10 Famous Hotels In Chicago
Discover the Most Prominent Hotels in Chicago
The most famous hotels in Chicago offer memorable accommodations for any traveler visiting the Windy City. Architecture buffs will find several styles to appreciate. Some of the famous hotels have storied histories, and today they combine that history with modern conveniences.
Many of Chicago’s hotels are known for the guests they’ve served, from famous celebrities to U.S. presidents to British royalty. Of course, the hotels have a lot to see beyond their doorsteps. There’s the Magnificent Mile, with world-class shopping and restaurants to please any appetite. The Museum Campus is a can’t-miss destination when visiting Chicago, and a few of the city’s best hotels are nearby.
1. The Drake Hotel Chicago
Famous feature of Chicago’s skyline for over 100 years
Good for: History, Food, Luxury
The Drake Hotel Chicago offers visitors a sense of the Windy City’s history. The Drake has 535 guest rooms, including 74 suites. It opened with great fanfare in 1920, and today it anchors the north side of the Magnificent Mile. The stretch down Michigan Avenue is known as Chicago’s fashion district and it features hundreds of shops and restaurants.
Guests of The Drake will have access to its iconic dining options, from the Coq d’Or restaurant and piano lounge to the Palm Court with its traditional afternoon tea service. Famous guests of The Drake include Charles Lindburgh, Walt Disney, George Gershwin, and Bing Crosby. The Drake is on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Drake Hotel Chicago
2. The Hilton Chicago
Massive hotel overlooking Grant Park
Good for: Luxury, Business, Couples
Hilton Chicago sits across from Grant Park and is within walking distance of several of the Windy City’s most popular tourist destinations. It’s a short walk to Buckingham Fountain and not much further to Soldier Field for sporting events or the Museum Campus. The campus is home to the Adler Planetarium, the Shedd Aquarium, and the Field Museum of Natural History.
Hilton Chicago was the largest hotel in the world with 3,000 guest rooms when it opened its doors as the Stevens Hotel in 1927. It now has 1,544 guest rooms, 235,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, and an expansive fitness center with a heated indoor lap pool, seasonal sundeck, and saunas.
The Hilton Chicago
3. Congress Plaza Hotel
Built in 1893, and billed as the “Home of Presidents”
Good for: History, Luxury, Couples
The opulent Congress Plaza Hotel mixes modern amenities with history. It was built in 1893 to house visitors who were coming to the World’s Columbian Exposition. The Congress Plaza is centrally located for visiting some of Chicago’s most famous tourist sites, from the Art Institute to the Museum Campus.
Congress Plaza Hotel is a popular host for weddings and special events. Self-billed as the “Home of Presidents,” the Congress Plaza Hotel has welcomed presidents including Teddy Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and Grover Cleveland. Its iconic red neon sign helps define Chicago’s skyline when viewed from Lake Michigan and Grant Park.
Congress Plaza Hotel
4. Palmer House, a Hilton Hotel
The longest continually operating hotel in North America
Good for: History, Luxury, Photo
The Palmer House, the longest continually operating hotel in North America, is a 25-story Beaux Arts-style hotel in Chicago’s Theater District. It features a 2-story gilded lobby with a formal staircase and a ceiling depicting Greek mythology. In recent years, the Palmer House has undergone a $170 million renovation.
Potter’s Bar inside the Palmer House pays homage to the Prohibition-era speakeasy, with time-honored classic cocktails such as the Chicago Fizz. Fun fact: The brownie was invented at the hotel. The recipe for the Palmer House Brownie, made with a fudge-like density and topped with a walnut and apricot glaze, dates to 1893. It appeared in the Sears Roebuck Catalog in 1898.
Palmer House, a Hilton Hotel
5. Intercontinental Chicago
Luxury hotel on the Magnificent Mile
Good for: History, Food, Luxury
The InterContinental Chicago is a luxury hotel that will please fans of architecture and history. Built in 1929 the InterContinental combines modern touches while embracing its historic origins. One of its most famous features is the 14th-floor swimming pool, with its Spanish tiles. It is supported by a system used by railroad bridges.
