Location

Location! Location! Location! The hotel is located walking distance to most major attractions in downtown Chicago: Navy Pier, Millenium Park, Chicago Theater, among others. Catch one of the famous architectural boat tour from the Riverwalk across the street from Swissôtel Chicago. The best way to get to the city from Chicago O’Hare Airport is by train, especially during rush hour. That’s what we did. We took the Blue Line to Forest Park stop and walked less than 15 minutes to the hotel.

Wellness

The Swissôtel brand has launched a Vitality campaign to focus on wellness and how it ties into the guest experience. Their fitness center, located on the top floor of the building has impressive 360 views of the city along with top-notch fitness equipment to get your workout in before a busy day or work or sightseeing. If you love running outside as much as I do, head to the Riverwalk for a refreshing run along the river. Given that I am training for a marathon, I appreciated the high-quality fitness equipment and having a running trail so close to the hotel.

Vitality Rooms

Swissôtel has launched a series of “Vitality Rooms” across its properties to recharge the traveler. Swissôtel Chicago has a stunning vitality suite with workout equipment, turndown service, which includes tea and healthy snacks, and Pürovel bath amenities. What I enjoyed the most was having a tea in the evening and taking in the dazzling view of the skyscrapers that surround the area.

The Food

With our busy schedules, we did not have the opportunity to dine at Swissôtel Chicago. However, the property includes the well-regarded The Palm Steakhouse and a more casual Amuse restaurant.

The Service

From check-in to check-out, the hotel service was fantastic. The staff was hospitable at every level. Want to give a special shoutout to the bellmen which handled all my heavy suitcases filled with books and the front desk who texted me when my room was ready.

Swissôtel Chicago: The Verdict

If you are looking for a hotel with a great location, comfortable rooms, and friendly service, Swissôtel Chicago is the place for you. Also, this is the only Swissôtel property in North America which makes for a unique hotel experience in the United States.

Swissôtel Chicago, 323 E Wacker Dr, Chicago, IL; Website 

Disclaimer: I was graciously hosted by Swissôtel Chicago but all of my opinions are my own.

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Navy Pier, Chicago

One of the things I was determined to do once I returned to the United States was to discover places I have not seen before. When my friends decided to do go on a Ladies’ trip, we decided on Chicago. I’ve heard great things about the city, especially its architecture and food. It did not disappoint. When I look back at our 48 hours in Chicago, I cannot get over how much we did, in such little time. We managed to eat well, run a five-miler, go to a ball game, do a little dancing, lovely brunch, and an architectural boat tour.

Room with a view: The Glass Walls of Chicago

We stayed at the Kimpton Allegro, a beautifully decorated boutique hotel at the Theater district. One of the best features about the hotel was its location. It was within walking distance to most of our points of interest without feeling like we were in a touristy area. The second best feature of the hotel is the wine happy hour which we missed because we were at the game. I arrived just after the end of it and the lobby was pretty happening. A good tip for solo travelers looking to mingle. We arrived late on Friday and decided to go to Giordano’s for some famous Chicago deep dish pizza.

Ladies who Run… even on Vacation!

To work off the pizza, we went for a run the following morning. I am a big fan of going for runs while I travel. It not only it keeps you in shape while you try new and exciting dishes, but it shows a city from a different angle. We ran by the river and were amazed by the modern architecture which surrounds the Chicago River. We finished our loop running by Lake Shore Drive. It was the perfect scene: beautiful blue skies, clear water, and perfect fall running weather. Later in the afternoon, we made it to Wrigley Field to watch the Cubs vs Braves. Coming from DC where the Nationals have such a modern field, I was surprised how vintage Wrigley field is. The organs were playing versus the DJ music  at the Nats games. Local rooftops are rented in order for people to watch the game, would love to do that next time. Unfortunately, the game was quite slow. The score was still 1-0 when we left at the bottom of the 7th inning. Fortunately, we had a great time catching up (we all live in different cities) and indulging in a little people watching.

Take us to the Ball Game!

We finished the evening with an amazing dinner at EPIC (an on point recommendation by the Allegro concierge, Anthony). From the homemade pasta filled with lobster to the apple cream puffs, the dinner was delicious and the space as well. We then danced to a few of our college theme songs (Biggie, anyone?) at the bar below. Good times.

Interior of Hubbard Inn

On our last day, we had brunch at the Hubbard Inn. The restaurant has one of the most beautiful spaces I have seen in a while. From the tile on the floor to the tin walls to the original art on the wall, the place was warm and welcoming. I had a breakfast burger which hit the spot after a non-stop weekend. The only drawback was the restaurant was understaffed but our server Michael did an amazing job tending to the whole restaurant by himself.  Before we headed to the airport we headed on a Wendella Architectural Boat tour (a special shoutout for the very generous military discount). The view from the boat was amazing, especially when we crossed into the lake.  We took some beautiful shots of the Windy City.

From the Boat Tour

Although we accomplished quite a bit during our short period of time, I would love to return to Chicago and continue to discover more, especially the restaurants as every meal was delicious. Sometimes I miss my weekend trips to exotic places in Europe but then I realize there is so much more to be discovered in my very large and diverse country. Now time to decide where my next American adventure will take us!

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