In honor of Earth Day, here's a look at new Chicago restaurants, corporate event venues, hotels, conference centers, and private rooms that factor the environment into their design or operations. Many of these new and renovated Chicago venues have LEED certification from the U.S. Green Buildings Council or another certification group. They can accommodate groups large or small for private and corporate events, conferences, meetings, weddings, business dinners, teambuilding activities, cocktail parties, and more.
The InterContinental Chicago completed a $13 million renovation on its Historic Tower—which is now called the Executive Tower— in March. The tower's 315 guest rooms and corridors have a modernized look, and the updates to the tower mark the end of a two-year renovation of the entire property. As a whole, the hotel has 792 guest rooms, and its 40,000 square feet of meeting and event space encompasses four ballrooms and 26 meeting rooms. The hotel was the first Chicago property to receive an Energy Star rating. It also has electric vehicle chargers in its garage and uses the Marathon Eco-Safe Digester for Organic Waste to turn waste into liquid.
The Renaissance Chicago Downtown Hotel will complete a $27 million renovation to its lobby and guest rooms at the end of April. The new lobby includes theme areas such as the Artist Studio, Coffee Bar, Library, and the seasonal restaurant Staytion. The hotel has 520 guest rooms and 40 suites, and its 34,800 square feet of meeting space includes 24 meeting rooms. Green programming includes fluorescent lightbulbs on sensors in public and event spaces, collateral material printed on recycled paper, an active recycling program, locally sourced food options, and coolers or pitchers of water in meeting rooms.
Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers is undergoing a $25 million renovation that will wrap up in May. The renovation includes the implementation of energy conservation initiatives such as eco-friendly lighting and upgraded recycling efforts. The hotel's 1,214 rooms and suites have already been updated; there have also been updates to the lobby, the bilevel Executive Club lounge, and the fitness center. Additionally, a new waterfront lounge called the CBC Lounge serves cocktails and light snacks. In May, renovations to the meeting rooms will be complete. The hotel has 12,000 square feet of meeting space and can hold 4,600 guests. At 40,000 square feet, the Sheraton Chicago ballroom is billed as the largest in the Midwest. The hotel also has smaller spaces for executive-level board meetings and breakout sessions. Its Green Meetings package offers options such as an organic dinner that includes interaction with a local farmer and a "Green Casino" night.
From the team behind Pure Kitchen Catering and City View Loft, Hub Studio Loft hosted its grand opening in January. The West Loop timber loft spans 10,000 square feet and has an industrial look with exposed brick walls. With an open floor plan, a sound stage, and skyline views, the venue seats 150 and has valet parking. A fully landscaped green space, set to open later this year, will hold alfresco cocktail receptions. The venue offers LED lighting, locally sourced and organic menus, eco-friendly cleaning products, and ample natural light.
Open since 2013, the Langham Chicago received its LEED Gold certification in March. In a 52-story tower designed by Mies van der Rohe, the hotel has a spa; a seasonal American restaurant, bar, and lounge; 316 guest rooms; and 15,000 square feet of event space. The largest single space is the Devonshire Ballroom. At 4,725 square feet, the room holds 500 for receptions or seats 350 theater-style. Green programming at the hotel includes an in-house recycling program, a temperature-controlled thermostat and lighting system in each guest room, energy-saving lightbulbs, a compost system for kitchen waste, and a pest-management system that eliminates the need for frequent pesticide application.
Hotel Allegro, a Kimpton property, is in the second phase of a $15 million renovation that will include updates to its lobby, public spaces, guest rooms, and meeting spaces. Kimpton Hotels has more than 100 eco-friendly practices in place at its properties, including the use of nontoxic cleaning supplies, organic coffee, and minimized water consumption. The hotel, which is Green Key certified, completed a renovation of two event spaces—the first part of the renovation— in July 2014. The Crescendo Room has new artwork and decorative feathers on its ceiling. The space can be enclosed to host private dinners or cocktail receptions of 18 guests. The Green Room also has a new design. At 2,884 square feet, the space holds 170 for meetings or 250 for receptions. A small area can be sectioned off to host small meetings for eight. The Green Room's cozy prefunction area has a fireplace, hardwood floors, and French doors. The Historic Walnut Ballroom (pictured) can host conferences for 60 or receptions for 400. The second stage of the renovation is scheduled to wrap up by May.Â
On Michigan Avenue, Omni Chicago Hotel completed a $17 million update this spring. The renovation included updates to the hotel's restaurant and bar; the ballrooms, meeting rooms, and public spaces were also updated. The hotel has nine ballrooms, including the Chagall, which holds 245 for receptions. At the on-site 676 Restaurant and Bar, green programming includes using local ingredients from farms and Chicago's Green City Market; the hotel also has its own organic garden on its fifth-floor sundeck.
Atwood, the restaurant at Hotel Burhnam, reopened in March after a three-month renovation that included an update to the dining room and an expansion to the bar area. The eatery serves seasonal American fare, with dishes including duck-fat fried chicken, focaccia and leek bread pudding, and cumin lamb and pork meatballs. The dining room, which seats 75 guests, is available for full or partial buyout. The restaurant is Green Seal certified, and chef Brian Millman follows the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch guidelines. The renovation to the restaurant was the first stage in an overall $4.1 million renovation, which will wrap up this spring. Hotel Burnham itself is Green Key certified.
The W Lakeshore Hotel unveiled its $38 million renovation in June 2014. The top-to-bottom redesign included renovations to the hotel's 13,700 square feet of meeting space. Meeting rooms are housed on the first, sixth, seventh, and 33rd floors. On the top floor, Altitude (pictured) is a 3,800-square-foot banquet room with slanted windows offering views of Lake Michigan and Navy Pier; it holds 350 for receptions. Current, the hotel's new farm-to-table restaurant, provides catering for all on-site functions. Menu items include pan-seared free-range chicken breast and hand-rolled cheese ravioli. The property has a list of environmental practices that include energy-efficient lighting in guest rooms and public areas, alternatives to plastic bottled water, sustainable food and beverage options, elimination of Styrofoam packaging, and preferred parking for eco-friendly cars.
The Goddess & Grocer, a deli, bakery, sandwich shop, and caterer, opened a new Bucktown location across the street from its former outpost in March 2014. The venue has a second-floor dining room with a rooftop patio; overall the space seat as many as 80 guests. The venue specializes in organic fare, and menu items include chopped vegetable salads, tofu banh mi wraps, and oversize slices of cake. There's an in-house recycling program, and the venue uses disposables that can be composted.Â
