Midwest

Chicago Beach Polo Kicks Off in September

Back in May we reported that the organizers of the annual Miami Beach Polo World Cup were planning to bring the sandy sport to Chicago for the first time ever. Now it's becoming a reality, with the first Chicago Beach Polo World Cup set to take place Sept. 10 – 12th at North Ave. Beach in a new custom-built outdoor arena. Given the time of year it may not be bikini weather so don't look for the Chicago version to pack Miami's sex appeal, but there are still plenty of opportunities for conspicuous consumption and ostentatious fun. Polo itself is not new to Chicago; the first Chicago Polo Club was formed in 1895, though interest had waned in recent decades. "When speaking with friends and fellow players, I knew Chicago was going to be a great place to bring polo," the event's co-founder Marcos Lopez says. "It's really been here for a while, just hibernating. The City of Chicago and the surrounding suburbs used to have a lot of competitive players, games, and fans. We just want to bring that back."

Tags: beach, beach polo, Chicago, Chicago Beach Polo, equestrian, horses, illinois, Miami Beach, Midwest, polo

The Foshay Tower To Become A Luxury Hotel

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

The W hotel brand is taking on an old Minneapolis landmark for their latest Midwest hotel. The Foshay Tower is a striking 447-foot Art Deco tower. The W Hotel will transform the Foshay into a hotel with 229 guest rooms, including 18 suites. The tower will also be home to a signature restaurant, skybar lounge, fitness center, meeting space and a destination bar. The new Foshay will preserve many of the building's original design details such as Italian marble, terrazzo floors, ornamental bronze and a massive, gold and silver-plated lobby ceiling. Because they don't have a whole building to create, this W hotel has a pretty fast turnaround, and it is set to open in late 2008. The W hotel isn't the first luxury hotel to take over an older building in Minneapolis. In May, the Twin Cities' first Westin hotel opened in the Farmers & Mechanics Bank building at 88 S. Sixth St. in downtown Minneapolis.

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Tags: foshay tower, FoshayTower, hotel, midwest, minneapolis, w hotel, WHotel

Opulent Vodka

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

With a name like Opulent Vodka, it's hard to ignore the latest launch to the absolutely over-stuffed vodka market. This latest entry is made from Midwestern corn (as if you weren't getting enough corn in your diet already) and is distilled five times. The corn is from various Midwestern farms and is available in Minnesota and South Dakota. The quilted look of the bottle is rather posh though. The vodka is $27.99 for 750 milliliter bottle.

[via Martini Groove]

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Tags: alcohol, corn, liquor, midwest, opulent vodka, OpulentVodka

Hotel Blake in Chicago

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

A new boutique hotel has opened in downtown Chicago. Hotel Blake is a 162-room hotel that has a classic style with dark wood furnishings and floor-to-ceiling windows with city views. The hotel had a soft opening in November 2005 and the Grand Opening will be in April. Rooms start at $149 per night. The rooms use Molton Brown toiletries, there are iPod compatible radios and Frette linens. The Custom House restaurant next door offers catering and room service to the hotel.

[via Breaking Travel News]

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Tags: accomodations, chicago hotel, hotel blake, HotelBlake, midwest, new hotels