As you might expect from one of the world’s greatest cities, Chicago is home to architectural marvels, an award-winning dining scene, innovative museums, and stunning lakefront scenery. Since I moved here more than 20 years ago, I’m constantly impressed by the rich cultural offerings the city provides, and the deep pride my fellow residents and I have for this city.
With a record-breaking 57.6 million visitors in 2018, according to the Chicago Sun-Times, the largest city in the Midwest has grown to include numerous compelling hotel choices. From intimate boutiques to world-renowned opulence, Chicago offers an enormous selection of accommodations for business travelers, luxury seekers, families, and tourists of all sorts. In fact, the central business district alone has approximately 145 hotel properties with 45,039 rooms — and counting.
As a self-proclaimed ambassador for Chicago who’s always encouraging friends to visit, I’m always asked for recommendations on where to stay. My answers typically depend on the person’s style preferences, location requirements, reasons for visiting, and of course, budget. These factors similarly fueled the following list, to highlight the hotels that best tick all those boxes: stylish, centrally located, near business and leisure, and are reasonably priced.
On the latter, hotel prices in Chicago run the gamut. In low season such as winter, some of the best hotels can start around $100 per night (excluding the holidays). Of course, they go up from there. Be prepared for many hotels to jump up a couple hundred dollars in summer.