2024 Readers’ Choice Awards: The Top Hotels in Chicago
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Unforgettable food. Cutting-edge design. Immersive experiences. These are some of your top criteria for judging what makes a quality hotel—not to mention a worthy resort, cruise, spa, or island. In tallying up the 575,048 votes cast in our 37th annual Readers’ Choice Awards survey, we were struck by both your eagerness to embrace the new and your reverence for tried-and-true classics. Your favorite hotel in the five boroughs is the two-year-old Ritz-Carlton New York, NoMad, but you also can’t stop returning to storied French Polynesian resort The Brando. You’ve jetted through the sprawling Istanbul International Airport, booked intrepid sailings to Antarctica, and fallen in love with historic yet innovative cities like Copenhagen. Read on to start planning your next round of travels—these are the top hotels in Chicago, as voted by our readers.
View the Readers' Choice Award hotels in Chicago as a list with scores here.
This gallery has been updated with new information since its original publish date.
Courtesy St. Regis Chicagohotel10. The St. Regis Chicago
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Readers' Choice Awards 2024Chicago (and, let’s be honest, the world) has been waiting for this undulating tower by Jeanne Gang—the tallest building in the world by a female architect—to open for years, and the wait was worth it: Glorious city, lake, and river views, a stellar hotel gym, two restaurants, a world-class spa with an indoor pool and outdoor terrace, and a butler for every room (even in the entry-level category), all set in an easily accessible corner of downtown conspire to truly raise the bar on what a city boutique hotel can be. Bring your workout clothes. The roughly 12,000-square-foot Athletic Club is free to guests and has every brand and type of machine you love. There are also three group fitness rooms and a set schedule of classes, from yoga to mat Pilates. Sweat it out, then jump in the pool.
Courtesy Marriotthotel9. The Gwen, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Michigan Avenue Chicago
$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2024The Gwen is named for Gwen Lux, a Chicago–born pioneering female sculptor of the 20th century and a fitting icon for the Chicago installment of Marriott’s Luxury Collection, which aims to make each hotel reflect the character of its place. The hotel, located on the city’s famed Magnificent Mile and in the landmark McGraw-Hill building—with its 1928 facade wholly preserved—does just that. Art Deco interiors with taupe- and gold-hued rooms emanate old-fashioned glamour and chic modernity all at once. The rooftop bar and restaurant, Upstairs at the Gwen, is buzzy as can be when the weather is nice, and your best shot for mingling with a crowd beyond the hotel’s typical guests on business travel.
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Four Seasonshotel8. Four Seasons Hotel Chicago
$$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2018, 2019, 2023, 2024Tranquil and refined, the Four Seasons towers over Lake Michigan. The residential-style rooms make you feel like the most luxe of locals, as do the concierges, who are so skilled and accommodating that they may even be able to score those coveted Bears tickets. On floors 30 to 46, rooms have stellar skyline views and suites have doors that separate living from sleeping quarters, but even the smallest rooms have a residential feel with armchairs, matching ottomans, and circular dining tables. Dinner at Adorn is a must, and come summer, the hotel has a private 52-ft yacht experience for guests to experience the beauty of Lake Michigan and the buzz of the Chicago River by boat.
hotel7. The Peninsula Chicago
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Gold List 2018, 2019, 2022 
Hot List 2017 Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2023, 2024This high-rise hotel might be home to the city’s best-kept secret: a sprawling, 80-foot pool some 19 floors up, with floor-to-ceiling windows and a view you can’t peel your eyes from. You could easily spend all day there in unperturbed bliss—block off a whole day to alternate between spa treatments and dips in the pool. Fortunately, there’s plenty of relaxing to be done in the guest rooms, many of which are more spacious than a Chicago apartment. You know a hotel is at the top of its game when the towels are so plush they feel as though they were woven on-site and there are neatly labeled amenity drawers so you don’t have to pry each one open to find what you’re looking for. Peninsula hotels are known for their intuitive technology (in-room tablets let you control the lights, request housekeeping, and check your flight status). If you’re in need of a good night’s sleep, spend a night at a Peninsula hotel.
