30
Nov
The highlight of my week in Chicago last month was ending the trip with a stay at the Park Hyatt Chicago. Several FlyerTalkers at the Chicago Seminar DO responded favorably on the Park Hyatt when I asked where I should stay in Chicago. I was happy I took their advice.
Park Hyatt Chicago lobby (the fuzzy art is mostly not my camera)
Park Tower, completed in 2000, is 67 stories and at 844 feet is currently the eleventh tallest building in Chicago according to Wikipedia. Architecturally, Park Tower Chicago was the first building in the U.S. designed with a tuned mass damper – a 300-ton steel pendulum that prevents building sway. Architects Lucien Lagrange posted 17 photos of the building with some hotel shots and great penthouse views on their website. GlassSteelandStone.com is a Chicago architecture blog with several photos of the Park Tower building exterior.
Sidewalk view of Park Tower Chicago
Park Hyatt Hotel is the lower 18 floors of Park Tower at 800 North Michigan Avenue and Water Tower Place, adjacent to the historical Chicago Water Tower, survivor of the great 1871 Chicago fire when the entire downtown and its hundreds of miles of foot traffic wooden sidewalks burned to the ground.
Chicago Water Tower
The luxury hotel Peninsula Chicago is directly across the street from the Park Hyatt. Both hotels have south facing entrances so the entrance to the Peninsula Hotel is on the opposite side of the hotel from the Park Hyatt entrance.
Park Hyatt Chicago entrance
The lobby alcove contains large fossil specimens in wall cases.
The 7th floor is NoMIRestaurant and Bar. There is a reception table by the 7th floor elevators to direct people into the bar and restaurant. The place was packed at 8pm on a Tuesday night. NoMI Restaurant is where I ate a delicious crab omelette breakfast.
Chicago Park Hyatt NoMI Wine Cellar on the 7th floor
Park Hyatt Chicago Spa and Pool
One design feature of the hotel I did not like was the Spa, workout rooms and pool are on the same floor as the NoMI Restaurant and Bar. You have to pass by the restaurant entrance to access the spa and pools. Waiting for one of the two elevators to take you back to your room floor might feel a little uncomfortable while standing in your bathrobe in the middle of mingling million dollar babies on their way in and out of the bar.
Park Hyatt Chicago Room 1806
Room 1806 is a top 18th floor hotel room with a great view of the Water Tower.
The window ledge cushioned bench was a delight for sitting with a view of the John Hancock Center, Water Tower and North Michigan Avenue.
View north with Westin Michigan Avenue and Hilton Drake Hotel (low building in distance)
Crowne Plaza Hotel is center background building next to Allerton Hotel
Double Bed Room
Park Hyatt bathroom has sliding door divider between tub and room. Toilet and shower have glass doors.
This was the second hotel (Trump Chicago) I saw in Chicago with candles in the bathroom. I enjoyed the candlelight feature.
Electronic shades are a feature of the Park Hyatt Chicago room.
The furnishings were nicely arranged and little touches stood out around the room despite a rather minimalist design. The room had a large flatscreen TV and glass desk although I failed to take a decent photo of that side of the room.
Mieko Yuki, born 1943 Japan – You Can Do It (2004), An interview here gives a little insight into the artist.
Park Hyatt Chicago is a Hyatt Gold Passport category 6 hotel reward at 22,000 points per night. I redeemed points for my stay when the lowest published room rate was $422.50 or $487.56 per night after tax.
