Acme Hotel Company

Character and identity

Set in River North, one of Chicago's denser pockets of bars, boutiques and restaurants, Acme runs to 130 rooms in a 1920s building that was gutted and reskinned in 2013 as industrial-chic theatre. Expect checkered flooring, a blinking crosswalk post at the entrance, vaulted lobby ceilings and curtain-partitioned lounges that read like a hipster stage set. Three bars carry the property: the Berkshire Room for classic cocktails, the Bodega Bar upstairs for living-room drinking, and the Bunny Slope, a tongue-in-cheek après-ski room with a working hot tub. Service is capable rather than warm, with a knowing local edge.

Who's it for

Bottom line

What you're paying for here is atmosphere and address: three genuinely distinct bars and a River North location, not the cooking or the coddling. Book it if a night at the Bunny Slope sounds like a good idea, and upgrade to a suite if you'll spend real time in the room, since standards are compact. Weekday rates offer the best value.