chicago hotels

Emmy Rossum On Hand As JW Marriott Chicago Hosts Grand Opening

Actress and singer Emmy Rossum was on hand as the JW Marriott had its grand opening in Chicago this week. Rossum stars in Showtime's Chicago-centered series "Shameless." JW Marriott Hotels & Resorts celebrated the event with performances from the Joffrey Ballet and Chicago Symphony Orchestra. The hotel is in Chicago architect Daniel Burnham's historic Continental & Commercial National Bank Building in the financial district. The hotel opened last fall and occupies the first 12 floors of the building. It has 610 guestrooms including 29 corner suites and 36 meeting rooms as well as a luxury spa and fitness center, Valeo and two different restaurants, The Florentine, an Italian Steakhouse created by the BLT Restaurant Group, and a lounge serving more casual plates and sushi. Nightly rates start at $209.

MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL from Marriott International on Vimeo.

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The Elysian Hotel Creates Emergency Style Kit

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Chicago's Elysian Hotel, wants to make sure their guests look good this holiday season. The stylish luxury hotel's Elysian Style Program offers more than just a toothbrush or spare hairbrush for those who might have forgotten a few things. Fashion stylist Eric Himel worked with the Elysian to create the Emergency Style Kit for men and women as well as private fashion consultations both before and during guests' stays.

The curated Elysian Emergency Style Kit is available for both men and women. Items in the women's Emergency Style Kit range from $15-$1,000 and the men's from $170 to $595. The women's kit offers items such as a Donna Karan Black Infiniti Convertible jersey dress; Jimmy Choo Black Gilbert Kid Leather Pumps; MAC Viva Glam lipstick; Wolford Power Shape tights and a red Lanvin Ouloulette clutch. The men's kit offers dressed-up style option like an Ermenegildo Zegna white French Cuff dress shirt; Hermés silk tie; David Yurman Armory cuff links; Gucci moccasins and Byredo "Fantastic Man" cologne.

The Elysian Style Program is available to those who book an Executive Suite or higher and includes access to Himel and his exclusive Shopping Hot List, outlining the seasons' hottest items and where to find them in the neighboring shopping district. Guests can contact Himel for a complimentary pre-stay consultation in which he can provide professional fashion insight and shopping recommendations. A styling session can also be booked at $150/hour.

This move is just the latest in a boutique hotel trend that has fashion moving from stores in the lobby into an integrated part of the hotel itself. The Hudson Hotel has a deluxe vending machine with stylish apparel and other options; the Standard hotels also sell apparel via vending machine. The Ritz-Carlton, Los Angeles recently announced a partnership with personal stylist and fashion consultant, Aly Scott of StyleChic.

Tags: chicago hotel, Chicago Hotels, elysian hotel, eric himel, stylist

Elysian Hotel's Marc Jacobs Package

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

In 2008 my colleague Jared Paul Stern mentioned that Marc Jacobs would be opening his only Chicago boutique at the Elysian Hotel. Now the hotel has created a special package, the "Bed, Breakfast and Marc Jacobs" package for anyone wanting to make a pilgrimage to the boutique. The package is available through Labor Day and includes accommodations in an Elysian guestroom or suite, complimentary breakfast in bed, a Marc Jacob beach tote and a limited edition Marc Jacobs towel. Rates start at $415.

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