Swissôtel Chicago is home to some 661 sleek rooms and luxurious suites, all available in a great many different shapes and sizes, most of which provide spectacular views of the city and its grand river and lake. Given its prime location right along the southern bank of the Chicago River, popular attractions like the Chicago Riverwalk, Michigan Avenue, Millennium Park, and Navy Pier are only brief walks away—with many more notable sites not that much further down the road. Amenities here include multiple on-site dining options—including the acclaimed Palm Restaurant, newly renovated and all—in-room spa services, 43rd-floor fitness center, on-site exercise classes, and more.
Swissôtel Chicago Ambiance
Swissôtel Chicago was designed by the renowned architect Harry Weese, whose other significant works include such famous structures as the Time-Life Building, the original underground stations of the Washington, D.C. Metro, and many well-regarded building found throughout architectural mecca, Columbus, Indiana. Its imposing glass façade gives it a monumental feeling from street-level; however, upon entering the Swissôtel Chicago through its inviting lobby one fairly quickly feels at ease. This stylish, modern space contains plenty of overstuffed chairs and plush couches done up in reds and browns; it is a nice spot to either sip a coffee before beginning a long day of exploring, or to catch one’s breath over a specialty cocktail as you recount that day’s adventures. The overall vibe here is elegant and refined, yet still the setting seems a comfortable one.
Swissôtel Chicago Rooms
Guestrooms at Swissôtel Chicago come in over a dozen different shapes, sizes, and formats. “Classic” rooms come with either two double beds or one king bed, and your choice of either splendid views of Lake Michigan, the Chicago River, or Millennium Park and Buckingham Fountain. These rooms are usually a little bit over 300 square feet in size. “Pinnacle” rooms here have the same features as “Classic” rooms, except that they are located exclusively on floors 20 through 41. “Premier” rooms feature one king bed, over 420 square feet of space, and are located exclusively as corner rooms, thereby increasing the amount of panoramic window space available for your viewing pleasure.
If you’re feeling especially daring during your stay in Chicago, and/or your budget is sizable enough, you might want to consider indulging in one of Swissôtel Chicago’s 8 different suite arrangements. Ranging from so-called junior suites that, at over 700 square feet include space for an executive office, wine bar, and parlor area, to skyline duplex suites that span two floors and cover some 1,200 feet, you have plenty of luxury choices available here.
Typical in-room décor here is simple and clean: you’ll find a lot of light yellows, soft oranges, and basic white, with very little in the way of “hotel art” cluttering up the walls. Regular in-room amenities include complimentary wireless Internet service, a large desk and chair (that make up a sizable in-room workspace), an LCD split-screen television, your own Keurig machine, and a multimedia docking station that is compatible with laptops, tablets, DVD players, and multiple other kinds of devices.
Guestroom bathrooms at Swissôtel Chicago are clean, well-lit, and unfussy. A selection of complimentary bath products is on display, towels tend to be soft and numerous, and there is a distinct area for both a bath and a shower. Some bathrooms here even have their own windows that look out over the city, too.
Swissôtel Chicago Amenities
A significant number of hotel-wide amenities are available to guests of Swissôtel Chicago. The entire facility provides free wireless Internet service, and there is an on-site business center available for those guests who must fit in a bit of work while on the road. You’ll even find over 65,000 square feet of event space here; whether you need to host a business conference, family reunion, or wedding reception, any portion of this meeting area may be reserved for private use.
In-room spa services are available at Swissôtel Chicago. As of Fall 2018, you’ll be able to receive dedicated spa treatments—including favorites like facials, manicures, and massages—within the comfort of your very own hotel room. Swissôtel Chicago also offers on-site “Vitality Boot Camps.” Conducted multiple times a week, these hour-long sessions let you stay in-shape even while on the road. Usually a mixture of calisthenics and cardio workouts, these boot camps are appropriate for all abilities, and typically cost only a slight fee.
There is also an on-site “Penthouse Fitness Center.” This modern workout space comes complete with an assortment of treadmills, exercise bikes, elliptical machines, free weights, and more. And, as it is located on the 43rd floor of the hotel, you’ll be able to break a sweat while also enjoying a breathtaking view of the Chicago skyline.
There are two distinctive on-site dining experiences available for visitors to Swissôtel Chicago. Just renovated in the spring of 2018, The Palm Restaurant is a warm and inviting space serving a wide range of American classics; it is open for brunch, lunch, and dinner. High ceilings let in lots of light and provide lovely views of the city, while a beautiful mural depicting Chicago’s iconic skyline in vibrant pastels lines one large wall of the restaurant. Amuse is a more relaxed, casual spot that specializes in craft cocktails and small plates. Located just off the hotel’s lobby, there’s often live music there in the form of a DJ. In-room dining service is also available 24-7 at Swissôtel Chicago.
Swissôtel Chicago Neighborhood
Swissôtel Chicago is situated on famous Wacker Drive right along the south bank of the Chicago River. This terrific location puts it in the midst of many of the city’s most popular sights and sounds—it’s nearly equal distant between the shopping and dining mecca of Michigan Avenue’s Magnificent Mile, the lovely hangout spots found throughout picturesque Millennium Park, and the fun and games on display at lakeside Navy Pier. Other famous attractions a short distance away are Art Institute of Chicago, Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium, Adler Planetarium, Grant Park, 360 Chicago at John Hancock Building, and the Museum of Contemporary Art. Additional local accommodations include Sofitel Chicago Magnificent Mile, Virgin Hotels Chicago, Sheraton Grand Chicago, Loews Chicago Hotel, Fairmont Chicago Millennium Park, JW Marriott Chicago, Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel Chicago, Kimpton Hotel Palomar Chicago, Park Hyatt Chicago, among a great many other choices.
How is it Ecofriendly?
The Swissôtel family of hotels is proud to say that it does its best to bring the high level of environmental awareness and sustainability that the Swiss people are known for to each and every one of its properties, and Swissôtel Chicago is no exception to this standard. Since 2012, it has done its best to incorporate a number of socially responsible and environmentally conscious polices into its regular practices—these practices include the installation of low-energy lighting fixtures, the institution of housekeeping opt-out polices (which reduces the amount of water used in laundry services), and the operation of various training programs designed to provide Swissôtel Chicago employees with a greater awareness of the environmental challenges facing the hospitality industry in this day and age.
In the past decade, in-house studies revealed to Swissôtel that 99% of its air pollution was on account of carbon dioxide. As a result of these discoveries, Swissôtel set about striving to reduce its environmental impact through a variety of means; these efforts have taken the form of reducing fossil-fuel consumption, selecting clean alternatives, and striving to buy all electricity from “green suppliers. By putting in place these corporate policies, while promoting environmentally friendly measures to its guests, Swissôtel has decreased its per-guest energy consumption over the course of the past decade by nearly 30%. Furthermore, Swissôtel Chicago has recently installed on-site a special system of laundry machines. This high-tech setup catches wastewater post-laundry cycle and filters out all solids, greases, oils, and soaps—then disinfects the remaining water before recycling it back into the laundry process. All of this adds up to mean that approximately 65% of the water used during the laundry process at Swissôtel Chicago is recycled.