Trump International Hotel & Tower

There’s no danger at all you’ll accidentally overlook it — the Trump International Hotel & Tower is just a hair shorter than the Sears Tower, making it the second tallest building in America and, significantly, the tallest residential tower in the world. The topmost units, generally, are privately owned, but the Trump’s privileged position on the Chicago River means even the rooms on the lower floors come with impressive views.

The challenge, as with all things Trump, is how to live up to the outsized first impression. And the answer, apparently, is never to let up — the lobby, with its soaring ceilings and its acres of glass, is no less opulent than the facade. Same goes for the rooms. Forget any kind of aw-shucks Midwestern understatement: this is a vision of Chicago as a commercial and cultural capital.

Rooms come equipped with all the modern luxury-hotel standards, 42-inch screens, soaking tubs and all. Of course, to play in this league, that’s not quite enough — it takes a Michelin-starred restaurant, an upscale second-floor cocktail bar with a view over the river, and a 23,000-square-foot spa and health club complex, which looks out over the skyline and Lake Michigan through floor-to-ceiling windows.

• 339 Rooms
• Style: Contemporary Classic
• Atmosphere: Lively
• 1 Guest Review

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