There are 140 hotels in downtown Chicago with a range of prices and amenities. July is not prime season for major conventions, so you may find a bargain at the huge, convention-oriented hotels (e.g., The Hilton on South Michigan Ave., Palmer House, Hyatt Riverwalk, Sheraton Grand Chicago Riverwalk, Westin River North). With buses running up and down Michigan Ave., hotels located in River North and Streeterville (areas just north of the river) are also good choices.
But…. given the theme of the conference, you may wish to stay at a hotel that has retained its architectural significance through adaptive reuse and/or a visually stunning restoration. Here are some to consider:
$—Most Economical
The J.Ira & Nicki Harris Family Hostel —This is one of America’s best hostels offering safe, clean, quality accommodations. Spacious gender-separated dorm rooms with either 4, 8 or 10 beds, many with ensuite bathrooms. All dormitory rooms have individual lockers for personal belongings. The hostel also offers private rooms with shared ensuite bathrooms that also share a lounge/seating area. Although the accommodations are contemporary, the building dates to 1886. At one time it housed the Encyclopedia Britannica printing presses.
$$—A Moderate Expense
Vrbo and Airbnb—With a significant downtown residential population living in moderate-to-high-end condos, owners of these private residences offer bookings. Some condos feature adaptive reuse of historically significant buildings.
Hampton Inn Chicago Downtown/N Loop/Michigan Ave—The building was originally the Chicago Motor Club Building designed by Holabird & Root in 1928 in an Art Deco style. The Automobile Club of America (later the AAA Chicago Motor Club) was an advocacy group that challenged Americans’ resistance to automobiles (so dangerous), supported road infrastructure, pioneered safety programs, and offered the first mapping services for drivers. The building retains significant architectural character, including an iconic classic car display and a restored lobby that still attests with maps on the walls to an era when cars were novel and driving across America was a risk worth taking.
Staypineapple —Set within the Reliance Building, a National Historic Landmark from 1895–97 that is a noted forerunner of modern skyscrapers, the Reliance was one of the earliest buildings to prioritize expansive windows and slender steel framing that defined the early Chicago School of architecture. Staypineapple’s renovation thoughtfully preserves key features of the building.
Virgin Hotels Chicago Loop—A 1926–28 Art Deco high-rise originally the Old Dearborn Bank Building, known for ornate terra-cotta decoration, the building has been restored and reopened as Virgin’s Chicago flagship.
The Palmer House— One of the oldest and most storied hotels in the U.S., the Palmer House dates back (in its current form) to the 1920s and has roots in Chicago’s post-fire rebuilding era. The hotel’s lavish interior architecture—rich with historic ballrooms, decorative plasterwork, and ornate public spaces—reflects the Gilded Age ambition that helped establish Chicago as a major cultural and social destination. Bertha Palmer, wife of the hotelier, collected the Impressionists painters when no one in Paris would buy their work. Her collection is now the core of the Art Institute of Chicago’s Impressionist collection. Raise your glass to her at the hotel bar! [As I write this, the Palmer House room rate is lower than the Hampton Inn Downtown, even though the Palmer is usually grouped with the hotels listed below and Hampton Inns are a midscale US brand].
$$$ – Priced for Business Travel
LondonHouse Chicago— Located the convergence of Michigan Avenue and the Chicago River, LondonHouse is an adaptive reuse project in the historic London Guarantee & Accident Building (1923), a Beaux-Arts skyscraper designed by Alfred S. Alschuler and designated a Chicago Landmark.
Pendry Chicago—Housed in the historic Carbide & Carbon Building (1929), this Art Deco treasure was designed by the Burnham Brothers. The tower’s striking dark green terra cotta and gold leaf accents with allusions to a champagne bottle at its top were intended as a bold emblem of Chicago’s commercial optimism in the late 1920s. The Pendry has been recently restored and offers a stunning display of its original Art Deco architectural character.
Intercontinental Chicago— began life in 1929 as the Medinah Athletic Club, a lavish club for the Shriners, designed by Walter W. Ahlschlager. Today, it stands as a flagship property on Michigan Avenue, with historic spaces and detailing that recall its club origins alongside modern hospitality. Its architectural pedigree and prominent location make it an appealing choice for visitors who want a classic Chicago experience.
Chicago Athletic Association Hotel—This lavish 1893 Venetian Gothic landmark by Henry Ives Cobb was originally a private athletic club for men. The club sponsored a number of Chicago sports teams, and had a ten-year waiting list for members early in the twentieth century. Restored as a hotel, it’s an almost perfect time capsule except that women are welcome now. Hotelier John Pritzker, head of the development team, has said that he will never break even on the money he put into the restoration—it was a labor of love as his quest for historical detail and accuracy became an increasingly expensive undertaking. If you choose not to stay at this hotel, but would like a tour of the amazing restoration, tours are offered Monday-Friday at 2 pm or Saturday and Sunday at 11:30 am.
The Gwen Hotel (Magnificent Mile) —The Hotel’s exterior preserves the sculptural façade of the former McGraw–Hill Building, with architectural ornamentation by Chicago sculptor Gwen Lux. A Chicago native, Lux was a pioneer among women sculptors. Her best-known works are at Radio City Music Hall and on the façade of the Gwen Hotel. Reincarnated as part of a contemporary hotel, The Gwen celebrates Chicago’s 20th-century architectural heritage in a distinctively artistic way.
The Blackstone (Michigan Ave./South Loop) —Now restored, this 1910 landmark is associated with early 20th-century luxury. Designed by Marshall & Fox, it has a strong Beaux-Arts / Second Empire influence.