Ivy Hotel

From the Ivy's entryway, ribbons of curving black lines run along the floor of the long marble corridor past the lobby bar to a tiny front desk at the far end. Columns of soft light punctuate spaces on the wall between panels hung with smoky works from a local artist. Paired with shimmering recesses in the ceiling, and lit with soft colors that change with the time of day, this allows the whole space to take on a soft glow. The bar/lounge and other common areas echo the same colors and light play. The overall atmosphere is refined and sophisticated.

The Ivy is in the heart of Chicago, just one block from Michigan Avenue, yet on a relatively quiet stretch of East Ontario Street. The hotel is within walking distance of numerous restaurants, art galleries, the John Hancock Observatory, and the Museum of Contemporary Art. The lakefront and popular Navy Pier, are just three blocks to the east. Streeterville is a high-value real estate neighborhood, packed with landmarks and tourist destinations between Michigan Avenue's Magnificent Mile and the lakefront. It's about a 30-minute drive to O'Hare International Airport, but with traffic this trip can take up to an hour.

Arranged with no more than five to a floor, the rooms at the Ivy are exceptionally large and as a result of the sparse neighbors, can feel more like a stay in an upscale apartment. Egyptian cotton sheets, automatic window curtains, Keurig coffeemakers, and floor-to-ceiling windows that open to the city, all add to the experience. Dark wood work desks match the hardwood floors and come with ergonomic chairs. Sitting areas add a dash of color, with purple chairs and striped rugs. The marble-covered bathrooms have great walk-in rainfall showers and lighted vanities. The double and king suites also have separate large soaking tubs and flat-screen TVs embedded in the bathroom mirrors.

The hotel's crowning feature is the Ivy Sky Terrace, a cocktail lounge on the rooftop that does small plates of braised short rib sliders, tuna and guacamole apps, and truffle fries. Its umbrella-covered seating has incredible views of the city, but it's only open seasonally (and also closes for rain). The lobby bar serves a daily breakfast, and nitrogen-infused cocktails year round; dinner is only available here some nights. There's no fitness center or spa facility on-site, so the hotel offers passes to the nearby Equinox (for a fee). Two ballrooms are available as meeting facilities, totaling 3,000 square feet of elegant, flexible event space, with in-house catering.