Chicago: Where to Stay: Grand: Four Seasons Hotel Chicago

Four Seasons Hotel Chicago

For years the Four Seasons sported an English-country-manor aesthetic, with public rooms full of mahogany secretaries, hunting prints, carved marble fireplaces, floral fabrics and splashing fountains. Though certainly very grand and comfortable, in a design-forward city like Chicago, it had begun to feel rather old-fashioned next to its sexier counterparts, such as the Peninsula. Realizing the hotel needed freshening up, Four Seasons hired Pierre-Yves Rochon, known for the George V, in Paris, to usher in a more contemporary look as part of a three-phase renovation to be completed in 2009. Part of the lobby has already been redone, as have most of the 343 rooms, many of which now highlight the water views by incorporating the lake’s soothing colors: slate blue, gray, nickel. Posh touches: Anichini bed linens, flat-screen TVs, marble bathrooms and L’Occitane toiletries. Being in transition, of course, means there’s an odd visual disconnect from one room to the next in a number of places: from the lobby to the lounge, for instance, and from the renovated rooms to the old hallways. Still, the hotel is hugely popular and has a great reputation for amenities, especially for families, and for service. (Click here to learn more about staying with kids.) The 8,000-square-foot spa includes an attractive pool. Rooms from $625.