Chicago Hotels

Chicago Hotels

Chicago's jutting, waterfront skyline is a symbol of the city's powerful world status, and its ability to bounce back from any challenge - but behind the glitzy buildings lies a city with no pretention, home to some of the friendliest people you'll ever meet. Whether it's deep dish pizzas, or the thumping, amplified blues of Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf, Chicago's influence is felt right across the world, and there's a rich cultural heritage to explore here. A city for all seasons, you can bronze on the beach of Lake Michigan in the summer, before wrapping up warm to shop under snow-dusted trees glittering with lights when winter rolls around.

Things to see

The Magnificent Mile is the city's backbone, and a place to browse for designer clothing, try wild boar sausage in a fancy restaurant, or taste champagne in a lavish hotel room. Forming part of Michigan Avenue, the Mile hums to the sounds of laughter and chat during the day, and is dotted with impressive ever-rising buildings, like the gothic Tribune Tower. The Chicago Water Tower also stands proudly on the Avenue, and is a symbol of the city's resilience - being one of just 5 central buildings to survive the Great Fire of 1871. Chicago's city motto describes it as 'the city in a garden,' and Millennium Park continues the green tradition, serving as an island of respite in amongst the towering skyscrapers. Hear the crashing of water from the unique fountains – which integrate huge screens displaying photos of the city's residents into spectacular water shows – before seeing the city's recognizable skyline skewed and distorted in the metallic reflection of the park's giant, bean-like, sculpture.

Hotels in Chicago

Whether it’s a quiet room on the outskirts of the city, or a high rise hotel overlooking the deep blue water of Lake Michigan, the Windy City has hotels for every taste and budget. Get your blood pumping on a treadmill - while looking out over the city through a giant window - before sinking your tired body into a soft mattress, which perfectly conforms to your body's shape, at one of the luxury Chicago hotels that playfully jostle for space in the city's liveliest areas. Stay a little further from the center, and you'll be able to swim in an outdoor pool during the summer months, before retiring to a room equipped with free WiFi and satellite TV, all for a very reasonable price.

Where to stay

Chicago revolves around The Loop, Downtown area, where the best hotels stretch endlessly up into the night's sky. Here, you can sink your teeth into the doughy delight of a slice of deep-dish peperoni pizza, before heading out to catch some culture at Navy Pier's Shakespeare Theater. The Lincoln Park area is slightly calmer, and any downtime can be spent bravely swimming in the cool waters off the sands of Ohio Street Beach, or watching beavers glide across the lakes in Lincoln Park.

How to get to Chicago

The skyscrapers of the city will direct your plane into O'Hare International Airport, which is one of the world's busiest transport hubs. Just 17 miles from downtown, visitors can hop on the blue line subway train to get from the airport to the city center, or take a short shuttle bus to O'Hare Transfer station, where a connecting train will be waiting. Chicago Union Station offers rail access right across the US from the center of the city, and the station effectively sits at the heart of Amtrak's sprawling network.