Ace Hotel Chicago

Character and identity

Set in the West Loop across from Google's Midwest HQ, this 159-room property channels industrial-loft Chicago: exposed grids, plywood built-ins, and a curatorial streak that runs from Art Institute student work on the walls to in-room Martin guitars and turntables in select categories. Ground-floor café Lovage pours Stumptown coffee at dawn and pivots to cocktails by afternoon, while City Mouse, chef Jason Vincent's restaurant, anchors the food programme. Rooftop bar Little Wild handles skyline views and nightly live music. Service is informal and creative-class, not white-glove.

Who's it for

Bottom line

The pull here is cultural adjacency: City Mouse downstairs, Little Wild on the roof, and a West Loop address that puts the city's best eating at your feet. Book if you value neighbourhood and design over conventional luxury trappings. Request a room with a turntable or guitar if that matters to you, and angle for a higher floor for the picture-window desk view.