Lucky 312 Planners
I traveled to Chi City to experience the city’s St. Patrick’s Day greening from the lofty heights of Hyatt’s new headquarters on North Riverside overlooking a bend in the mighty river. Angled ceilings in the soaring glass lobby welcome visitors to the organic interpretation of hospitality upstairs.
A history wall going back to 1957, when Jay Pritzker purchased the first Hyatt House motel adjacent to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), was a visual reminder of the heights the hospitality company has climbed. A test kitchen and communal coffee center are an extension of the company’s “care” value.
I couldn’t believe my luck when I learned that the brilliant speaker and Chicago native Shelley Brown lived just down the street and was available to join me for some lobby hopping in search of the best chandelier pics. Look what we found.
Meet & Stay
My adventure started at Hyatt Regency Chicago on Wacker Dr., a meetings headquarters with 240,000 sq. ft. of meeting space and more than 2,000 guest rooms over two towers. A $150 million renovation to celebrate the signature property’s 50th anniversary finishes up in January to brighten the flexible meeting space. This was in addition to a 2013 renovation that opened up the two-story lobby as
a modern open gathering space, including mirrored light fixtures. I loved seeing multiple group activations, including a fun build-out of the already architecturally interesting Crystal Ballroom.
Read More: Midwest/Chicago
At Park Hyatt Chicago’s Tony address on North Michigan Avenue, city and lake views are always on the menu at NoMI and in the adjacent boardroom. Wellbeing Suites featuring Bryte Balance Restorative Intelligence beds harken back to the company’s duty of care ethos.
Thompson Chicago, perched vibrantly on Bellevue Place, delivers a fun, artsy vibe in the open guest rooms, newly refreshed meeting space and private dining area tucked behind Tavern on Rush. The return of Carmine’s Chicago to the neighborhood had everyone drooling.
Eat
Five-star The Peninsula Chicago blends Far Eastern graciousness with Midwestern hospitality in the elegant, white crown-molding-topped The Lobby restaurant, where lobster and caviar topped with shaved truffle is served for breakfast under a cascade of gold and crystal chandeliers.
Read More: Midwest: The Center of It All
Newly reimagined Four Seasons Hotel Chicago on the Magnificent Mile echoed the dramatic lighting in soaring ceilings with expanses of white marble, while live music brought the experience back to a human scale in the lobby and in Adorn Restaurant. Those umami truffles make an appearance in the dining room here on fries, in jus and in butter melting on prime flat iron steaks.
Do
A visit to stately Chanel-inspired Waldorf Astoria Chicago in Gold Coast through a sheltered courtyard driveway with a bubbling fountain is an event. The grand chateau-style property reopened in 2022, featuring colorful-cozy Peacock Lounge on the main floor and a 2,400-square-foot Presidential Suite with a fireplace and two 26th-floor terraces. For the pièce de résistance in any light fixture hunt, Sinclair Ballroom is topped with pairs of candle-lit pendants draped in crystals.