Christian Horanhotel6. Viceroy Chicago
$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2018, 2019, 2022, 2024Set in the Gold Coast Historical District, the contemporary-chic Viceroy has a retro Chicago façade and mid-century furnishings within. Textures and patterns grab the eye, including an abstract headboard wall, a carpet that looks like a sand-hued topographic map, and—yes—quotes from Marcel Proust, reproduced on the lobby's 30-foot wall. You'll love the Southwestern–style throw pillows and the teal curtains, which inspire tranquility at night, while the Nespresso machine serves a valued purpose in the morning. Don’t skip their onsite restaurant, Somerset, which serves seasonal American fare and classic cocktails like the Gold Rush and State (aptly named for the hotel’s location) with bourbon, Amaro Montenegro, and honey.
Courtesy Hilton/Nicholas James Fochtmanhotel5. LondonHouse Chicago, Curio Collection by Hilton
$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2023, 2024Set in a landmark building where the Magnificent Mile meets the Chicago River, LondonHouse embodies the definition of a luxury lifestyle hotel. The gold coffered ceiling of the ground floor lobby makes a stunning first impression, but the best rooms—the Vista rooms—are in a glass addition featuring floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the river and the bridges that vault over it. Dark wood paneling and framed black-and-white photos lend a slightly masculine tone. There's a restaurant on the 21st floor, and a rooftop bar just one more story up—its crown jewel being the Cupola and its 360-degree views (a favorite property site for photos).
John Muggenborg /Waldorf Astoria Chicagohotel4. Waldorf Astoria Chicago
$$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2023, 2024You'll feel instantly transported to a French chateau upon arrival at this Gold Coast retreat with all of the comforts of a luxury hotel with a personalized, boutique feel. A sleek charm and upscale amenities (most of the rooms have fireplaces and terraces) evoke a fairytale kind of feel year-round. Dedicated service, alongside a notable spa, restaurant, and cocktail lounge, all draw an array of travelers checking in for an elevated escape, from families to couples seeking romantic retreat. For sunset views over Chicago neighborhoods, opt for a West-facing room, while those jonesing for Lake Michigan views will do well with a room facing North or East. And if you’re looking to experience the property in big ways, consider one of their six residential suites, each boasting a fireplace, marble bathroom, and floor-to-ceiling windows.
hotel3. Renaissance Chicago Downtown Hotel
$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2018, 2024The Loop is Chicago’s fun-loving neighborhood—home to the city’s theater scene, Millennium Park (where you’ll find the mirrored Bean), and the Art Institute of Chicago. At The Renaissance Chicago Downtown, just a block from the Chicago River, the hotel does its best to embody all the high energy the Loop is known for with fascinating art installations in the lobby, a popular rooftop bar called Raised, and even an indoor pool. Yet each of the 553 rooms still give guests the chance to maximize their downtime, thanks to plush bedding, modern bathrooms, and the option to Netflix and chill directly from the hotel television.
George Papadakishotel2. The Godfrey Hotel Chicago
$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2018, 2024The cubist-inspired building housing The Godfrey stands out in Chicago’s River North neighborhood. That same edgy vibe shows up in the hotel’s starkly marbled lobby and slick rooms with contrasting textiles, like velvety purple couches and leather benches. For a crowd and a scene in summer, look no further than the 10,000-square-foot I|O Godfrey—one of the largest indoor-outdoor rooftop spaces in the city.
Le Méridien Essex Chicago/Marriott Internationalhotel1. Le Méridien Essex Chicago
$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2024From its airy midcentury modern design to the unbeatable views of Chicago’s skyline and Lake Michigan, Le Méridien Essex Chicago fits all the cosmopolitan chic of the Windy City’s downtown into 14 compact stories. Seated just across from Grant Park, the hotel has prime accessibility to major must-dos in the city, being just a 5-minute walk from Museum Campus and a 15-minute walk from the Art Institute of Chicago. Le Méridien Essex Chicago’s 274 guest rooms are filled with subtly elegant details such as the hidden speakers in the bathroom mirrors and custom Frette bathrobes. The thoughtfulness extends to every nook and cranny of the property— for instance, in the fitness center, guests can spin on Pelotons equipped with Hulu and Netflix. The in-house restaurant, Grant Park Bistro, serves New American classics with European panache—think charred broccolini risotto and Iberico pork skirt steak.
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