DK Travel : Chicago

Big-city sophistication combined with small-town hospitality create the perfect blend in this, the Mid west’s largest city. Chicago’s influential architecture, cuisine for every budget and taste, great shopping, diverse ethnic neighborhoods, and outstanding museums are reason enough for a visit. And the icing on the cake? The city boasts a lakefront and park system that are as beautiful as they are recreational.

The Drake

Popular with visiting celebrities and royalty, this is the grande dame of Chicago hotels, which effortlessly blends modern convenience with the charm of days gone by. Each of the 535 tastefully decorated rooms and suites is unique: many offer breathtaking views.
The Duke of Perth

This Scottish pub hits the mark, with nearly 90 varieties of single-malt whisky and plenty of Celtic paraphernalia and music.
The El

Originally called the Union Loop, this system of elevated trains came about after the 1871: Great Chicago Fire when the city was rebuilt with such unexpected success that, within 20 years, its streets could no longer handle the influx of people, streetcars, and horses filling them. Today, three lines ring the business district – the Orange, Purple, and Brown lines – with three others connecting it to destinations farther afield (see Elevated Trains).
The Hilton Chicago

When it opened in 1927, The Hilton was the world’s largest hotel. Popular with many former US presidents, it oozes opulence, especially the Versailles-inspired Grand Ballroom. The Executive Class King Lakeview rooms offer the best views.
The Hilton Chicago

Wrongly accused and convicted of murder, Dr. Richard Kimble (Harrison Ford) dodges the authorities led by Tommy Lee Jones to prove his innocence in The Fugitive (1993). He winds up in a pulse-pounding chase through this grand hotel onto its roof, down its elevator shaft, and into the hotel’s laundry room.
The Inn at Lincoln Park

This hotel’s Tudor-style exterior, Victorian lobby, and wagon-wheel trim are best described as eclectic. And while the rooms are definitely no-frills, the complimentary breakfast, and exercise room are real draws.
The Peace Museum

Art, history, and politics as seen through a pacifist’s prism: the Peace Museum houses a 10,000-item collection, including sculpture, banners, and lithographs. Rotating exhibits cover themes such as 20th-century peace movements, the AIDS quilt, and art from Japanese A-bomb survivors.
The Raphael

This former nurses’ residence, built in the 1920s, now aptly bills itself as a quaint little hotel with old-world charm. The general effect is light and spacious, though some of the rooms and furnishings are a little tired.
The Rookery

One of the earliest remaining skyscrapers, this 1888 Chicago landmark combines traditional wall-bearing and newer steel frame construction. The latter made it possible for its architects, Burnham and Root, to design an open interior, with office spaces set around a central light well.
The Rookery

This 11-story building, with its rusticated red granite base, was the country’s largest office building and a precursor to modern skyscrapers when it was completed in 1888 by Burnham and Root (see Top 10 Architects). Its stunning skylit lobby was redesigned in 1907 by Frank Lloyd Wright (see Frank Lloyd Wright’s Oak Park), who added a grand staircase and hanging light fixtures, both of which carry his signature circle-in-square motif. The building’s unusual name refers to the rooks that once roosted at the site.

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Hotel price categories

For a standard, double room per night (with breakfast if included), taxes and extra charges.
- under $100
- $100–200
- $200–300
- $300–400
- over $400