These new (and newly renovated) properties in Chicago have meeting rooms, conference facilities, ballrooms, and outdoor spaces that can accommodate groups small and large. So consider these hotels for events, meetings, seminars, and business entertaining.
1. Famous hotelier Ian Schrager will open the first property of his new brand, Public, in Chicago this fall. Taking over the former Ambassador East Hotel in the Gold Coast, Public Chicago will offer 10 meeting rooms, a full business center, 285 guest rooms, and lobby spaces with communal work tables and computer stations known as the living room and the library. A lounge area off the library will serve as a screening room or event space. New York-based chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten will oversee the menu of the on-site restaurant, which will offer farm-to-table fare, Asian small plates, and a '40s-inspired bar area.
2. The Langham Hospitality Group, which owns properties in Boston, Pasadena, and London, recently announced plans to bring a riverfront hotel to Chicago in 2013. In a Mies van der Rohe-designed structure currently known as the I.B.M. building, the Langham Chicago will have 20,000 square feet of meeting space. Other amenities will include 320 guest rooms, three eateries with offerings ranging from tea service to alfresco dining space, and a 9,000-square-foot holistic spa.
3. Slated to open in the fall, the Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel will take over 18 floors of the mixed-use Aqua skyscraper on North Columbus Drive. The $125 million property will have 334 guest rooms and a private party suite with a catering kitchen. Additional perks will include a spa, a 12,5000-square-foot ballroom, and 27,000 square feet of meeting space.
4. In April, the Renaissance Chicago North Shore Hotel began a $7.5 million renovation. Slated to wrap up in 2012, the project will result in revamped meeting spaces and ballrooms. The lobby, restaurants, and ballrooms will also get new wall coverings, carpeting, and bedding, and the hotel's Wi-Fi network will be upgraded. The property's 22,000 square feet of event space includes 18 meeting rooms, two ballrooms, and top-floor event space the Greenery.
5. Chicago's first JW Marriott opened in the financial district in November. In a former bank building that underwent a $396 million restoration, the hotel offers 610 guest rooms. Some 44,000 square feet of meeting space includes 36 breakout rooms and two ballrooms. The grand ballroom is 8,500 square feet, and the Burnham Ballroom is 6,000 square feet. Each meeting space is equipped with wireless high-speed Internet and videoconferencing capabilities.
6. The boutique Hotel Palomar opened in March 2010. The River North venue houses 261 guest rooms. Some 5,800 square feet of event space includes a 2,555-square-foot ballroom, and the hotel can host meetings for 160 or receptions for 300. For overnight guests, perks include an enclosed rooftop pool and in-room spa services.
7. Open since December 2009, the Elysian is a luxury hotel in the Gold Coast. On the fifth floor, function spaces include the Sinclair Ballroom, which can host receptions for 270. The Fitzgerald Boardroom can accommodate meetings for 12, and the Hemingway Salon can hold receptions for 100 or meetings for 36. The hotel also offers two restaurants, 188 guest rooms, and a 14,000-square-foot health club and spa.
8. In April 2009, Hotel Felix opened on the border of River North and the Gold Coast. The LEED-certified property overtook a 1920s building after a $50 million renovation. On a mezzanine overlooking the main lobby, two meeting rooms, Brook and Terra, offer classroom-style seating for 24 and 28. On the first floor, a third meeting room, called Jade, can seat 24 or host banquets for groups of 30. The 225-room hotel also has a full-service business center, breakout space, and a lounge on the mezzanine.
9. In June 2009, the Wit Hotel opened downtown. The 27-story property houses 238 guest rooms and 60 suites. The hotel's third and fourth floors are devoted to meeting rooms and event space. Named after famous intellects (or wits), the meeting rooms are dubbed the Lincoln, Churchill, Dickinson, and Wilde, and range in size from 506 to 1,050 square feet. For larger groups, a divisible ballroom spans 2,523 square feet. On the fourth floor, a 40-capacity multimedia theater called Screen can seat 40. Other features of the property include three restaurants and a spa that can be rented out for groups of 10.
10. In April 2009, SwissĂ´tel Chicago unveiled its new 50,000-square-foot event center, which houses the 14,000-square-foot Zurich Ballroom, suitable for events for 1,365. Smaller ballrooms include the 5,680-square-foot Vevey, the 2,830-square-foot Montreux, and the 2,890-square-foot St. Gallen.
