The Waldorf Astoria Chicago hides in plain sight on East Walton Street, a quiet Gold Coast block a few steps off the Magnificent Mile. It opened in 2009 as the Elysian and took the Waldorf name in 2012, and it remains one of the most convincingly European hotels in the city: a 60-storey limestone tower with a cobblestoned motor court, a wood-panelled lobby and just 188 rooms and suites. The stories about the Playboy Mansion belong to a different address up the road, so ignore them.
Rooms here are a genuine selling point, among the largest in Chicago, most with gas fireplaces, separate soaking tubs and walk-in showers, and Parisian-leaning decor that feels residential rather than corporate. Michael Mina’s Margeaux Brasserie handles the ground floor with a French brasserie menu and a good bar, while the spa and indoor pool on the lower floors give you somewhere to retreat when the lake wind bites. Oak Street’s boutiques and the beach are a two-minute walk.
This is the Chicago hotel to book when you want quiet luxury and space over a buzzy lobby scene. It is expensive and deliberately low-key, the sort of place that rewards a long weekend of shopping, dining and not very much else. For couples and repeat visitors who know the city, it is our pick in the Gold Coast.
