Chicago Meeting Professionals Guide - 2019
What’s New
2018-12-13 13:26:37
Here’s the scoop on the latest (and most exciting) venue, hotel, dining and nightlife openings that meeting and event planners need to know.
VENUES
Gallagher Way is the fun new entertainment corridor at Wrigley Field that includes an outdoor park space for special events (such as festivals and live music performances), as well as restaurants, bars and the new Hotel Zachary at Gallagher Way.
Navy Pier debuted Fifth Third Bank Family Pavilion, a new 200,000-square-foot space that features Chicago-centric dining and shopping. Also new at Navy Pier is The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare, an innovative theater made up of individual mobile towers that can be configured into a variety of shapes and sizes, accommodating audiences ranging from 150-850 people
The stunning Chicago Architecture Center overlooking the scenic Chicago River offers world-famous tours and interactive exhibits that tell the stories behind the city’s architectural marvels. Three private spaces, including a lecture hall and studio, are available for rental.
The revamped Theater on the Lake in Lincoln Park dates back to 1920, and was designed by Prairie School architect Dwight H. Perkins. The year-round venue includes a 330-seat main theater, along with a flexible event space that can accommodate up to 1,500 guests.
HOTELS
The hotly anticipated Hotel Zachary at Gallagher Way opened in Chicago’s Wrigleyville neighborhood across from historic Wrigley Field. In addition to 173 guest rooms, Hotel Zachary offers the Alma Room for private events and the state-of-the-art American Airlines Conference Center for meetings.
St. Jane Chicago debuted in the Art Deco-style Carbide & Carbon Building on Michigan Avenue. The 365-room hotel features The Nobel, a private 24th floor rooftop bar, and Free Rein, a brasserie serving French-influenced Midwestern fare by Michelin-star chef Aaron Lirette.
The Wheelhouse, a 21-room boutique hotel, is located down the block from Wrigley Field. A rooftop deck is available for private events, and the hotel includes a basement cocktail bar called Tinker to Evers (a homage to two legendary Chicago Cubs baseball players), along with Union Full Board pizzeria.
Moxy Hotels opened its first Chicago property in River North, Moxy Chicago Downtown. The lobby Bar Moxy, where guests check in and receive a complimentary Got Moxy signature cocktail, is a coffeehouse with collaborative work spaces by day, transitioning into a cocktail lounge at night.
The Los Angeles-based h.wood Group (owner of Bootsy Bellows nightclub) launched its new hotel brand with FOUND Chicago, a 60-room elevated hostel with a funky boutique hotel feel. Its Mason restaurant is a contemporary steakhouse, while the hotel’s speakeasy-style basement is home to the Blind Dragon karaoke bar.
The 98-room Sophy Hyde Park features design elements inspired by the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition, which was held in Chicago. The hotel includes Mesler, a restaurant and lounge with a private dining room that seats up to 14 and has access to an outdoor space.
Located in the newly renovated Atlantic Bank Building on Michigan Avenue, the 218-room Hotel Julian is just steps from Millennium Park. Its ground-floor steakhouse, About Last Knife, features a folding glass wall separating its indoor and outdoor seating areas.
The 466-room Hiltons at McCormick Place is the first-ever tri-brand Hilton, housing a Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton Inn and Home2 Suites. It joins The Collection at McCormick Square complex and is connected via a skybridge to McCormick Place. It also features 6,600 square feet of meeting space.
Hilton Hotels plans to open a new hotel at Navy Pier in summer 2019. Part of Hilton’s Curio Collection of boutique hotels, the new property will have 222 rooms with floor-to-ceiling Lake Michigan views, along with a rooftop restaurant and bar.
DINING/NIGHTLIFE
Gallagher Way is home to a number of popular restaurants. The lively Budweiser Brickhouse Tavern features four bars and two terraces with views of Wrigley Field. A hotbed of new restaurants offer private dining in the middle of the Wrigleyville action, including Mordecai, Dutch & Doc’s, Big Star and Smoke Daddy.
Located 22 stories above McCormick Place is VU, the South Loop’s first rooftop bar. The swanky penthouse space features two terraces with fire pits, three bars and epic city views. Get your guests mingling in the karaoke room or at a private dinner with plates designed for sharing.
Take your next event out on the water with Odyssey Chicago River. The single-level, glass-enclosed dining boat sails the Chicago River, offering stunning 360-degree views of the surrounding architecture. The vessel is available year-round for full and partial charters, accommodating a maximum of 200 guests.
Acclaimed Chicago chef Cleetus Friedman helms Theater on the Lake’s new Lakefront Restaurant. The 125-seat farm-centric restaurant can host private dinners, and features the seasonal 80-seat Skyline Patio with panoramic Lake Michigan and skyline views
The glitzy TAO restaurant and nightclub has opened a Chicago outpost in River North. Known for its celebrity clientele, TAO serves up pan-Asian fare in a DJ-driven dance club set against a dramatic backdrop of giant Buddha statues.
Z Bar, located on the sixth floor of The Peninsula Chicago, offers a globally influenced menu with a side of breathtaking Magnificent Mile views. Shareable plates allow for fun food tastings, and rare spirits are used to make Z Bar’s creative craft cocktails.
Soak up the Chicago River views from Terrace 16 restaurant and bar, located on the 16th floor of Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago. Its seasonal 200-seat rooftop terrace is located adjacent to the organic garden cultivated by Michelin-lauded executive chef Nick Dostal. Wells St. Market food hall is located across the river from the theMART. Some of the dining concepts come from award-winning chefs, including Jimmy Bannos Jr. (Piggie Smalls), Takashi Yagihashi (Tabo Sushi) and Food Network host Jeff Mauro (Pork & Mindy’s).
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