If you can’t fathom spending your holidays on a tropical island (no matter how much you yearn for paradise, the idea of a white Christmas holds you home), The Peninsula Chicago offers the perfect compromise.
A stone’s throw from Magnificent Mile—the city’s luxury shopping area, with high-end boutiques like Louis Vuitton, Chanel, and Cartier—the iconic property is the ideal holiday-away-from-home; its lavish five-star lodgings are merely the beginning. The hotel’s holiday-themed agenda kicks off with a special Christmas tree lighting ceremony on November 27, where guests seated for Afternoon Tea can watch as the lobby is transformed into a glittering spectacle of lights. By making a donation to the hotel’s charity effort, onlookers can participate by hanging an ornament of their choosing on the tree.
With recently revamped guest suites, patrons will instantly feel at ease. Designer Bill Rooney lent a keen eye to the property, updating its décor to reflect the constantly evolving architecture and design scene in Chicago, with accents crafted in luxuriant leathers, opulent fabrics, and fine wood. Hand-embroidered silk art decorates the walls, bespoke chinaware by Bernardaud ensures that meals arrive in style, and Jean-Jacques Porret’s bronze sculptures serve as a centrepieces in various suites. Newly implemented in-room technology lets guests adjust the lighting and temperature of their suite, book sighseeing tours, and order room service all on the touch-screen tablet.
Guests can also partake in an evening skate on the hotel’s charming Sky Rink—an outdoor ice rink situated between the soaring skyscrapers. If a night on the town is more your style, the property’s Keys to the City program offers exclusive access to VIP experiences, like a private tour through the kitchen of a Michelin-star restaurant, house seats at the latest Broadway musicals, and access to a dazzling celestial show at the observatory—all of which will make the visit to this cosmopolitan city one to remember.
Visit peninsula.com/chicago for more information.