83 Best Hotels in Chicago, Illinois

Located in the heart of Wicker Park, this boutique luxury revival hotel has curated art deco features, a mazelike layout, and two very distinct categories of rooms: Tower Rooms, which are snug but strong on mid-century style, and industrial, family-friendly Annex Lofts. Public areas serve as a second living room for local young professionals gathering material for their next Instagram reel; don’t miss the Up Room, a 13th-floor lounge serving cocktails and an eyeful of skyline. Come summer, soak in the scene, and cool off in the tiny pool at the rooftop Cabana Club. Following a 2024 makeover that channels dolce vita vibes (think freely flowing Aperol spritzes and Mediterranean bites), the club is open to the public via day pass, but Robey guests get complimentary admission and dibs on early morning dips. 

Steps from iconic Chicago attractions, the Royal Sonesta has some of the largest standard guest rooms in Chicago, many with a river or city view. Amenities include a restaurant with outdoor patio dining, a 24-hour fitness center, and an outdoor terrace with skyline views.

Opened in early 2021, the Sable is the first hotel located right on Navy Pier in the latter's 100-plus year history. The location makes it a perfect spot to not only watch all the action on the pier but also the skyline and the fireworks that light up the summer sky. While the 50-acre Navy Pier boasts plenty of dining and drinking options, the Sable’s rooftop bar, Offshore (which covers 20,000 square feet), and Lírica Restaurant are big draws.

An urban sanctuary amid iconic attractions, this hotel calls out to families with its generously sized rooms and indoor pool, while business travelers appreciate the large amount of meeting space. And everyone loves the Chicago Burger Company, a lively riverfront restaurant. 

Don't be fooled by the tiny front entrance under the 'L'; the Silversmith's oak-covered lobby is enormous and houses a sleek, chandelier-decked restaurant and lounge. The guest rooms—with 12-foot ceilings—are also unusually large, and decorated with luxe touches like sequin-patterned wallpaper and silvery, tufted-leather headboards. The window seats are a treat. Steps from Millennium Park and the Art Institute, this hotel is ideal for art and theater lovers.

This historic property, built in 1895 by D.H. Burnham & Co. as one of the first skyscrapers, retains ornate original details including Carrara marble and wrought-iron-trimmed elevators. Rooms have historic charm (read: they're on the small side) but are comfortable, especially for the business traveler. There's also a great restaurant, Atwood, on-site that serves modern American food.

The Swissôtel's triangular Harry Weese design allows for panoramic vistas of the city, lake, or river—and the comfortable, contemporary rooms feel like condos. A 42nd-floor fitness center and pool are both a big draw, thanks to the bird's-eye views. Guests also enjoy the convenience of having a Palm steak house on the premises. Meeting rooms and an on-site UPS outlet ease the business traveler's burdens.

Built in 1927, this classic boutique hotel has an elegant and inviting lobby and guestroom accommodations that mix classic and contemporary. It strikes a happy balance, retaining a somewhat historical feel while also being eco- and tech-friendly. The Talbott is blessed with a great Gold Coast location, and guests can take advantage of a state-of-the-art fitness center with Peloton bike and FloWater purified water refill station. 

The atmosphere at this sleek spot, topped by ROOF, one of the Loop's most happening bars, is fun and youthful; the same can be said of the guest rooms, which are moderately sized and modern, with hanging wall art meant to resemble puckered lips. The hotel announces itself with a massive lightning bolt out front and winged lighting sculptures in the lobby. It's the perfect place to see and be seen; you'd never guess this is a Hilton property.

Contemporary and design-centric, this gallery-like hotel (with unique art in each room and fabulous lobby art) is known for its homey, wired rooms geared toward the business traveler. 

Just off North Michigan Avenue, this is a favorite hotel among business travelers—rooms are small but stocked with essential amenities, like desks and docking stations. If you're looking for more space, book one of the rooms at the Residences, which are equipped with full kitchens and are more like studio apartments or corporate housing. The property attracts many European budget travelers.

This Tuscan-themed bed-and-breakfast—complete with a (shared) fully stocked gourmet kitchen—allows guests all the comforts of a top-notch hotel in a residential neighborhood where such rooms can be hard to find. The common area is small but well-appointed; mahogany floors and columns, silk couches, plus an enormous hand-carved banister add a regal touch. The bathrooms, with floor-to-ceiling marble, are spacious and decadent. Be sure to visit the grotto out back; the bricks are from Italy.

