The follow-up to the hugely successful James Hotel in Scottsdale is the James Hotel Chicago, which takes the Scottsdale formula as a departure point for a chic, new urban hotel. With a construction budget of $24 million and an FF & E total of $8 million, DBPA helped transform a worn 17-story hotel, originally constructed in 1929, into a fresh and stylish 297-room luxury hotel.
The ground floor lobby is drenched in natural light thanks to the custom oversized streetfront glazing. Crisp and cool white walls, columns of zinc and frosted mirrors and white terrazzo floors contrast with the warmth of a plain-sawn hickory check-in desk. At one end of the lobby, an 11-foot sliding glass door opens to the restaurant bar, combining both rooms to create a 125-foot long social scene for the hotel. Towards the rear of the lobby, a 2-storey mural of a birch forest covers the wall to help to draw people to the elevators and down to the gym.
The restaurant, a top end steakhouse by New York restauranteur David Burke, turns to a more intimate palette of materials with ebony wood floors, chocolate-colored leather upholstering, oxidized bronze wall panels and a teak and glass wine display case.
The second floor contains a 2500 square foot ballroom, meeting rooms, a private dining room and lounge for the condominium owners. A complete fitness center and spa is located in the basement.
The guest rooms were designed with a fresh and simple palette; crisp white walls, lush olive carpet with a custom walnut platform bed. Light fixtures, designed in collaboration with Isometrix Lighting and Design, along with a red patent leather lounge chair add a splash of color. The rooms also feature artwork commissioned from local artists. |
