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charm. The Drake welcomes families, but the lack of a pool, game room, or
other kid-friendly amenities (many of which its competitors offer) may be a neg-
ative. Still, plenty of families have made it a tradition to stay here.
Parents will be happy to know that the typical room is generous in size and
furnished comfortably with a separate sitting area; some have two bathrooms.
Rooms and suites on the slightly more expensive “executive floors” provide such
additional amenities as personalized stationery, disposable cameras, a generous
continental breakfast in a private lounge, and free cocktails and hors d'oeuvres,
plus a daily newspaper, and valet assistance for polishing shoes, packing and
unpacking, and securing theater tickets. The fourth and fifth floors have a
lounge open to all guests, where soft drinks and fresh-brewed coffee and tea are
available without charge. The lake-view rooms are lovely, and—no surprise—
you'll pay more for them. Be forewarned that city-view rooms on the lower
floors look out onto a facing building on Walton Place, so you'll probably be
keeping your drapes shut.
Even if you don't stay at the hotel, take your kids to the lavishly decorated
Palm Court for afternoon tea, which is accompanied by a harpist. The hotel's
restaurants include the Oak Terrace, a large dining room serving up American
fare and some great views of the lake and Michigan Avenue; the Cape Cod
Room, a local favorite for seafood; and Coq d'Or, one of Chicago's most atmos-
pheric piano bars. All of the restaurants have kids' menus, but I'd recommend
dining at Oak Terrace, the most casual of the three.
140 E. Walton Place (at Michigan Ave.), Chicago, IL 60611.
&
800/55-DRAKE
or 312/787-2200. Fax 312/
787-1431. www.thedrakehotel.com. 537 units. $255-$295 double; $335-$430 executive floor; from $600
suite. Weekend rates start at $289 with continental breakfast. Kids 18 and under stay free in parent's room.
Rollaways and cribs free. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Valet parking $32 with in/out privileges. Subway/El: Red Line
to Chicago/State.
Amenities:
3 restaurants; 2 lounges; fitness center; concierge; business center; shopping
arcade (including a Chanel boutique); barbershop; 24-hr. room service; babysitting; in-room massage; laun-
dry service; 24-hr. dry cleaning; executive-level rooms. In room: A/C, TV w/pay movies, dataport, minibar, cof-
feemaker, hair dryer, iron.
Hotel InterContinental Chicago
The newer hotels might be getting
all the attention, but the Hotel InterContinental remains a sentimental favorite
for many Chicagoans, ranking right up there with The Drake in our affections.
Built as an athletic club in 1929, the building's original lobby features truly
grand details: marble columns, hand-stenciled ceilings, and historic tapestries.
The addition of a drab, impersonal modern tower in the 1960s added more
rooms but gave the InterContinental a somewhat schizophrenic quality. A recent
renovation integrated the two sides into a cohesive whole, and brought the guest
rooms up several notches in quality.
A soaring, four-story rotunda, topped by a 50-foot-wide dome, serves as the
new entry point to the hotel, offering a suitably dramatic welcome. All rooms
have been completely renovated to make them consistent throughout the prop-
erty. You'll find classic mahogany furnishings, subdued but elegant decor, and
smallish bathrooms (this is an older property, after all). Families might want to
request an executive suite in the North Tower, which provides a room with a
king bed that connects by French doors to a second room with a sofa bed.
Rooms in the South Tower have a more distinctive feel, but be prepared for
smaller bathrooms. Rooms in that tower also vary widely in size.
While you're here, take your kids to the best pool in the city: The InterConti-
nental's main claim to fame is the junior Olympic-size pool on the top floor. One
of the first aboveground swimming pools ever built, it's decorated in a lavish
