The best downtown Chicago hotels in the Loop

To say the Chicago Athletic Association is beautiful is to put it mildly. Stay in one of the 241 luxury boutique rooms —throwbacks to the club rooms of athletic associations long gone. From the unparalleled view of Millennium Park and Lake Michigan at Cindy’s rooftop restaurant to more great food and drink at Cherry Circle Room and even Shake Shack, there’s no shortage of options! You know you want a burger, you know you do. And their shakes... irresistible! You’ll also love the Game Room, with its private alley entrance and bocce, shuffleboard and billiards. Find access to everything you need and more in this wonderfully restored 1890s building.

This deluxe four-star on Monroe simply oozes historic class. As soon as you step into the glamorous Beaux Arts lobby you'll feel like you've stepped back in time, especially when gazing up at the jaw-dropping 19th-century mural on the ceiling by Louis Pierre Rigal. First built in 1871, Palmer House lasted just 13 days before burning down in the Great Chicago Fire of the same year. But, undeterred, businessman Potter Palmer got right back to work and rebuilt the hotel, launching for the second time two years later. This time the hotel stood strong and remains in its original spot today, making it the longest continuously operating hotel in America. Fun fact: even the brownies are inspired by Palmer House's rich history, made with a recipe invented by the hotel chef in 1893. There's 24-hour room service, should you fancy a snack when you stumble in late at night, which given you're right in the heart of Chicago (and next to the Monroe Red Line) is easily done. 

The new Virgin Hotel is a dream for people into design and technology. There's an app to control the room temperature, a pour-over coffee setup in each room and a Tesla to give free rides to guests. Swish. The rooms themselves are sleek, with Smeg refrigerators, swiveling desks and a bedroom/lounge, a bathroom/dressing room and, if you have a suite, an extra room with a couch and a second TV. The bed is pretty comfortable and has a padded backrest at one corner of the foot of the bed. (The press release about the hotel said the bed “functions as a playpen and traditional bed,” so interpret that as preferred.) The rooftop lounge, Cerise, features spectacular views and sometimes books intimate concerts and DJ sets. There's also a hotel library, if snuggling up with a book is more your thing. Oh, and there's five on-site restaurants, and a night club. If you manage to rinse through all of that some how, you'll find that you're right on Michigan Avenue and the Magnificent Mile. All of the things.

This gorgeous hotel, first opened in 1910, has had an intriguing run so far. Many U.S. Presidents have stayed there (including Teddy Roosevelt), it was a favorite hangout of Al Capone and his cronies, and Maharishi Yogi, the Beatles’ personal guru, once owned the building. Zen. Now part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection boutique imprint, it’s simply one of the most beautiful hotels in the Loop and a favorite for bands playing at the nearby Lollapalooza music festival in August. Don’t miss the attached Spanish small-plates restaurant, Mercat a la Planxa. There's a 24-hour gym here, if that's your vibe. There's also a small walk to the Art Institute of Chicago, Magnificent Mile's shops and much more. So as nice as the hotel is, you can be sure time outside won't be anything less than great. 

This Loop hotel in the Reliance Building, built in 1895 and now on the National Register of Historic Places, was known as the Hotel Burnham from 1999 to 2016, when it was bought by a small West Coast boutique chain called Pineapple Hospitality and renamed The Alise, although it's now dubbed Staypineapple, matching another property the company owns in San Francisco. Designed by famed architect Daniel Burnham, along with Charles Atwood and John Root, the building still features the original ornate grillwork on the elevators. The ground-floor restaurant, formerly the Atwood Café, is now simply called Atwood following a spiffy remodel. Perfect for visiting architecture buffs. You're less than two miles from basically all things good and great about a vacation in Chicago, too. 

The lobby of this luxury Loop hotel is a stunner—all black and white marble and dramatic, curving staircases. The rooms are just as gorgeous and the spa, Valeo, is a must-visit. If you want to stay in the hotel, then, fair enough really – there's 24 hour room service. Soak it in. If you do pop out, you're in the heart of the city, plus Navy Pier is a bit of a stroll away.

There was quite a hubbub when LondonHouse finally opened in 2016. Sitting on Michigan Avenue and the Chicago River, the historic landmark building is now part beautiful hotel and part high-end restaurant. Plus, LondonHouse features Chicago’s only tri-level rooftop bar. Guest rooms are spacious and include free WiFi, large work stations and, of course, large flat-screen TVs. Many rooms also have unbeatable views of the city skyline. If you'd like, there's a 24-hour fitness center, but we'd likely just stroll around millennium park, which is ten minutes away. 

