Where Far Eastern grace meets Midwestern warmth on the Magnificent Mile.
There are hotels you stay in, and there are hotels that quietly recalibrate what you expect from hospitality. After a week in Chicago this spring, I can say without hesitation that The Peninsula belongs in the second category. It was the address we returned to each night after long days of restaurant reservations, architecture cruises, baseball games and theater seats — and it never once felt like just a place to sleep.
A Sky Lobby Above the Mile
Tucked on the corner of Superior Street and Michigan Avenue, The Peninsula Chicago sits at the very heart of the Magnificent Mile, just steps away from the boutiques, galleries and restaurants that make this stretch of the city so magnetic. What sets the arrival apart is the lobby itself: rather than greeting guests at street level, The Peninsula lifts its reception five floors up, into a sweeping, light-filled sky lobby. It’s a small architectural gesture that does a great deal of psychological work — by the time you step out of the elevator, the noise of the avenue has already fallen away.
The design draws its bones from the brand’s flagship property in Hong Kong, and you feel that lineage the moment you walk in: Chinese marble lions flank the Superior Street entrance, and the interiors carry a restrained, art-filled elegance rather than anything overly ornate. It is luxury delivered quietly.
Rooms Built for Long Days
Our Grand Deluxe room struck the balance we most seek from a hotel stay: spacious enough to spread out work and shopping bags alike, but calm enough to actually unwind in. In-room tablets handle lighting, climate, and curtains with one touch, and the bathroom — deep soaking tub included — felt less like an afterthought and more like its own small spa retreat after days of walking the Loop and the River North gallery scene.
With 339 rooms and 83 suites across twenty floors, the property is large enough to feel like a proper grand hotel, yet the service never lost that personal, remembered-your-name quality that the best small properties manage. We never had to repeat a request twice. Upon checking in, the staff recognized my partner as a previous guest and quickly upgraded our room. “Do we like champagne?” they asked. “Of course,” we replied, to which we were later treated with room service champagne, fruit, sparkling water and chocolates further enhancing our stay.
The Peninsula Hotel also has top of the line concierge service. We were especially impressed with Gary, a concierge that has earned the Les Clefs D’Or (Golden Key Concierge) for quality service and has over 25 years of service at The Peninsula Chicago itself. Gary helped with recommendations on sites to see (and sites to avoid) in the city, and he was able to help us organize our itinerary by neighborhoods to avoid excessive travel across the city. As he shared, most guests don’t realize the extent to which a Concierge may assist guests. Learn to use them for more than just dinner recommendations or reservations. A good concierge is more than delighted to make your visit memorable, and s/he has the knowledge to do so.
Dining and the Rooftop Hour
The hotel’s restaurant program holds its own against a city that takes its food extremely seriously. Shanghai Terrace remains the signature draw, with Asian-influenced plates served in a setting that nods, again, to the Hong Kong original.
For something more relaxed, the lobby-level dining room is an easy, elegant spot for breakfast before a full day of sightseeing — and after a late dinner downtown, Z Bar on the rooftop may also be a delightful way to close the evening, cocktails in hand, skyline view in front.
The Spa, the Pool, and a Reason to Linger
If your Chicago itinerary is anything like ours — theater, multiple dinner reservations, an architecture cruise on the river, a fair amount of walking — you’ll want a real wellness floor to come back to, and The Peninsula delivers one. The spa’s treatment rooms, including couples’ suites, are a genuine highlight, and the indoor pool is unexpectedly generous for a downtown property, the kind of space that makes you actually carve out an hour for yourself rather than rushing back out the door.
Why It’s Our Pick
We have stayed at a number of well-regarded hotels. The Peninsula is one we would keep coming back to, and the one I would recommend to anyone planning their own Magnificent Mile itinerary. We couldn’t help but compare it to The Conservatorium, our favorite hotel thus far. Both have the understated elegance of Asian influences in their decor and decorum. Both have a higher than average level of exemplary customer service evident and seemingly ingrained within the Asian culture. Both hotels have the polish you’d expect from a five star luxury Hotel. The Peninsula has the designation of being a Forbes Five Star, AAA Five Diamond property and it pairs that polish with a genuine sense of place — this is a hotel that understands it’s in Chicago, not simply a luxury brand that happens to have a Chicago address.
As well, The Peninsula was within close walking distance to many of the other Chicago attractions on our itinerary, and a short Uber ride to others. Follow for more.
