Hotel Guide: Chicago, Illinois

So you’ve found yourself in Chicago, Illinois – the windy city, home of the deep-dish pizza – but there is only one problem, you haven’t a place to sleep. Well, don’t worry, because there is literally a million different hotels for you to choose from. It all starts with where exactly you want to stay. Of course, the Magnificent Mile is one of the most popular choices for all visitors to Chicago. This is mainly because of its centralized location. However, there are many different areas of Chicago a visitor can choose from. And no matter why you are in this wonderful city, full of amazingly beautiful architecture and its stunning streets lined with high-rises, there is a hotel just for you. However, I have taken the bulk of finding a hotel away from you and have reviewed the top three hotels within this wonderful city. So sit back, relax, and let the waves of Lake Michigan guide you to the hotel of your dreams.

The first hotel in which I reviewed is The Westin Michigan Avenue Chicago. This contemporary high-rise hotel rests right on the Magnificent Mile, which is home to hundreds of various shops and restaurants for you to choose from. As you enter the hotel, you begin to roam a long, slender lobby with marble columns, dark-wood floors, sleek upholstered seating, and modern lighting fixtures. As you take a seat in one of the upholstered chairs, your eyes glance out of the many windows and see the John Hancock Center that lies across the street. Are you in Chicago for business purposes? Well, the meeting facilities that lie on the twenty-eighth floor are more than efficient for any business needs, which includes printing services, faxing, copying, and high-speed Internet access; all of which are available for a small fee. The Westin Michigan Avenue Chicago offers 35,000 square feet of event space, including a ballroom that overlooks the famed Michigan Avenue. Did you drive to Chicago? Well, at The Westin they offer valet parking WITH in-out privileges for only $38.00 per twenty-four-hour period – which, seeing that a days parking for only 12 hours can range up to $24.00, the hotels valet parking is quite a deal. The hotel offers 751 contemporary, nonsmoking guestrooms with dark-wood furnishings and black-and-white photos of the city. All of the rooms feature Westin’s Heavenly Bed, which consists of a custom-designed, foot-thick pillow top mattress with all-white bedding, triple sheeting, down comforter, and five pillows. There is high-speed Internet access for a surcharge, but you do get premium channels complimentary.

The second hotel in which I reviewed is four-star House of Blues Hotel. This hotel is located within the very eclectic and so-called “whimsy” River North’s Marina City. Once you walk into this amazing hotel you are greeted with brightly painted luggage carts to wildly patterned carpets to the golden Buddha in the lobby. Afraid that this hotel might be a little too modern for your business tastes? Well no worry, for you business travelers there is a menu full of amenities that serve you, including professional service, upscale dining, and convenient location which is less than a mile from the Loop. And for all of you vacationers, you will enjoy the proximity to attractions the House of Blues Hotel lies within – merely blocks away from the theater district and the Loop. Within the hotel lies a convenience store, restaurant, hip lobby bar, and a 25,000 square foot fitness club, available to all guests for a fee. The House of Blues Hotel has 367 guestrooms, all decorated with unique folk art and rich red, blue, and gold color schemes. The eclectic furnishings include leopard-print settees, polka-dotted bedspreads, and velvet chairs. All rooms offer ergonomic desk chairs, high-speed Internet access available with a surcharge, and in-room safes.

And the last hotel in which I reviewed is Drake Hotel. This four-star legendary hotel lies on the Magnificent Mile. When guests enter the palatial lobby of this ten-story hotel, they are greeted by a grand era reaching back to the 1920s – when the hotel was first built. The dÃ?©cor of the hotel is neoclassical complete with carved moldings, crystal chandeliers, and jacquard-rose curtains. And to insure all of you historic hounds out there are satisfied, the Drake Hotel is listed on the National Resister of Historic Places. Some of the various amenities the Drake Hotel offers its guests is The Palm Court which hosts a traditional English tea each afternoon, and the hotel’s Cape Cod room, which features a wood bar with carved signatures of Marilyn Monroe, Joe DiMaggio, and other celebrities. A shopping arcade houses an art gallery, jeweler, florist, gift shop, and Chanel boutique. This downtown hotel offers 30,000 square feet of event space, including two ballrooms, with high-speed Internet access available to all guests for a surcharge. Here is an insider tip: the Drake Hotel’s highly connected concierge can secure premier seats to concerts, symphonies, operas, and theater performances – including those that are sold out – and arrange for tables at restaurants, even when no reservations are available. So absolutely, take advantage of the Drake Hotel’s concierge service. This ten-story hotel has 537 guestrooms, all of which include minibars, terry-cloth robes, Gilchrist & Soames bath products, and complimentary premium channels. There is also high-speed Internet access available in all rooms for a surcharge. Also, complimentary nightly turndown service with chocolates and ice delivery is available upon request.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

The Drake Hotel Chicago
140 East Walton Place
Chicago, Illinois 60611
USA

The House of Blues Hotel
333 North Dearborn Street
Chicago, Illinois 60610
USA

The Westin Michigan Avenue Chicago
909 North Michigan Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60611
USA