Hotels

Every detail in this beautiful city bolthole has been carefully considered, from the fresh pastries in the butler’s pantry to the Malin+Goetz products in each en-suite bathroom – and keep an eye out for pugs Angus and Louie. Owner Kimberly Lowery sourced the modern and vintage furniture herself. “I spent two years travelling around the US to flea markets, antiques shops and auctions,” says Lowery. She moved from Melbourne to Chicago in 2014 and opened the 11-room hotel three years later. The name stems from the building’s original purpose: it started life in 1909 as the Free Methodist Publishing House.

Belonging to the impressive portfolio of Mexico-based Grupo Habita, The Robey is a celebration of Chicago’s fine architectural history housed in a soaring wedge of a tower block from 1929 and the adjoining brick warehouse. The 89-room hotel has been through a few reconfigurations since it first moved to Wicker Park in 2016 but it became an instant neighbourhood anchor: crowds of locals and visitors alike sip cocktails at the rooftop bar or tuck into brunch in the American bistro-style restaurant on the ground floor. The interiors marry original art deco features with mid-century accents, giving the property the air of a moody Edward Hopper painting, and come courtesy of Belgian design duo Nicolas Schuybroek Architects and Marc Merckx Interiors. Oh, and in summer there’s a small pool open to the public.

This Venetian gothic marvel overlooking Millennium Park was built in 1893 as a members-only men’s club for the Chicago Athletic Association, which it remained until 2007. The hotel in its place is an ode to the building’s history, featuring lifts lined with original fencing floors, wooden carvings depicting sportsmen who graced the club throughout the years, and a basketball court. Paintings and trophies discovered in the building have been reinstalled as part of the hotel’s decor. If you look closely you’ll find a familiar logo dotted around: the “C” of the Chicago Athletic Association was supposedly modified for the Chicago Cubs.