9 Best Hotels in River North, Chicago

With some of the best views in Chicago, the Trump International Hotel & Tower attracts power brokers, women in fur coats, and anyone else who is prepared to pay for top-of-the-line luxury. The spacious, elegant guest rooms have muted gray walls, cream-color couches, and chocolate-brown furniture; each has its own small kitchen, plus a TV inside the bathroom mirror. The full-service spa is immense, and the on-site restaurant and bars are outstanding. If you book a suite, a chauffeur will drive you around town.

Chic yet comfy, the guest rooms in this hot boutique hotel have an earthy palette and clean-lined wood fururnishings; it's ideal crash pad for the young trendy travelers that are seen buzzing around the lobby and also the innovative rooftop lounge, Apogee. In terms of sweeping views, it's tough to beat those from this hangout that attracts locals and visitor alike. Note that Dana makes creative use of recycled materials; the spa's flooring (made of crushed beer bottles) looks like high-end marble.

Rooms here are arranged around an 11-story, plant-filled atrium lobby, making efficient use of space. All suites have separate living rooms with a pullout sofa, four-person dining table, and an extra TV. A 24-hour business center, plus a complimentary full breakfast each morning and cocktails each evening are especially appealing to business travelers. The indoor pool and fitness center are added perks, as is the renowned on-site restaurant, Osteria Via Stato.

Tech-minded travelers who like to mix business with pleasure will feel right at home at this hotel, which has what worker bees need (generously sized in-room desks with multiple outlets) and what party animals want (a sizzling rooftop bar, I|O Godfrey). Rooms have glittering city views and start at 350 square feet. An on-site spa with two treatment rooms offers 30-minute massages that are perfect for the corporate crowd.

With cheerful rooms and nicely designed public spaces, the Hotel Cass is a true boutique property that bears little resemblance to more generic branches in the Holiday Inn chain. The crisp white lobby is sparse and elegant, and the dramatic red hallway is offset with humorous portraits. Accommodations are modern and bright, with green headboards that nearly reach the ceiling and artwork that includes photos of 1950s fashion icons; subway-style tiles in the bathroom hark back to the 1920s.

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.

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.