The room decor is simple and comfortable, but the jury's still out on the overall experience.
Hyatt Place
The last of the tri-hotel members, Hyatt Place River North has the more sophisticated look, particularly in the lobby and bar areas. Everything is earth-toned and virtually pattern-free. The rooms are comfortable and ergonomic and have just enough technology to appease the Millennials--OK, maybe not. We await a statistically significant crop of reviews.