Chicago Athletic Association Hotel
A characterful boutique hotel in a restored 1890s gentlemen's club overlooking Millennium Park.
The call
Worth it if you only have one day and you are traveling as a couple.
Why
- 01
Gorgeous Venetian-Gothic public spaces, a buzzy game room and rooftop bar with park views, and a strong sense of place.
Our read - 02
The rooms are nice but the lobby scene is the real star.
Our read
Is it a fit?
Go if
You only have one day
Even on a tight schedule, Chicago Athletic Association Hotel earns the hours.
You are traveling as a couple
As a couple, Chicago Athletic Association Hotel works.
You are traveling solo
Solo, Chicago Athletic Association Hotel works.
You care about the visual experience
For beauty & photography, Chicago Athletic Association Hotel delivers.
Think twice if
You are watching the budget
On a budget, weigh it — Chicago Athletic Association Hotel isn't cheap for what it is.
You are traveling with kids
With kids, it depends on the day.
History and culture matter to you
For history & culture, Chicago Athletic Association Hotel is hit or miss.
The night matters
For nightlife, Chicago Athletic Association Hotel is hit or miss.
What you're near — and what you're not
- Millennium Park & the Bean (across the street)
- Art Institute of Chicago (~5 min walk)
- The Loop & theater district (walkable)
- West Loop dining (~12 min car)
- Quiet — the public spaces are lively at night
What you're paying for
Rooms blend club-house heritage with modern comfort; park-facing rooms are the ones to request. The draw is as much the historic public spaces — game room, drawing rooms, and the rooftop — as the rooms themselves.
Plan it well
- Cost
- $$$ — upper-mid boutique
- Timing
- Warmer months for the rooftop; book ahead for the bar
- Booking
- Direct or OTA; request a park-facing room
- Getting there
- On Michigan Ave facing Millennium Park, central to the Loop
Sources and method (2)
- Set in an 1893 Venetian-Gothic former gentlemen's club facing Millennium Park; converted to a 240-room hotel in 2015 chicagoathletichotel.com ↗
- Cindy's, the 13th-floor rooftop under a glass atrium, overlooks Millennium Park, Cloud Gate, the Art Institute and Lake Michigan chicagoathletichotel.com ↗