Clik here to view.
The city of Al Capone, baseball and blues has a colourful choice of hotels – offering everything from speakeasies to world-class shopping on the doorstep, or stunning views over Lake Michigan
Public
Ian Schrager unveiled the first – and so far only – location of Public, his affordable, frills-free luxury hotel chain, in Chicago's Gold Coast neighbourhood. Previously the historic Ambassador East hotel (with its restaurant and celeb haunt the Pump Room), Public epitomises Schrager's new brand of pared-down sophistication. A giant cluster of globe lights glow against an all-neutral palette (yes, beige, cream and taupe rule here) and a mirrored check-in desk is as glitzy as it gets. But the best part: there's no velvet rope in sight.
• 1301 North State Parkway, + 1 312 787 3700, publichotels.com. Doubles from $125
Wicker Park Inn
Interiors at this brownstone B&B are straightforward and unfussy – neutral colours, floral bedspreads, exposed brick walls – and the location is perfect for those who want to hang out in trendy Wicker Park. On a quiet, tree-lined block, the inn is steps away from local food and drink favourites such as Big Star and The Violet Hour, as well as Bucktown's shopping district. Room options range from standard en suite doubles to the Bucktown apartment, which has three bedrooms, a dining room and a kitchen. Guests can expect a continental breakfast – fruit, pastries, hard-boiled eggs – and many of the rooms have working fireplaces.
• 1329 North Wicker Park Avenue, +1 773 486 2743, wickerparkinn.com. Doubles from $139
Hotel Lincoln
Originally a neighbourhood hotel from the 1920s, and with the likes of Al Capone and David Mamet as former guests, this spot recently had a makeover as a boutique hotel. Now, the lobby feels less like a glamorous gangster/celeb haunt and more like a laidback community space, decked out in plaid and tweed fabrics. (Cheeky tip: act like your favourite animal during check-in and snag a free room upgrade.) The 184 rooms, many overlooking Lincoln Park, have a cheery vibe, with bright blankets and local artwork.
• 1816 North Clark Street, +1 312 254 4700, jdvhotels.com. Doubles from $139
Longman & Eagle
In the Logan Square neighbourhood, this art-centric, six-room inn sits above the cult restaurant of the same name. Everything from the wood-slat ceiling to much of the furniture was designed and built by the owners. Each of the rooms has a minibar and is decorated with local art; other creative touches include handmade wooden drink coins (for use at the bar downstairs, known for its whisky selection), mix tapes, custom wooden speakers, and hanging terrariums over the bathroom sinks.
• 2657 North Kedzie Avenue, +1 773 276 7110, longmanandeagle.com. Doubles from $85
The James
The James recently opened sleek, art-focused outposts in SoHo and Miami, but Chicago was the original. From the iconic stack of vintage suitcases as art installation to the ethereal photo wallpaper of trees along the stairwell, the unpretentious lobby is a stimulating spot to hang out. Chicago exec-types might flock to David Burke's Primehouse restaurant for steaks dry-aged with Himalayan salt, while a hipper crowd will surely rub elbows with hotel guests at the soon-to-open Bacon Bar, an artisanal sandwich shop also by Burke. Families can book a spacious one-bedroom apartment, and order Paul Frank pyjamas and colouring books for the little ones, as well as rent bikes or borrow car seats when heading out.
• 55 East Ontario Street, +1 312 337 1000, jameshotels.com. Doubles from $249
The Ruby Room
On a particularly bustling commercial stretch of Division Street, in the hip Wicker Park neighbourhood, this hotel's spacious guestrooms cut a stark yet welcome contrast to the action outside. Nestled above the full-service salon, spa and healing sanctuary of the same name, three serene rooms are fitted with a king-size bed, antiques and steam showers. Without the distraction of TVs, guests can hang out in the secret garden at the back of the building, take a yoga class, nurture their chakras, or enjoy complimentary use of a nearby gym.
• 1743-45 West Division Street, +1 773 235 2323, rubyroom.com. Doubles from $155
Old Chicago Inn (Lakeview)
The most obvious lure of the Old Chicago Inn, which is in a hulking and historic greystone, is that it's a prime location for sports fans. Four blocks from Wrigley Field, guests will be smack in the middle of the action during baseball season. For those more interested in history (and a drink), there's a lesser-known appeal: Room 13 is the Old Chicago Inn's own 1920s-era speakeasy, tucked into the garden level and open only on Friday and Saturday nights. The resident bartender, Ted Carlson, who whips up classic American cocktails using prohibition-era recipes, is a history buff who regales patrons with stories about the Chicago prohibition and gangster scene.
• 3222 North Sheffield Street, +1 773 472 2278, oldchicagoinn.com. Doubles from $100
The Talbott Hotel
One of the few remaining independent, family-owned hotels just off Michigan Avenue – better known among shopping-obsessed tourists as the Magnificent Mile. Built in 1927, the hotel was bought by current owner Basil Kromelow in the 1960s and is European in style: big on beige, carpet, heavy window treatments, and with an iconic awning out front. It may lack modern aesthetic flourishes, but it's a solid option for those who prefer the character and charms of an old hotel to the clean-lined sterility of many of the new ones nearby.
• 20 East Delaware Place, +1 312 944 4970, talbotthotel.com. Doubles from $225
MileNorth
Owned by the hotel group Destination Hotels & Resorts, this 213-room hotel offers an edgy boutique vibe, from the minute you walk into the herringbone wood-clad lobby, with its Chesterfield sofas and pops of neon yellow. Rooms are minimal, and many have vertigo-inducing floor-to-ceiling views of downtown. But if you stay at this hotel for one thing, it's the C-View, arguably one of the best rooftop terraces in the city. Sit at one of the bright orange loungers or a seat at the communal table, and soak in stunning views of the surrounding River North and the great blue Lake Michigan yonder.
• 166 East Superior Street, + 1 312 787 6000, milenorthhotel.com. Doubles from $110
Hotel Sax Chicago
Formerly the House of Blues Hotel, the luxuriously made-over Hotel Sax stands next to the iconic Corn Cob Towers, as Marina City is affectionately known. The lobby and 353 guestrooms ooze a decadence seldom found in such large hotels: think Italian marble floors, trompe l'oeil candelabras and snakeskin wing-backed club chairs, in a setting that's part glamorous, part clubby. And the trendy Crimson Lounge – all cushy velvet settees, damask wallpaper and gilded mirrors – creates its own signature scent (a pomegranate base is accented with patchouli, cardamom, cinnamon and sandalwood). The restaurant and wine bar, Bin36, and 10pin (for bowling) are connected to the hotel.
• 333 North Dearborn Street, +1 312 245 0333, hotelsaxchicago.com. Doubles from$140
Note: prices do not include local tax
Meghan McEwen writes for the travel and design blog designtripper
• For more information on holidays in the USA, visit DiscoverAmerica.com