In Chicago we stayed at PUBLIC Hotel, one of the nicest hotels I've ever had the pleasure to call home for a week. Designed by Ian Schrager - the American hotelier and co-owner of the legendary Studio 54 - the premier Gold Coast property combines chic, minimalist design, great dining and a central location on the pretty, tree-lined North State Parkway.
Our beautiful loft room was almost 500 square feet, with a huge king size bed, a living room area and workspace with stylish furniture - a sleek long black table, cream sofa and shaggy faux fur covered chair plus a iPod docking station (from which we listened to a lot of Kanye; when in Rome). We watched some baseball highlights at the end of the night on the 55 inch flat screen high def TV before sleeping like babies with killer jetlag and 300 thread count bed linen. The all-white bathroom was pretty basic but perfectly acceptable with a decent shower, modern square sink and white mosaic tile floor.
Our beautiful loft room was almost 500 square feet, with a huge king size bed, a living room area and workspace with stylish furniture - a sleek long black table, cream sofa and shaggy faux fur covered chair plus a iPod docking station (from which we listened to a lot of Kanye; when in Rome). We watched some baseball highlights at the end of the night on the 55 inch flat screen high def TV before sleeping like babies with killer jetlag and 300 thread count bed linen. The all-white bathroom was pretty basic but perfectly acceptable with a decent shower, modern square sink and white mosaic tile floor.
The whole building is in a refined, muted palette of whites, creams, beiges, taupes and greys accented with black and metallics, from the vast lobby with tall ceilings and large communal tables with stacks of coffee table books, papers and magazines and enormous bespoke limestone fireplaces to the chic restaurant and lively bars.
The cool, laidback atmosphere was enhanced by half the Lollapalooza line-up staying there too; lots of hot, tattooed rocker dudes having nightcaps in the bars at the same time as us. My favourite kind of after-dinner drinks. The hotel restaurant certainly isn't some average lobby add-on either: the iconic Pump Room restaurant - established in 1938 and a favourite with Frank Sinatra, Marilyn Monroe and Humphrey Bogart back in the day - serves great food by world-renowned French chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten in a cosy, dimly-lit, relaxed environment.
Mixologists served up aperitifs in the lounge bar before we sat down for dinner with a focus on farm-to-table and regional products. We went for the daily tasting menu which had one of the best salmon sashimi dishes I've ever had. Good wine, great ambience, pretty expensive, but worth it. I'll be recommending PUBLIC to anyone I know going to Chicago.
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