Tablet Plus
PUBLIC Chicago Hotel
1301 North State Parkway, Chicago, IL, USA
Neighborhood: Near North Side
Check availability as rates may vary for dates. Best rate guaranteed.
While the world’s less clued-in luxury brands are still trumpeting their “exclusivity” to anyone who will listen, some of the hotel industry’s savvier players have come to recognize what a sour taste that concept can leave. Among them is none other than Ian Schrager, whose trailblazing boutique hotels did their fair share to enshrine exclusivity as a marker of luxury. But his new philosophy of inclusivity is embodied at PUBLIC Chicago, something of an anti-boutique boutique, an anti-design design hotel. As long as the service isn’t anti-service — and it isn’t — we’re still on board.
In many ways Chicago, less image-obsessed than Los Angeles or New York, is the perfect city to launch an experiment like this. And the former Ambassador East is an especially fitting location — it was here in the mid-‘80s that Phil Collins was turned away for failing to wear a dinner jacket. Suffice it to say that Jean-Georges won’t be chucking Kanye West out into the street anytime soon, at least not over sartorial issues.
PUBLIC may leave behind the velvet-rope aspect of the first generation of boutique hotels, but it holds onto Schrager’s trademark expressiveness, that emotional investment that makes a hotel feel like more than just a machine for lodging. Here a little design (by the likes of Yabu Pushelberg and Gabellini Sheppard) goes a long way. The spaces are theatrical, but subtly so, less like art installations and more like stylish backdrops for guests’ memories.
It’s a timeless style that seamlessly blends the classic and the contemporary — this building’s got plenty of architectural history, and Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s Pump Room restaurant boasts an impressive collection of black-and-white celebrity portraits. Imagine a modern crowd inhabiting a circa-1938 period piece and you’re most of the way there, stylistically speaking.
Bottom line: it’s effortlessly chic, but with a compensating dose of Midwest unpretentiousness. The comforts and service are pitch-perfect, always sufficient but never precious or over-opulent. And with 285 rooms there’s space in here for everyone — no velvet rope required.
- Complimentary upgrade upon hotel check-in, based upon availability
- Guaranteed 4pm check-out
- One complimentary glass of champagne or one cocktail, per guest, upon arrival
- Guaranteed early 11am check-in
- 285 Rooms
- Style: Modern Design
- Atmosphere: Happening
- 49 Guest Reviews
- PUBLIC Chicago
- 1301 North State Parkway
- Chicago, IL, USA
- Neighborhood: Near North Side
Hotel amenities and services
- 100% non-smoking hotel
- 24 hour concierge
- 24 hour front desk
- 24 hour gym
- ATM/bank office
- Bar
- Business center
- Central air conditioning
- Free wi-fi
- Luggage storage
- Restaurant
- Room service
- Valet parking (charges apply)
Other Chicago hotels
49 Guest Reviews
All reviews are from Tablet guests with verified stays.
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- Dan
- Stayed December 2012
- Rating: Excellent
What I liked:
One of the best public spaces in the U.S. for me. The lobby and bar are incredible looking. Nice looking crowd, almost art directed in black against all the white. Rooms are huge and perfectly designed. My favorite touch: how they transform the bar into a coffee bar in the morning with amazing coffee. A perfect setup. Haven't seen that anywhere else. You don't have to walk down the block to a generic Starbucks.
What the hotel could do better:
Service is kinda soulless, but functional. At the front desk, in the bar and other areas.
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- Felix T
- Stayed December 2012
- Rating: Excellent
What I liked:
Rooms were amazing. Simple but spacious. Well appointed.
What the hotel could do better:
Nothing, had a wonderful stay!
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- shannon
- Stayed October 2012
- Rating: Good
What I liked:
Christopher, the chef concierge was amazing and made our trip so much more special.
The lobby, library, media room and bar were fantastic - both in terms of design and the energy.
They had bikes available and we were mad at ourselves that we didn't use them until the last day because it made for a great way to see Chicago. Overall, the hotel is great in terms of location, ambiance, design and service.
What the hotel could do better:
The only disappointment was the room itself. From such a glamorous lobby, your expectations are that the rooms would be on par but they are very pared down - and not in an elegant minimalist way. They are just dull. However, i did go down to discuss my disappointment with the front desk and we were upgraded (because of booking through tablet) but the room was merely a bit bigger but a nice gesture on part of the staff.
