The Zen one
PARK HYATT
To be precise, Zen and the art of having your whims met before you’ve whimmed
them. Rooms are crisp and modern but ooze tranquil calm. You might be
tempted to sit crosslegged on the floor, but the designer furniture or
windowside bench will soon seduce you. Modern elements include free WiFi,
whizzy entertainment systems (including a hook-up for your iPod), electric
blinds and a plethora of switches and dimmers to play with. And the beds are
enormous. Get a room on the eastern side for views that extend over the
Water Tower, one of the few buildings to survive the great Chicago fire of
1871, and beyond to glimpses of glistening Lake Michigan. In a city that can
feel a bit old-fashioned, this hotel stands out for its modern luxury. It
even had a scent expert come in and design nice smells for the rooms.
00 1 312 335 1234, parkchicago.hyatt.com;
doubles from £217
The classic one
THE DRAKE
A grandiose foyer, a cello’s liquid tones drifting down the stairs, galactic
chandeliers, an angel on the ceiling, and oodles of brass and gold. This is
one of the oldest hotels in Chicago, established in the 1920s, and while
it’s changed hands a zillion times, white-glove service has been a constant.
All rooms have views of a Lake Michigan beach or the glitzy Magnificent Mile
designer drag. It’s an excellent location. Solid, timeless charm and plump
comforts adorn the rooms, and they have attracted the likes of the Queen,
Princess Diana, Margaret Thatcher and a string of presidents. Some of the
other guests are the best attraction, from poodle-toting New York darlings
to this week’s pop tarts. Scenes from Risky Business and My Best Friend’s
Wedding were shot here. A Chicago institution.
00 1 312 787 2200, www.thedrakehotel.com;
doubles from £79
The bargain one
THE SENECA
Being in this hotel is like watching a movie on VHS – it’s all a bit dated,
and some of the finer details have gone missing. But, amazingly, it’s
bargain-bin cheap and bang in the middle of Chicago’s ritzy bits. The
strutting darlings perusing nearby boutiques would be mortified to know that
such old-fashioned value exists on their patch. Cheapskates, on the other
hand, will rejoice in the fact that it hasn’t been renovated in
approximately for ever and yet still passes the “Would you let your mum stay
here?” test. Some rooms are a bit like small apartments, with kitchenettes,
and come complete with a certain homely charm. All in all, it’s as
comfortable and as fashionable as your favourite hand-me-down cardigan, and
you won’t have to rummage around in dark suburbs to find it.
00 1 312 787 8900, www.senecahotel.com;
doubles from £58
The hip one
THE JAMES
Not quite two years old, The James is still basking in the white-hot affection
of Chicago’s hipster crowd. There are bowls of water and dog biscuits by the
door for fashion-accessory pooches (or local mongrels that get in quick
while the smartly dressed doorman isn’t watching), not to mention gourmet
bones and cat cuisine on the menu. Tuna tartare, anyone? Beautiful people
mill around in reception, looking at each other looking wonderful. If you’re
lucky enough to be able to get a room, it will be delirious with crisp and
artsy design-mag adornments and built-in furniture. And if you can’t find
the minibar among all that, you can pop into the adjacent Jbar for a
cocktail. Hotel guests get VIP treatment – just the place to kick back with
rock stars and celebrities and the dogs that follow them home.
00 1 312 337 1000, www.jameshotels.com;
doubles from £150
The homely one
THE TALBOTT
The owners of this anglophile triumph are Chicago socialites who pop over to
the Old Country from time to time and bring back a passion for country-manor
hospitality. There are working fireplaces in the foyer, along with
chesterfield-style sofas, fox-hunt pictures and a veritable orchestra of
brass bugles scattered about. Rooms are also upper-crust comfy, with large
beds, plump furnishings, brass fittings and solid wooden furniture. While
the look is ye olde tweedy, everything else is very modern. Service is
have-a-good-day American; mod cons include free WiFi throughout, little
glowing “privacy” signs outside the doors, operated from inside the rooms,
and doorbells for those who wish to ignore them. If only they’d add a nice
hotel hunting dog, everything would be simply spiffing.
00 1 312 944 4970, www.thetalbott.com;
doubles from £80
Travel brief
Virgin Atlantic (0870 380 2007, www.virgin-atlantic.
com), British Airways (0870 850 9850, www.ba.com),
American Airlines (020 7365 0777, www.american
airlines.co.uk) and United Airlines (0845 844 4777, www.unitedairlines.co.uk)
all fly from Heathrow to Chicago O’Hare airport; BMI (0870 607 0555, www.flybmi.com)
and American also fly nonstop from Manchester. Prices start at about £400.
O’Hare airport is 17 miles from the city centre. The quickest and most
reliable way into town is on the Blue Line “L” train, which takes 45 minutes
and costs 90p, one-way.
Andrew Quested stayed as a guest of the Park Hyatt