Much of the appeal of this upscale chain hotel comes from its location: occupying 18 of the 82 floors of Jeanne Gang’s stunning Aqua skyscraper, perhaps the most impactful new entrant in Chicago’s Loop skyline of the young century so far. One of the hotel’s most attractive features is an 80,000-square-foot, third-floor green roof that boasts a running track, fire pits and a junior Olympic-sized pool; some rooms come with private access to Gang’s unique, undulating concrete balconies. You're also a very small walk from millenium park, magnificent mile, and more. Happy days. 

Kimpton’s newest entry onto the Chicago hotel scene is also its most elegant. Situated in the landmark 1894 New York Life Insurance Building, the property seamlessly melds historical design elements, such as a grand lobby clad in opulent gray marble and a richly-paneled bar presided over by vintage encyclopedias unearthed during renovations, with amenities for the new millennium, like lifestyle coaching and a 15th floor restaurant (the South American-leaning Boleo) topped with a retractable glass roof. In a nod to the surrounding neighborhood’s legacy as a major national financial engine, rooms take a cue from men’s tailoring, a conceit realized in details like wallpaper that resembles gray suiting. Stay for the evening wine hour, obviously. But after that, head out. You're walking distance from some of the city's top spots. 

This 27-story hotel, which completed a $32 million renovation in 2016, features 553 rooms, including 40 sprawling suites that are bigger than many condos. The location is perfect for the Loop, the Magnificent Mile and the restaurants of River North, but those who prefer to eat in are well served by the contemporary American fare in the Great Street eatery; Raised, the third-floor indoor-outdoor terrace lounge, is one of our favorite rooftop bars in the city. Michigan Avenue and Navy Pier are both a 10-minute walk away, but we wouldn't blame you for doing sweet nothing and soaking in this boutique hotel's wonderful ambience.

Chicago's Hyatt opened the city’s first Centric, a boutique imprint aimed at millennial travelers, in this converted 1927 office building in 2015. The 257-room hotel incorporates some of the building’s original Art Deco design touches, and features French brasserie Cochon Volant at street level as well as a rooftop bar, AIRE, atop the 22-story structure. A lovely spot then. It's improved externally too, as Bank of America Theatre, Willis Tower, and Millennium Park are all less than an eight minute walk away. Specific, we know, but every minute counts when you're in beds as comfy as these.

The Blake is housed in the recently renovated former 19th-century headquarters of the Morton Salt Company. Located in the heart of Printers Row, the hotel's historic exterior belies the chic, contemporary digs that lie within its walls. A 24-hour complimentary business center and fitness room are just a few of the attractions. If you're here for fun, you're in luck. There's an on-site restaurant, and you're super close to some of the trendiest parts of the city. 

This stunning Beaux Arts building, which started out as a private men’s club in 1929, has been transformed into one of Starwood’s sleek W hotels. The 369 rooms come with pillow-top mattresses and the option of an in-room shiatsu massage. You can request just about anything (legal) you desire from W’s signature Whatever/Whenever service, which once reportedly hired a helicopter to fetch a guest’s wedding cake. Very snazzy royal-levels of treatment here, then. What's more you're right by the nightlife, Magnificent Mile and Lake Michigan – the place truly has it all. 

This 144-room boutique hotel on Jewelers Row keeps a lower profile than others, but it’s an architectural gem. The late 19th-century Arts and Crafts style is evident outside and in, with wrought-iron pieces adding accents to the comfortable (if slightly dated, let's call it vintage) decorations in each room. There's also room service from 7:00am-11:00pm and a 24-hour gym. The location is as golden as the decor and facilities here, as you're just a four minute walk from Millenium Park. 

A feeling of refined romance pervades in these cushy digs: oversized bathroom, separate dressing rooms, fluffy robes and a full-service spa. From standards to suites, all 687 rooms offer ample space and an organic, modern feel, but if you sign up for the Gold floor, you’ll also gain access to a private lobby. At the end of the evening, settle down in the lobby’s wine, cocktail and small-plates lounge, The Bar, for a nightcap. Lovely stuff. You can also make use of the 24-hour gym, full-service spa, and being just a block from Millennium Park and Navy Pier. Bliss. 

Built in 1928, this historic Chicago hotel is located inside Mather Tower and overlooks the Chicago River. It features free Wi-Fi, an Italian restaurant, Bella Bacino's, and rooms have city or river views. A gym and laundry facilities are on site. You can also get soem free newspapers here, which will go well with those morning coffees. You're also a small walk from Grant Park and Navy Pier if you'd rather spend the morning al fresco.