Walking the tree-lined sidewalks of the highrise-packed Chicago neighborhood that is Streeterville, your eyes can’t help but be drawn to the metallic mosaic facade of Hotel EMC2. Named for Albert Einstein’s famous equation (E = mc2) and greeting guests with a Leonardo DaVinci quote on the lobby wall, this hotel is far from subtle in its intent to present as both smart and cultured. With colorful art aplenty and a pair of cute robot attendants to cater to your every need, it has more personality and pizzazz than most of the neighboring hotels combined.
Why stay at Hotel EMC2?
EMC2 opened in 2017 and is part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection, a network of independent operators with a boutique hotel feel. If you’re in town to visit Chicago’s art, history or science museums or top-notch cultural institutions—whether Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Joffrey Ballet or Lyric Opera—chances are you’ll fully appreciate the theme at play here. Details throughout channel the art-and-science concept, from the swirly amoeba-like pattern on the hallway carpets to digital frames displaying a rotating array of sketches and paintings. Some of the hotel’s most clever details (like the three destination elevators named R, G and B) might be lost on visitors not in town for a design conference, but they’re a smirk-worthy Easter egg for those who clock them.
What are the rooms like at Hotel EMC2?
The hotel’s 195 rooms have either one queen, two queens or one king bed, some with views of surrounding downtown buildings and slices of Lake Michigan visible in between surrounding highrises to the east. Rooms are compact in size but well-designed. With ebony floor planks in a herringbone pattern, mercury glass accents and a caramel leatherette headboard on the bed, my room felt like the parlor of a trendy social club.
Decorative copper piping runs throughout the room, holding up a dish of toiletries next to the bathroom vanity as well as an art panel above the bed that depicts a fever dream of a scene: crashing waves blurring into an eyeless face melting into a thick front of clouds. See that trumpet-like horn extending up from the desk? You can insert your phone above it to amplify your favorite tunes or podcast. A black perforated metal cabinet conceals a mini-fridge, Keurig coffee maker and ice bucket, topped off with a globe lamp inside that lights up the whole piece of furniture like a giant luminaria.
The focal point of the room, though, is the glass-walled shower. It’s right in the middle of the room like a sexy sculpture of sorts. Weirded out by being on display while you lather up? The curtain covering the adjoined closet slides around the shower stall for privacy. My room was stocked with lime-and-coriander-scented C.O. Bigelow toiletries, a hair dryer, plush bathrobe, makeup mirror and clothing steamer, but one of the best surprises was the panel on each side of the bed that controls all of the lighting in the room, including tiny book lamps, so I didn’t have to emerge from under the cozy covers to turn off the lights.
Traveling with canine companions? Dogs are welcome here if they are under 50 pounds (a $150-per-stay fee applies), and bowls and dog beds are available upon request.
What is the restaurant like at Hotel EMC2?
The Albert is the hotel’s first-floor restaurant, with a 13-seat bar and small covered patio out front bordered by planters. The dining room has an art museum-meets-nutty professor vibe, with shelves of surrealist art, a banquette backed with a cartoony mural by Chicago illustrator Jonathan Plotkin and a two-story wall stacked all the way to the ceiling with bookshelves, cabinets and card catalogs.
Though Einstein was born in Germany, the cuisine here is Italian-inspired with balanced, palate-tickling flavors and artfully plated dishes. Our server pointed to the polenta, a family recipe of Chef Steve Chiappetti that’s poured from a tiny handled pot onto a wooden board in a buttery, parmesan-kissed heap and served with a garlicky tomato sauce and zingy pesto. She also talked up the house-made pastas, of which there are many, from spaghetti to stracci to two kinds of ravioli. My favorite? That’d be the light yet hearty tagliatelle with braised veal, beef morsels and a chianti reduction, as well as the pillowy orecchiette with flecks of Calabrian chili, Italian sausage and crunchy broccolini.
