Family-Friendly Accommodations - Chicago with Kids - page 76

The hotel's restaurant, China Bar & Grill, serves up Asian fusion cuisine in a
high-energy setting, and the street-level bar, open until 4am, features live music
and DJs most nights. Despite its efforts to become a Chicago hipster hangout,
the place still has the feel of a hotel bar. The hotel is actively courting rock bands
who come through town on tour, but my guess is that the hotel will be hard-
pressed to convince the likes of U2 to exchange their ultraluxury digs at the Park
Hyatt for the Hard Rock.
230 N. Michigan Ave. (at Lake St.), Chicago, IL 60601. & 877/ROCK-HOTEL or 312/345-1000. Fax 312/345-
1012. www.hardrockhotelchicago.com. 381 units. $169-$239 double; from $1,500 suite. Kids under 12 stay free
in parent's room. No rollaways; cribs free. Weekend rates available. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Valet parking $35 with
in/out privileges. Subway/El: Red Line or Blue Line to Lake. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; exercise room; concierge;
business services; 24-hr. room service; same-day laundry service; dry cleaning. In room: A/C, TV w/DVD player
and video games, minibar, coffeemaker, hair dryer, iron, safe, CD player, high-speed Internet access.
Hotel Burnham Here's my pick for Chicago's most distinctive hotel,
one that took a historic location and jazzed it up with a dash of colorful mod-
ern style. This hip hotel uses its sense of whimsy to embrace, not exclude, fam-
ilies. Don't come to the Burnham if you're looking for extensive amenities—the
lobby is tiny, as is the exercise room, and there's no pool. But it's my top choice
for families in this price category, provided you book a suite, which will offer
your family plenty of space.
The result of a brilliant restoration of the historic Reliance Building—one of
the first skyscrapers ever built and a highly significant architectural treasure—
this intimate boutique hotel (named for Daniel Burnham, whose firm designed
the Reliance Building in 1895) is the work of the Kimpton Group, the trend-
setting West Coast-based chain behind the Allegro and Monaco hotels (both
reviewed later in this section). It occupies a prime spot in the heart of State
Street, across from Marshall Field's and 1 block south of the hopping North
Loop theater district. The Burnham is a must for architecture buffs: Wherever
possible, the restoration retains period elements—most obviously in the hall-
ways, which recall the original office corridors with terrazzo tile floors, white
marble wainscoting, mahogany door and window frames, and room numbers
painted on the translucent glass doors.
Rooms are clubby but glamorous, with plush beds, mahogany writing desks,
and chaise longues. The hotel's 19 suites feature a separate living-room area and
CD stereo systems. To keep wee ones entertained, the hotel offers coloring books
and crayons, games, and Super Nintendo. During holidays you'll find special
activities in the hotel lobby, including decorating gingerbread men around
Christmas and hunting for eggs at Easter. Diaper bags, cribs, high chairs, chang-
ing tables, and more are available upon request. And there's a turndown service
with cookies and milk. The hotel's restaurant offers a children's menu. Ask the
concierge for special offers for tea at American Girl Place Cafe and deals at the
museums and theaters. And don't leave Fido at home: Pets are positively wel-
comed here. The hotel provides pet beds, treats, food and water bowls, and dog-
walking services (and they'll even clean out your in-room kitty litter box!).
1 W. Washington (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. Kids 17 and under stay free in par-
ent's room. No rollaways available; cribs free. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Valet parking $29 with in/out privileges.
Subway: Red or Blue Line to Washington/State. Pets allowed. Amenities: Restaurant; 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.