Guide to Chicago Historic Hotels
Approximately 55 million tourists visit Chicago annually. They enjoy Chicago’s world-class architecture, incredible parks and lakefront, renowned museums and institutions, outstanding theaters and vibrant restaurants and neighborhoods. Authenticity is the trait that connects them all.
The hotel experience is so important to a tourist’s experience, yet the mainstream hotel booking sites focus location and price miss some of the most important differentiation factors that matter most to a tourist seeking an authentic Chicago hotel experience; uniqueness, historic richness, captivating “origin story”, and proximity to other tourist destinations.
The goal of this project is to create a content-rich and visually-captivating website focused on unique, authentic Chicago historic hotels and creative adaptive reuse in historic buildings. This website would provide rich, original content focused on each hotel’s unique story, glorious physical spaces, and captured by outstanding architectural photography. This would allow the hotels selected for our site to compete not only price, but based on their unique value propositions, including quality, authenticity, uniqueness, and historic interest.
Tourism In Chicago Bounced Back In 2024 With 55 Million Visitors, $20 Billion In Spending
“Chicago welcomed 55.3 million visitors last year, and another strong year is expected, the city’s tourism arm announced Thursday at its annual meeting at the Nederlander Theatre.
“Choose Chicago said last year’s visitor total represented a 6.5 percent increase year over year, with international tourism surpassing 2 million visitors for the first time since 2019.
“The rise in tourism was attributed to the city hosting several large special events and conventions, such as the Democratic National Convention, Sundance Chicago, Lollapalooza and the second Downtown NASCAR race. Combined tourism spending is estimated to have reached $20.6 billion last year, Mayor Brandon Johnson said Thursday.
“Other achievements cited by Choose Chicago include an eighth consecutive year of Chicago being named “Best Big City in the U.S.” by Condé Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards and the newly announced extension of the National Restaurant Association Show through 2032.
“The organization reported helping visitors book 2.65 million hotel rooms in 2024. Leaders also said the group secured 49 citywide conventions, including the 2026 NAACP National Convention and the 2028 Grand Conclave of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity.” (Mercado, Block Club Chicago, 5/19/25)
Read the full story at Block Club Chicago: Tourism In Chicago Bounced Back In 2024 With 55 Million Visitors, $20 Billion In Spending; The city drew more than 2 million international visitors for the first time since 2019, Choose Chicago officials said, Melody Mercado, Block Club Chicago, 5/19/25