Lisa Arnett

You could easily spend a city break in Chicago barely stopping at your hotel other than to sleep, but we know just how tiring rushing about eating, drinking, shopping and sightseeing can be, so why not book into a spa hotel for a hit of rest and relaxation while you’re there?  When it comes to curating menus of intriguing ancient treatments or modern wellness techniques, designing impressive fitness centres or building gleaming swimming pools, Chicago has got its spa hotel game down. New additions to this list for Fall 2025 include the Palmer House Hilton, theWit and The Langham. Chicago’s best spa hotels at a glance: 💎 Biggest splurge: Four Seasons Hotel 👛 Most affordable: The Palmer House Hilton 🏊 Best pool: The Peninsula Chicago 💤 Best massage: Eurostars Magnificent Mile 🏋️‍♀️ Best fitness center: The St Regis Chicago 📍 Discover our ultimate guide to the best hotels in Chicago Which area is best to stay in Chicago? Chicago is a sprawling city, but where it’s best to stay varies hugely based on the kind of trip you’re planning. First-timers would do well to be right in the action, opting for the River North or the Loop, whereas travelers after something a little more homely but still well connected should consider Lincoln Park or Wicker Park.  🛏 Check out the best Airbnbs in Chicago

Don’t dismiss Naperville’s food scene as a load of chain restaurants, pickup bars and spots frequented mainly by North Central College students. Its food scene has been booming over the last few years, and if you don’t know, it’s time to get to know.  From the Water Street District to further afield, this city is awash with great foodie spots; whether you’re looking for Peruvian sandwiches, fluffy falafel or plates of curry and paratha, you’ll find it all here. Oh, and there’s more tasty options (plus easier parking) in strip malls along 75th Street or tucked among big-name chains on Freedom Drive off I-88. For bargains and splurge meals alike, read on for the best restaurants in Naperville.  RECOMMENDED:🍴 The best restaurants in Chicago📍 The best things to do in Chicago🌸 The most beautiful cities in the US This guide is by Illinois-based writer Lisa Arnett and Brock Wilbur, who was previously Time Out’s Midwest editor. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. 

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 surroundi

If you’ve always wanted to use the word ‘undulating’ in conversation but never had good reason to, it’s time to book a stay at the Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel. There’s no better way to describe the wave-like balconies that ebb and flow around the blue-glass facade of the building—one of the most stunning contemporary additions to a city known for its architecture. With the Chicago River to the north, Lake Michigan to the east and three pools on premise, you’re surrounded by water every which way. And whether you plan to take advantage of all things aquatic or keep your feet firmly on land, Radisson Blu Aqua provides a proper home base for work or play in Chicago. Why stay at the Radisson Blu Aqua? Opened in 2011, the Radisson Blu Aqua comprises the first 18 floors of the 81-story Aqua Tower in Lakeshore East, a microneighborhood of highrises just north of Millennium Park and east of the Loop, the city’s business district. Floors 19 through 81 belong to Aqua at Lakeshore East, apartment residences that share the building’s cushy amenities with the hotel.  Don’t expect under-the-sea decor, though. Inside, the nods to the water theme are limited to aqua glass in the bathrooms, blue lights in the hotel bar and meeting rooms named after bodies of water, from Mediterranean to Bering. The lobby is all concrete floors and exposed brick columns and shimmery modern chandeliers, accented with printing-press block-letter signage (a nod to Chicago’s Printer’s Row neighborhood) and rows of cha

After you take an obligatory selfie in front of the twinkling Chicago Theatre marquee, shift your gaze just to the east and you’ll see theWit Chicago with its neon-yellow zig-zag of glass running up the facade. This 27-floor tower was built in 2009 in the northeast corner of the Loop, a neighborhood named for the shape the elevated train (called ‘the L’ for short) makes as it coils around Chicago’s downtown business district. Newly renovated in 2023, theWit is all freshened up and ready for business travelers, wedding guests and bachelor/ette party revelers.  Why stay at theWit Chicago? With the Chicago River on one side and the lights of storied State Street on the other, theWit is well-situated among the city’s top attractions for travelers. One of the Chicago Transit Authority’s busiest L stations—State/Lake, originally built in 1985—is right outside theWit’s front door, making travel to even the furthest corners of the city pretty convenient. True to its name, the hotel is full of witty and whimsical touches, from the angels-wing chandeliers in the lobby to a custom art installation on the second floor featuring famous figures known for their wit, from author Emily Dickinson to actor Jackie Chan to comedian Steve Martin. Though the entire city is at your doorstep, theWit offers plenty of entertainment within its own walls, like live music Friday and Saturday nights in the first-floor restaurant, bumping DJ sets in the rooftop lounge and personal training sessions in the f