CHICAGO — The latest addition to the MGallery Hotel Collection opened on February 4 in Chicago’s River North neighborhood. The new 21c Museum Hotel Chicago combines a 297-room boutique hotel with a multi-venue art museum.
Laura Lee Brown and Steve Wilson founded the 21c brand with the vision of bringing contemporary art to the public through exhibitions and programming that integrates art into daily life. Following parent company Accor’s acquisition of an ownership stake in 21c in 2018, 21c Museum Hotels joined the MGallery Hotel Collection. In addition to the new Chicago hotel, two more 21c properties are under development in St. Louis and Des Moines.
“21c has helped introduce MGallery to the United States with an exciting new mode of hospitality, bringing cultural and culinary experiences together, connecting guests with global and contemporary culture, while delving into the roots of each local community,” said Yohan Amiot, vice president of brand management, MGallery. “The new Chicago hotel is a shining example of what we can accomplish together and marks the continued expansion of our lifestyle ‘boutique’ footprint. We look forward to bringing many more 21c-MGallery projects to life in the near future.”
Guest rooms at the new 21c Museum Hotel Chicago are bright and airy, with a color palette inspired by the sky and nearby Lake Michigan. Beds are accented by leather and velvet-covered headboards, which extend across the full height of the wall, and rooms include original artwork and Malin + Goetz bath amenities. Of the 297 rooms, 106 are suites, with the two 21c Suites offering views of downtown Chicago, an open concept floorplan with a sectional couch, dining table for six, and a bathroom with a large soaking tub. The property will also include a full-service spa, 24-hour fitness center, business center, and valet parking.
The property also has 10,000 square feet of meeting and event space. Unique to 21c, the meeting and event space will be curated with contemporary art and open to the public as museum space when not reserved.
As the newest addition to North America’s only multi-venue museum dedicated to collecting and exhibiting the art of the 21st century, 21c Museum Hotel Chicago offers more than 10,000 square feet of exhibition space, which will feature rotating solo and group exhibitions, site-specific installations, and a full roster of cultural programming curated by Museum Director and Chief Curator Alice Gray Stites.
The design team, led by New York-based Design Architect Deborah Berke Partners and GREC Architects of Chicago, capitalized on the building’s open, natural light-filled spaces in the new double-height lobby, which includes a staircase leading to exhibition and event spaces above. Contemporary art is integrated throughout the public areas, while floor-to-ceiling windows offer passersby a view into the art experience inside the hotel.
Originally the Croydon Hotel and later The James Hotel, Deborah Berke Partners spent several months reimagining the hotel as a 21c Museum Hotels—MGallery Hotel Collection property. This is Berke’s ninth project with the brand, since designing its first property, which opened in Louisville in 2006.
