“In Carl Sandburg’s famous 1914 poem ‘Chicago,’ he praised the Windy City for its hardworking ‘Big Shoulders.’ He might also have lauded the city’s sturdy and architecturally attractive buildings that arose after the Great Chicago Fire in 1871 and continued rising into the early 20th century, becoming the birthplace of the skyscraper.
“Most of those buildings remain today and a number have been repurposed, turned into hotels that are popular with visitors to modern-day Chicago.
“Eleanor Gorski, CEO of the Chicago Architecture Center, said these hotels in historic buildings are attractive because they are often in a part of town that is fully built out, easily accessible by public transportation and near other amenities.
“‘For a traveler, those are great places to stay because not only do you get a taste of the city’s historic flavor, but you’re in the heart of the action,’ she said.
“Some of the hotels had former lives as office buildings, while one served as headquarters of the Chicago Motor Club. Another was an erstwhile belt factory and a third is in the former Cook County Hospital. Still another was home to a detective agency and one once housed a casket maker.
“They are buildings from the ‘”Chicago School,” known for its use of steel-frame construction of skyscrapers that the Windy City built its reputation on, she said. They emphasized functionality and efficiency, with a focus on height in offices, as well as the use of large windows.
“Some also boasted marble entrances and stairways, stunning woodwork, Venetian arches and other features such as ‘great locations and views’ that made them attractive to hoteliers, she added.
“Lori Mukoyama, a principal at the Gensler architectural firm in Chicago, said her company is ‘passionate about breathing new life into historic buildings with rich histories and character across their architecture and interiors.’
“Mukoyama said the buildings often occupy prime locations in walkable, vibrant neighborhoods, making them ideal for hospitality use.
“‘Their unique architectural features — such as grand lobbies, high ceilings and unexpected elements like old bank vaults or ornate staircases — offer opportunities for creative and memorable design solutions,’” she said.
“‘These projects allow us to create spaces that feel authentic,’ she said, ‘rooted in place, and seamlessly integrated into the urban fabric that makes them travel-worthy destinations.’
“She said tourists like hotels with interesting former lives and back stories because culture and storytelling are at the heart of traveling.
“‘It’s our job to preserve and translate a building’s past through the power of design, subtly weaving its stories into the guest experience,’ Mukoyama said. ‘For example, guest room layouts and footprints of historic buildings can vary in shape and size, offering a charm that lends to curiosity and awareness of the building’s former life, ultimately creating a more memorable experience.’
“Architecture firm Gensler helped convert the 14-story landmark old New York Life Insurance Building at the corner of Monroe and LaSalle streets into the Kimpton Gray Hotel.
“It was designed by architect William Le Baron Jenney, who was best known for building the first skyscraper and also played a major role in the development of Chicago. Built in three phases and finished in 1903, the building is one of the city’s earliest skyscrapers, Mukoyama said.
“The hotel, which was declared a Chicago landmark in 2002, takes its name from the impressive Georgia Gray marble staircase off LaSalle Street.
“Amy Leahy, the hotel’s sales and marketing director, said the foyer is ‘especially noteworthy as a rare surviving example of a 19th century office building lobby in Chicago, beautifully detailed in marble and classical-style ornament.’
She said it is a favorite spot for couples, especially during peak wedding season, ‘when we often have at least one wedding party each weekend using it for photos. Even couples who aren’t getting married at the hotel frequently reach out to arrange photo sessions here,’ she said. “It’s also a popular proposal location.’
“LondonHouse Chicago opened in 2016 in the old London Guarantee & Accident Building on the corner of North Michigan Avenue and Wacker Drive. The 452-room hotel’s first principal occupant in the 1920s was an insurance firm. It has since housed a jazz club, the Haywood Publishing Co. and the studios of Chicago’s WLS-AM 890 radio.
“Soho House Chicago is situated in the 1908 Allis Building, a former belt factory in the Fulton Market District. With a rooftop overlooking the West Loop, it has industrial-inspired interiors, 40 bedrooms, an 80-foot rooftop pool, a screening room, a gym and spa, and daily events.
“The Alise Chicago (formerly the Hotel Burnham) is in the Reliance Building, a 15-story skyscraper designed by Daniel Burnham, John Wellborn Root and Charles B. Atwood in the 1890s and designated a National Historic Landmark in the 1970s. It was one of the first skyscrapers to offer electricity and phone service in all of its offices and, in its first few decades, it provided office space for merchants and health professionals. It struggled during the Great Depression, fell into disrepair in the 1940s and was restored in the late 1990s to its current state.
“The Publishing House Bed and Breakfast, erected in 1909, was once the Free Methodist Publishing House, a casket factory and a holograph museum. Located in the West Loop at the intersection of May Street and Washington Boulevard, this three-story hostelry was restored in 2016 by Vero Design + Build and architects Kara Boyd and Krista Petkovsek, and Siren Betty Design.
“The Hampton Inn Chicago Downtown is located in the former Chicago Motor Club and was designed by Holabird & Root. It opened in 1928 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. It has numerous art deco features, including a three-story lobby with a 29-foot mural depicting famous road-trip destinations and a 1928 Ford Model A.
“The Pendry Hotel, which some say has the shape of a Champagne bottle, is in the Carbide & Carbon Building on Michigan Avenue. Built in 1929, this 37-floor art deco high-rise was designed by the Burnham Brothers and is clad in distinctive black granite, green and gold terra cotta, gold leaf and bronze trim. It was designated a Chicago landmark in 1996 and converted to a hotel in 2004.
“The Chicago Athletic Association was designed by Henry Ives Cobb as a private club for the city’s elite. It opened in 1893 amid the boom surrounding the World’s Columbian Exposition, has crisscrossing arched windows and has been described as a “Venetian gothic extravaganza” by the Chicago Architecture Center. It closed in 2007, was restored by Hartshorne Plunkard Architects and reopened as a hotel in 2015.” (Clark, Chicago Tribune, 8/17/25)
The adaptive resuse of vintage office buildings into hotels is a best practice. Preservation Chicago fully support this practice and we have directly advocated to prevent the demolition a many of hotels listed above. The New York Life Building later the Hotel Gray was a Chicago 7 Most Endangered in 2022. The Chicago Motor Club Building later the Hampton Inn Chicago was a Chicago 7 Most Endangered in 2009. The Chicago Athletic Association later the Chicago Athletic Association Hotel was a Chicago 7 Most Endangered in 2008. We’re thrilled that developers today appreciate the value of vintage buildings and how well they can be adapted to hotels. Our support remains vital, but these buildings are less likely at risk for demolition than they once were.