Iconic Mies van der Rohe Building now home to Chicago's newest luxury hotel.
CHICAGO – Langham Hospitality Group‘s fourth U.S. property-The Langham, Chicago-officially opens today on September 10, 2013. Located in the last office building designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, known for developing the modern skyscraper, the 316-room hotel resides within the 52-story landmarked riverfront property at 330 N. Wabash in the heart of downtown Chicago just minutes from the loop business district and Michigan Avenue.
Reflecting Langham’s signature style and commitment to personalized, attentive service, this is the company’s first purpose-built hotel in the United States. “After more than four years of planning and construction, we’re delighted to join the Chicago community and bring our brand of European hospitality to this great city,” said Langham Hospitality Group CEO Brett Butcher. “The Langham, Chicago was a labor of love for our Chairman, Dr. K.S. Lo, who is passionately committed to developing luxury hotels in heritage buildings. The opportunity to build our hotel within this landmark building was a great privilege.” Other heritage properties Langham has invested in include The Langham, London, The Langham Huntington, Pasadena and The Langham, Boston.
The Langham, Chicago is the world’s first hotel to reside in a Mies van der Rohe building. Built in 1971 as IBM’s regional headquarters, the building was declared a Chicago Landmark in 2008 and entered into the National Register of Historic Places in March 2010. As the only Mies building to feature double-paned glass, now called thermopanes, it was on the forefront of the “green” movement.
Featuring such Langham signature features as afternoon tea, a Club Lounge with dedicated butler service, Chuan Spa, based on the principles of traditional Chinese medicine, the hotel also provides some of the city’s largest standard guest rooms starting at 516 sq. ft., a Mediterranean-influenced restaurant and lounge (Travelle), 15,000 sq. ft. of meeting and banquet space and a fine art collection featuring more than 140 works including pieces by such noted artists as Jaume Plensa (designer of Millennium Park’s Crown Fountain) and Anish Kapoor (designer of Millennium Park’s Cloud Gate).
Given the building’s iconic status, the conversion of 13 of its floors into a luxury hotel involved the work of six architects and designers. Notable is the involvement of Chicago-based architect Dirk Lohan of Lohan Anderson. The grandson of Mies van der Rohe, Lohan worked on the IBM building with his grandfather. Lohan has taken the historic ground-floor lobby level and fashioned the space into a hotel reception area, mindful not to disrupt its original travertine walls and granite floors.
London-based Richmond International designed the luxurious, yet contemporary interiors, while New York’s Rockwell Group created the inspired mid-century modern setting for the hotel’s signature restaurant Travelle.
Each room features 55-inch televisions (the largest in Chicago); a deskside “jack pack” offering video/audio, HDMI/iPhone/I-Touch play back of audio/video content and Ethernet capability; a custom-designed midcentury-style “cellarette” houses in-room tea and a Nespresso coffee machine, in addition to a selection of drinks and snacks. Bathrooms bathed in travertine stone, a favorite of Mies van der Rohe, measure 98 sq. ft. and feature heated towel racks, double-sinks and a wet room with a separate bathtub and rain shower. State-of-the-art REVEAL glass allows guests to turn clear glass to frosted glass at the push of a button, creating either a single oversized room or privacy between room and shower. All rooms feature a separate dressing room with dressing table and mirror.
Complimentary WiFi, morning newspaper, overnight shoeshine and use of the hotel’s fitness facility and pool are also included. A Cinema Suite, seating up to 16, is available for rental. For families, the hotel offers a Kid’s Suite, featuring books, games and video programming.
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.
She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
