What it is

A glitzy art-filled 1930s-themed hotel on Michigan Avenue, with 311 rooms and a rooftop restaurant.

What it isn't

Unhelpful. Staffers are service-oriented, from the concierge desk to the daily housekeeping; room amenities include iPod docks, mini bars and robes and slippers ideal for post-shopping lounging.

What we think

The Deco-era looms large in Chicago, and no larger than here at The Gwen, originally built in 1929 but recently revamped for the 21st century and beyond. Each room is adorned with the types of finishes and amenities silver screen sirens would j’adore, including cheekily painted walls, marble bathrooms, brass fixtures and charcoal and gray upholstery. It’s worth booking a suite for a private terrace; the Junior Suite Terrace is an outsized 920-square-feet, with a separate living room with rose-hued art and accessories and a 65-inch flatscreen TV. Repeat guests love the 24-hour on-site gym, where Peloton bikes and treadmills galore await your workout, no matter the weather beyond the windows.

You're here because

You’re glamping-obsessed, and the hotel has put together a Glamping Experience: you’ll have a lotus-shaped tent on your 16th-story terrace, plus s’mores at turn-down (obviously).

The Moment

Sitting by a fire pit at Upstairs at The Gwen, on a fifth-floor rooftop terrace, you take a sip of your Poptail—prosecco popsicle—and have to smile. Not only are the people in the Midwest as kind as can be, but the bar scene is worth cheersing.

Restaurants & Bars

Upstairs At The Gwen - American cuisine.

Circa Restaurant and Lounge - American fare and curated cocktails.

Location

On Michigan Avenue in Chicago’s Magnificent Mile. Within walking distance: Millennium Park and the Jay Pritzker Pavilion and the Art Institute of Chicago, where the 300,000 artworks within include pieces by Georges Seurat, Edward Hopper and Vincent van Gogh.