Where to Stay - Chicago 2005 - page 83

1 W. Washington St. (at State St.), Chicago, IL 60602. & 866/690-1986 or 312/782-1111. Fax [phone].
www.burnhamhotel.com. 122 units. $149-$299 double; $199-$349 suite. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Valet parking
$29 with in/out privileges. Subway: Red or Blue line to Washington/State. Pets allowed. Amenities: Restaurant
(contemporary American); small fitness room (and access to nearby health club); concierge; business services;
24-hr. room service; laundry service; dry cleaning. In room: A/C, TV, fax, dataport, minibar, hair dryer, iron.
Hotel Monaco This 14-story boutique hotel may try a little too hard to
be “fun”: Guests are greeted by derby-hatted doormen, funky house music plays
in the lobby, and you can even request a goldfish with its own name to swim about
a fishbowl in your room. But it offers an upbeat alternative to the many cookie-
cutter business hotels in the city. The plush, jewel-toned, 1930s-inspired decor
makes the sizeable rooms resemble theatrical set pieces. The eclectic furnishings
include armoires, mahogany writing desks, and plush beds; suites come with a
two-person whirlpool spa and CD player. Rooms on the top three floors have
views of the Chicago River and surrounding skyscrapers. Given the hotel's playful
spirit, it attracts a younger clientele, with an overall vibe that is laid-back and
friendly rather than so-hip-it-hurts (this is Chicago, after all, not New York).
225 N. Wabash Ave. (at Wacker Dr.), Chicago, IL 60601. & 800/397-7661 or 312/960-8500. Fax 312/
960-1883. www.monaco-chicago.com. 192 units. $139-$299 double; $279-$429 suite. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V.
Valet parking $28 with in/out privileges. Subway: Brown, Green, or Orange line to Randolph/Wabash, or Red
Line to Washington/State. Small pets allowed. Amenities: Restaurant (American); fitness room (and access to
nearby health club); concierge; business center; 24-hr. room service; in-room massage; babysitting; laundry
service; dry cleaning. In room: A/C, TV w/pay movies, fax, dataport, minibar, coffeemaker, hair dryer, iron.
Hotel 71 The city's newest hotel is actually a complete renovation of a
rather drab 1950-era high-rise. Don't let the boring exterior fool you. Hotel 71
is too big to be considered a “boutique hotel” (with more than 400 rooms spread
over 30-plus stories), but it is filled with unique touches that reflect the boutique
sensibility. The rather-cramped lobby has a nightclub look, with black curtains
covering the walls and atmospheric trance music wafting from the stereo system.
The rooms, by contrast, are bright and cheery—and much larger than average.
Everything is brand new, from the yellow-checked linens and curtains, to the
spotless white bathrooms. Rooms have well-lit work desks and minibars stocked
with gourmet treats from Dean & DeLuca. Rooms on the north side of the hotel
(overlooking the Chicago River) have the best views; if you can, snag one of the
rooms on the west end of the building, which have views in two directions.
Suites come with either a living room or meeting room and a bedroom down
the hall (but the bathrooms are actually smaller than those in the regular rooms).
The hotel's gift shop is well worth a look; a step above the usual aspirin-and-
candy store, it features upscale bath products and unique travel accessories. But
the real draw at Hotel 71 is the spacious rooms—especially those with a view.
71 E. Wacker Dr. (at Wabash Ave.), Chicago, IL 60601. & 800/621-4005 or 312/346-7100. Fax [phone].
www.hotel71.com. 454 units. $149-$249 double; $250-$450 suite. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Valet parking $32 with
in/out privileges. Subway: Brown, Green, or Orange line to Randolph/Wabash, or Red Line to Washington/State.
Amenities: Restaurant (contemporary American); fitness room; concierge; business center; 24-hr. room service;
laundry service; dry cleaning. In room: A/C, TV, CD player, high-speed Internet access, minibar, coffeemaker, hair
dryer, iron.
Palmer House Hilton Chicago's oldest hotel, the namesake of leg-
endary State Street merchant prince Potter Palmer, is decidedly from another
era—and the massive complex feels somewhat lost in time. The elegance of the
grand lobby isn't matched in the rooms (decorated in an anonymous midlevel
hotel style) or the clientele (which tends heavily toward conventioneers). And
don't expect grand views of surrounding skyscrapers, because most rooms look

Overrated