Oxford Capital Group and Quadrum Global announced that the comprehensive redevelopment and adaptive re-use hotel conversion of the historic Atlantic Bank building at 168 North Michigan Avenue will be christened the Hotel Julian, the flagship property of Oxford’s latest luxury lifestyle hotel brand. Diagonally across from Millennium Park, the $75+ million development is slated to open in late 2018.
“We are excited to be transforming this historic Benjamin Marshall designed building and simultaneously launching our latest luxury lifestyle hotel brand,” says John W. Rutledge, Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer at Oxford Capital Group, LLC, and its wholly owned subsidiary Oxford Hotels & Resorts, LLC. “After an extensive naming and branding process, we chose the name Julian for a variety of reasons. The most significant of which was the fact that Julian is derived from St. Julian Hospitaller, the Patron Saint of Hospitality and Travelers. Thus it felt particularly appropriate for a lifestyle hotel brand in a building with such a distinguished architectural pedigree and in such a prominent location on North Michigan Avenue across from Millennium Park.”
168 North Michigan Avenue was designed by architectural firm Marshall & Fox, architects of properties such as The Drake, The Blackstone, The Edgewater Beach Hotel & Apartments, and several prominent buildings on North and East Lake Shore Drive. The Oxford-Quadrum venture is restoring the building’s historic terra cotta facade and seamlessly integrating it with modern design elements. The Hirsch Associates LLC design incorporates a five-story addition on top of the existing structure clad in a faceted glass curtain wall, which is brought down, through the terra cotta façade to the base of the building. At ground level a two-story façade with a folding glass wall set within a terra cotta portal will open up the Workshop/APD designed food and beverage venue and lobby to Michigan Avenue and an outdoor dining experience. The interiors of the hotel rooms have been designed by the Getty’s Group to provide modern, yet elegant accommodations. A second western entrance, located on Garland Court, leads to the building’s contemporary lobby and allows easy drop-off and pick-up of hotel guests.
“The building’s Michigan Avenue location, diagonally across from Millennium Park, as well its proximity to Chicago’s thriving central business district and the Chicago River, make this an optimal place to create a high design and experiential lifestyle hotel that caters to business and leisure travelers alike,” says Sarang Peruri, Principal at Oxford Capital Group, LLC.
To be managed by Oxford Capital Group affiliate, Oxford Hotels & Resorts, LLC, each of the 218 spacious and contemporary guestrooms will offer stunning views of Millennium Park and the lively city surrounding it.
