CHICAGO—Kimpton Hotel Monaco Chicago will finish transforming its 191 guestrooms, 22 suites, and lobby later this spring. With the Chicago Riverwalk visible from the hotel’s window seats, the redesign takes inspiration from Lake Michigan.
“We’re excited to share the Monaco Chicago’s next chapter with the city and our guests, whose spirit energizes us every day. We’re fortunate to have a front-row seat to the renaissance on the waterfront and throughout the Loop, and we welcome our loyal guests as well as new generations of travelers to experience it with us,” says Adam Gurgiolo, general manager of the Kimpton Hotel Monaco Chicago.
The “Lake Effect”-themed design reflects the physical attributes and atmospheric effects of Lake Michigan and the Chicago River and the cultural adventures that await guests. The enhancements also allude to the city’s history as a 19th-century shipping hub and to the century-old building’s past as headquarters of the D.B. Fisk & Co. hat company.
The 191 newly renovated guestrooms have high ceilings and bay windows, a Monaco Chicago signature. Redesigned bathrooms include tiled walk-in showers with marble accents, rain showerheads, detachable hand faucets, and lighted mirrors framing a custom vanity. Twenty-two suites offer spaces for working and relaxing, with large bathrooms and a separate sitting area in each.
All rooms and suites have new 55-inch televisions with fully interactive streaming and casting capabilities and new Bluetooth-compatible alarm clocks. The rooms also offer faster WiFi and phones with voicemail and speakerphone.
The decor mixes luxe materials with distinctive details such as tufted headboards and a hatbox honor bar, a nod to the century-old building’s history as a hat factory. Each room has Frette bed linens, Atelier Bloem bath products, bathrobes, and yoga mats.
Through “Knock and Drop,” the hotel’s room-service program, guests can order from Fisk & Co.’s full menus. The nearly year-old restaurant offers a Belgian-inspired take on seafood and craft beer at lunch and dinner and American-with-a-twist breakfast and brunch favorites.
The “Living Room Lobby” is the hub of the Monaco Chicago, with varied seating areas, numerous outlets, WiFi, and morning coffee and tea service.
A custom-built wine table, to be unveiled in late spring with the other lobby enhancements, will be a focal point for the hotel’s nightly wine hour from 5 to 6 p.m. and a new nightcap service. Curated by Fisk & Co., the nightcap hour is for guests and visitors, with cocktails and paired bites served tableside, plus live music on select nights.
Guests can partake in programs and perks that highlight the hotel’s community partnerships:
- Library cart curated by Chicago’s Newberry Library: Guests are welcome to “check out” books on Chicago art, culture, and history. When they visit the Newberry’s bookstore, they’ll receive a complimentary pen, pin, and 10 percent discount on purchases
- Vintage-inspired hats for purchase in the lobby and suites: Guests can take home the handiwork of millinery 10th Street Hats
- Monaco-inspired tea service by Chicago’s Rare Tea Cellars: The rare-ingredient purveyor is developing a custom blend available only at the Monaco Chicago
- Wearable art by Columbia College fashion students: Student-designed hats and accessories—coursework from the school’s newly created millinery class—will be displayed and worn by hotel staff. The Monaco also will feature 1920s-era items on loan from Columbia’s Fashion Study Collection.
Three meeting rooms offer a combined 4,100 square feet of flexible space. The 2,700-square-foot Paris Room accommodates up to 190 and has an interior by designer Susan Caruso. The Athens Room can host up to 70, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Chicago River. At 487 square feet, the Tokyo Room is for gatherings of up to 30 people. Fisk & Co. caters all events with both set and customized menus that highlight seasonal, locally sourced ingredients.