The world's first Virgin Hotel offers loads of tech-age amenities: a custom app called "Lucy" lets guests check in or out remotely, order room service, control the thermostat, and more, plus there is free Wi-Fi at unlimited bandwidth, and outlets are everywhere. Decorated in red and white, the rooms (called "chambers" here) feel airy and bright; each has a dressing area and a sleeping space separated by a sliding door. Pet-friendly digs have cute porcelain dogs stationed outside.

With a clublike lobby and spacious high-tech rooms done up in graphite and cream, this financial district hotel attracts both business travelers and tourists. The sleek, modern rooms are notable for incredibly comfortable beds with upholstered leather headboards, glass-top desks, and stylish bathrooms that feature more-than-the-usual toiletries. The location is also good, as it's within walking distance of theaters, Millennium Park, and the Art Institute.

Overlooking Lake Michigan on a prime spot on Lake Shore Drive, this hotel is a sleek, contemporary escape with easy access to the Mag Mile, Navy Pier, and the rest of the city's cultural and business landscape. The lobby is part lounge, part club scene, with DJs on weekends; there's also an on-site restaurant serving American bites. The hotel's "whatever, whenever" desk—its version of a concierge service—is on call 24 hours a day.

Named a National Historic Landmark in 1999, the Allerton was a residential, 12-story "club hotel" for men when it opened in 1924; the hotel added 14 more floors in 1930, making it the tallest building on Michigan Avenue at the time. The guest rooms have been remodeled with an attractive mix of blue, white, and yellow; new king and queen beds are an added bonus. If you want to stay in the middle of it all, this is a very good choice.

Location-wise, this hotel scores big because major malls and flagship shops are steps from the front door; though once inside, the lobby seems a bit like an airport terminal—long, narrow, and full of folks tapping away on laptops. The rooms are very comfortable and furnished with specially designed Simmons Heavenly beds, which guests have raved about and even purchased. There's no restaurant on-site, but there is a Starbucks. You can book appointments for the hotel's spa through  windycitymassage.com.

One of the condo-like rooms in this small B&B is a great choice for anyone who wants to venture outside downtown Chicago and sample two of its most popular neighborhoods—Wicker Park and Bucktown. Each room is unique; all are tastefully decorated with streetscape photography, handmade beds, and hardwood floors, and some feature original fireplaces. A stylish shared kitchen serves as the main hangout space. This is a great place for a long stay.

Designed in a slightly quirky French provincial style, the cozy lobby of this small boutique hotel with a 1920's-era vibe opens onto a tree-lined street in Lakeview. The Willows is just three blocks from the lake and central to Broadway Avenue boutiques, restaurants, and movie theaters. A prime location equally close to Lincoln Park and Wrigley Field makes it a great destination for a North Side stay. 

Just blocks from the Wrigley Building and Tribune Tower, it offers impressive views of the Chicago River and the heart of downtown. Clean-lined, contemporary rooms are decorated in soothing neutral tones, and all have free Wi-Fi and iPod docks. There's also a business center and fitness center, so you can decide whether to work or work out. Hoyt's, the hotel restaurant, serves creative, Midwestern-inspired fare and has a whole menu section devoted to snacks in jars.

Hip but cozy, the Hotel Felix uses a mixture of soft browns and grays throughout; the rooms are stylish, and the lobby, decorated with glass sculptures hanging from the ceiling, is small and inviting. The views are solid and the spa is divine: ultradark and quiet, it protects visitors from outside noise.

In an often overlooked section of Chicago just east of Michigan Avenue, this hotel has a sublime 29th-floor indoor/outdoor bar with an enviable view of the city; its stylish guest rooms are contemporary and comfy. The lobby, renovated in 2013, features oversize seating and opens to a restaurant and bar offering sit-down service as well as to-go items. This place loves kids and pets and has packages tailored to both.

Built in the late 1920s and originally filled with luxury apartments, this Gold Coast boutique hotel has hosted the likes of Katharine Hepburn and Mick Jagger. It offers spacious, updated rooms in a stellar location close to Magnificent Mile shopping, Rush Street nightlife, and the Oak Street beach; high-quality linens and lots of dark wood reinforce the elite feel. Two restaurants are on-site: Fornetto Mei serves Italian dishes that include standout pizza, while Mei's Corner is a casual, street-level Asian restaurant with authentic food and decent prices for the area.