Though the menu features several steak cuts, I went for seafood after my server raved about the silky herb-crusted sea bass with acorn squash puree, pine nuts, swiss chard and a white wine reduction made with vermentino, a grape grown on the Italian island of Sardinia, accompanied by a bright and fizzy lambrusco. It was a killer match for our chocolate souffle with jammy raspberries and a rich, deliciously dense olive oil cake dusted with crushed pistachios and piped with vanilla cream.
With $19 cocktails and most entrees hovering between $29 and $60, The Albert’s prices are splurgy—but worth it if you’re celebrating an occasion. For the more budget-conscious, there are some easier-to-swallow specials such as a $15 martini-and-crostini combo available Monday through Thursday at the bar.
What is the service like at Hotel EMC2?
Even though the hotel was fully booked on a busy weekend when I visited, the front desk staff was calm, collected and conversational. However, while the service from actual humans isn’t lacking in any way here, to get the true EMC2 experience, you’ll want to meet the hotel’s robotic attendants, Leo and Cleo. When not making deliveries to guest rooms, these adorable robots are stationed in the lobby in front of the elevators, assisting guest services staff by delivering room service orders and other necessities to hotel guests. Each room is outfitted with an Amazon Echo Dot, and after I asked Alexa for a toothbrush, Leo arrived at my door less than ten minutes later to deliver a dental care kit, with my TV making a doorbell sound to announce his arrival. Surreal, but fun.
What is the gym like at Hotel EMC2?
Located on the fourth floor, the fitness center is open 24 hours a day and has all the basic equipment needed for a workout, such as treadmills, elliptical machines, free weights and a yoga ball. It also has a water bottle fill station and was well-stocked with towels. With mirrored walls and a wall of windows for natural light, it’s a pleasant enough place to work up a sweat away from home. There’s also a CorePower Yoga location directly across the street and a Pure Barre studio one block east.
What is the area like around Hotel EMC2?
Hotel EMC2 is located in Streeterville, a downtown Chicago neighborhood bordered by Michigan Avenue to the east, Lake Michigan to the East and the Chicago River to the south. The hotel is just a block and a half east of The Magnificent Mile, the 13-block portion of Michigan Avenue that extends from the Chicago River to Oak Street. All the big-name designers are here (Burberry, Dior, Gucci, Saint Laurent) as are high-end jewelers from Tiffany & Co. to Bulgari to David Yurman. Popular destinations for visitors include Harry Potter Shop Chicago (select your own wand, shop magical merch, sip butterbeer) and the five-story Starbucks Reserve Roastery.
One of the top attractions for visitors, Navy Pier, is a 20-minute walk away. There you’ll find rides such as a carousel, ferris wheel, swings and drop tower as well as Chicago Children’s Museum and Chicago Shakespeare Theater. The lakefront and Ohio Street Beach, a major draw during the summer months, are about a 15-minute walk from Hotel EMC2. The Museum of Contemporary Art is five blocks north and the nearest grocery is Whole Foods Market, two blocks south.
The hotel’s proximity to Lakeshore Drive, a major north-south artery, means you can easily be on your way to other neighborhoods by taxi or your own car. In-and-out valet parking is $65 a night; self parking (no in-and-out privileges) is available one block east of the hotel for $43 per night. CTA bus stops are plentiful in this area, and the closest CTA train option is the Grand station on the Red Line six blocks away.
Why you should book a stay with Hotel EMC2
With hotels nearly everywhere you look in Streeterville, Hotel EMC2 wins points for style and service that rank it far above its neighbors. Sure, there are more family-friendly choices with larger rooms to be had nearby at a lower price-point. But for solo travelers, couples or families with pre-teen or teen children who can appreciate the level of design and whimsy on display here, Hotel EMC2 is a seriously delightful place to land while in Chicago.
DETAILS
Address: 228 E. Ontario St., Chicago, IL 60611
Price per night: Starting from $249
Closest transport: 1.5-block walk to Michigan Avenue buses; 10-minute walk to Grand station (Red Line train); 1-hour taxi ride to O’Hare airport and 45-minute drive from Midway Airport
Book now: via Booking.com
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