Chicago is one of those cities that I wish I had more time in. This time around I was there for one night, which actually just about doubles the amount of time that I've spent here. With such a short amount of time, I limited the trip to the central area, including the "miracle mile" and Navy Pier.
We stayed at the Fairmont Chicago which ended up being a great choice. It's very centrally located and much to my surprise, parking was included in the reservation. When we found out after parking in the garage next door, the concierge offered to refund the parking fees from the other garage and told us to just drop it off with the valet downstairs. Great service all around and the rooms were comfortable, along with nice views.
In the afternoon, we decided to try out the Signature Room at the John Hancock Tower. I am a fan of skybars in general ever since a visit Shanghai. They are expensive and often not that great, but there is something nice about being able to sit high above the city and look out over it. The Signature Room and Lounge is on the 95th and 96th floor and provides one of the best views of the city.
Drinks in the Signature Lounge, just above the Dining Room, are "Chicago standard" priced: $13-15 a drink off the signature menu. However, I ordered a maitai and it ended up being a comparatively bargain basement price of $11. The Signature Lounge is is packed with people and generally seemed to draw a tourist crowd doing exactly what we were doing: Coming up, buying a drink, taking pictures, and moving on. It's not the worst deal in the world, considering the other skyview in Chicago is $17.50.
And these views...
More of these views and more places after the break!
