Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
98
Off the lobby is an excellent restaurant, Osteria Via Stato, and next door is a Starbucks
outlet with outdoor seating.
Embassy Suites has a second do wntown location at 511 N. Columbus D r. (
&
312/
836-5900
), just a few blocks from Navy Pier. Highly recommended!
600 N. State St. (at W. Ohio St.), Chicago , IL 60610.
&
800/EMBASSY
(362-2779) or 312/943-3800. F ax
312/943-7629. w ww.embassysuiteschicago.com. 366 units . $139-$279 k ing suit e; $169-$319 double
suite. Kids 17 and under stay free in parent's room. Few rollaways available, ask upon check-in (sofa beds
in every suite); cribs free. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Valet parking $38 with in/out privileges . Subway/El: Red
Line to Grand/State.
Amenities:
Restaurant (Italian); coffee bar; indoor pool; exercise room w/whirlpool;
concierge; business center; limited room service; babysitting; laundry machines; dr y cleaning.
In room:
A/C, TV w/pay movies and video games, high-speed Internet access, kitchenette, coffeemaker, hair dryer,
iron.
Hotel Sax Chicago
In 2007, a $17-million renovation transformed the former
House of Blues Hotel into the ne w Hotel Sax Chicago, a luxur y property with a bohe-
mian boutique feel. While the lobby is cer tainly grand—with Italian marble floors and
trompe l 'oeil
candelabras—the adjoining lounge, C rimson, goes for a M iddle Eastern
vibe, with ex otic rugs, jewel-tone colors, and floor-to-ceiling scr eens and mirr ors. This
eclectic sensibility carries over to the guest rooms, which feature wingback chairs covered
in snakeskin and side tables constr ucted entir ely of mirr ored panels. D espite the ey e-
catching decor , one of the hotel 's biggest selling points r emains its location in the
entertainment-packed Marina Towers complex. Within steps of the hotel, y ou've got a
bowling alley, a marina with boat r entals, the riv erside Smith & Wollensky steakhouse
(an outpost of the New York restaurant), the innovative Bin 36 wine bar and restaurant,
and the House of Blues music hall and r estaurant (p. 272; don't miss its gospel br unch
on Sun).
333 N. Dearborn St. (at the riv er), Chicago, IL 60610.
&
877/569-3742
or 312/245-0333. F ax 312/923-
2444. www.hotelsaxchicago.com. 353 units. $269-$449 double; $629-$849 suite. Kids 18 and under stay
free in parents' room. Rollaways $20/night; cribs free. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Valet parking $40 with in/out
privileges. Subway/El: Brown Line to Clark/Lake, or Red Line to Grand. Pets accepted.
Amenities:
Lounge;
access to Crunch fitness center for $15/day; concierge; business center; 24-hr. room service; babysitting;
laundry service; same-day dry cleaning.
In room:
A/C, TV w/pay movies and video games, Wi-Fi, minibar,
coffeemaker, hair dryer, iron, safe, multiline telephone.
Westin Chicago River North
Located on the northern bank of the Chicago
River, the Westin River North has the personality of a business hotel but has made an
effort to be family-friendly. Especially notable are the many baby and toddler accessories
available to guests, fr om bottle warmers and cribs to night lights, jogging str ollers, and
electrical-outlet covers. Like the Westin Michigan Avenue (reviewed in the previous sec-
tion), this hotel offers the Westin Kids Club for kids 12 and under. Kids are greeted with
Westin Kids Club spor ts bottles or sippy cups, which ar e filled with complimentar y
beverages at meals. Other perks include coloring topics, bathtub toys, and a story line on
the hotel phone that plays age-appr opriate bedtime stories when y ou dial a four-digit
number. Kids' meals are available at the hotel restaurant with advance notice, and special
menus are available through room service.
Rooms are handsome, and the whole hotel has a slight Japanese feel to it (years ago, it
was the Japanese-owned Hotel Nikko), with a Zen rock garden at the rear of the lobby;
the lobby's Hana Lounge also offers a sushi menu. R ooms are handsome, with furniture
and artwork that giv e them a r esidential feel. F or the best vie w, request a r oom facing
south, overlooking the Chicago Riv er. For those who feel like splurging, a suite on the
4