Located in the River North District on the Magnificent Mile, the InterContinental is near several famous Chicago attractions, but the hotel’s visitors will be lured by its 32nd-floor lounge or a meal at Michael Jordan’s Steakhouse. After InterContinental purchased the property in 1988, rooms were meticulously replicated from a 1930 yearbook.
Intercontinental Chicago
6. Ambassador Chicago
Boutique hotel dating to 1926
Good for: History, Luxury, Photo
The Ambassador Chicago is a boutique hotel located in the Gold Coast area of Chicago near the Magnificent Mile and features views of Lake Michigan. It is a short walk to the south side of Lincoln Park. As visitors enter the hotel they will find vaulted ceilings, ornate decor, and breath-taking artwork.
The Ambassador was featured in the film North by Northwest, and Alfred Hitchcock stayed in the Mediterranean Suite while directing the movie. The hotel’s signature restaurant, The Ambassador Room, originally opened as The Pump Room in 1938. It has served many famous guests over the years and continues to serve locals and world travelers.
Ambassador Chicago
7. Staypineapple Chicago
Boutique hotel in the Loop with a fun vibe
Good for: Luxury, Unusual, Couples
Located at the corner of Washington and State in the heart of the Chicago Loop, Staypineapple is a boutique hotel just steps from a multitude of shopping and dining options. The Picasso, a 160-ton sculpture by Pablo Picasso, is a block away. The hotel exudes a fun vibe and touts its Naked Experience with European-style duvets and plush robes and towels.
Want to bring your pooch along with you? Staypineapple was named the most pet-friendly hotel brand by Good Housekeeping in 2024. Your pampered pet will have their own dog bed, treat tin, a collapsible water bowl, and more. Other amenities include a Core Welcome Drink and Pineapple Bikes.
Staypineapple Chicago
8. The Blackstone, Autograph Collection
Luxury hotel with views of Grant Park, Lake Michigan
Good for: History, Luxury, Photo
Opened in 1910, the Blackstone is a luxury hotel located on Michigan Avenue across from Grant Park with views of the park and Lake Michigan. It is considered a prime example of Beaux-Arts architecture. The Blackstone doubles as an art museum, with more than 1,600 works of art found throughout the hotel.
The Blackstone has 335 rooms and suites that feature a mix of historic architecture and contemporary design. It has a history of hosting the rich and famous, from Al Capone to Harry Truman to the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. The Blackstone is on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Blackstone, Autograph Collection
9. 21c Museum Hotel Chicago
A boutique hotel with a contemporary art museum
Good for: History, Luxury, Unusual
21c Museum Hotel Chicago offers bright, airy rooms and an art museum that is open 24 hours a day and 365 days a year. The museum is free, open to the public, and it features rotating exhibitions and commissioned installations.
The Tudor Revival building opened in 1927, and pianist Oscar Peterson and trumpeter Harry James both played within the hotel when it was known as the Croydon Hotel. Located at the corner of Ontario and always-bustling Rush Street in the River North area, 21c Chicago is one block from the Magnificent Mile. It is a boutique hotel with 297 rooms and 106 suites.
21c Museum Hotel Chicago
10. Silversmith Hotel Chicago
Boutique hotel with a history dating to 1897
Good for: Luxury, Couples, History
Guests at the Silversmith Hotel Chicago will experience a boutique hotel that offers contemporary comfort with a nod to the past. The hotel has 144 guest rooms with 12-ft. ceilings and large walk-in showers. The Pure Wellness Rooms offer superior indoor air quality and anti-viral and anti-microbial safeguards.
The Silversmith was built in 1897 in Chicago’s Jewelers Row District, steps away from Michigan Avenue and the Art Institute of Chicago. The Silversmith Building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997, and the hotel earned a spot on the 2024 Top 25 Best of Adaptive Reuse List by the Historic Hotels of America.
Silversmith Hotel Chicago
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