The old Essex Inn has a dramatically new look, thanks to a $75 million overhaul of the South Michigan Avenue landmark that begins checking in overnight guests Monday.
The 14-story hotel’s steel-and-glass shell and iconic rooftop sign are just about the only survivors of this ripped-down-to-the-studs renovation, where guest rooms start from the low $200s to upper $400s, depending on demand.
The Hotel Essex development — part of a larger project that includes a soaring new apartment building next door — encompasses a French bistro and a small bakery/coffee shop on the ground floor, as well as a bilevel bar and lounge with sweeping views of Grant Park and the lake outside, plus plenty of Insta-worthy details within its walls.
The former Essex Inn debuted as a downtown motel in 1961, when an ad in the Tribune touted it as a place “where the livin’ is easy for business or pleasure!” Designed by A. Epstein and Sons, a Chicago firm known for its midcentury modern aesthetic, the hotel boasted a heated swimming pool on the roof of the adjacent parking garage, which was knocked down to make way for the 56-story Essex on the Park apartment building that opened in March.
Over the years, the hotel at 800 S. Michigan Ave. lost its luster. Chicago-based Oxford Capital Group partnered with Quadrum Global — the same duo behind The Godfrey and Hotel Julian — and bought the property, transforming this small stretch of the South Loop into what’s billed as a “luxury lifestyle” development.
While the interior of the new hotel looks nothing like its predecessor, the design tips its hat to the building’s midcentury modern roots. Low-slung furniture, brushed brass accents and little pockets of wood paneling lend a “Mad Men” vibe to the lobby, where the reception desk is reminiscent of an old-school television credenza. An artsy, honeycomb-style bookshelf plays up the geometric motif, while a recurring floral pattern on rugs and throw pillows soften the overall look.
“We’ve taken that theme of midcentury modern but reinvented it to make it ahead of its time,” said George Jordan, executive vice president of Oxford Hotels & Resorts, which worked with Chicago-based The Gettys Group on the design.
Oxford manages the property, along with several other downtown hotels.
“We’re known for our rooftops at Oxford,” Jordan said, referring to popular hotel-based nightlife spots like I|O at The Godfrey and LH at LondonHouse.
Hotel Essex’s version is SX Sky Bar, slated to open April 11 in the adjacent Essex on the Park apartment complex. Spread over two levels, the swanky space has its own entrance off Michigan Avenue. An elevator opens onto a sexy, sixth-floor lounge tricked out with colorful velvet booths and cushy, oversized thrones straight out of Alice in Wonderland (footstools available for those who aren’t pro basketball players or leggy super models). Retractable walls of glass will slide open in warmer weather, making for an enviable perch to sip a craft cocktail while peering over Grant Park.
California native Christopher Suzuki, former sous chef at LondonHouse, has been tapped to run SX Sky Bar’s kitchen. Light, sharable plates and sushi will be served daily starting daily at 2 p.m. and going into the wee hours.
Behind a door marked “VIP,” a 9-foot-long beaded light fixture hovers over a stairway that leads down to an area designed “to bring dancing back to Chicago,” Jordan said. As a DJ pumps out the music, an army of lights from the ceiling will project images on the poured concrete dance floor.
Another dining and drinking venue can be found at street level: Grant Park Bistro, a modern French grill from Chicago-based LM Restaurant Group. The restaurant takes the place of the former Brasserie by LM that closed in 2016.
The bistro, which handles room service for the hotel, shares space with a small outpost of Vanille Patisserie called Petite Vanille, selling baked goods and coffee.
Grant Park Bistro will start serving breakfast on Tuesday, with lunch and dinner service to follow later in April. In the summer, the bistro’s sidewalk seating can accommodate up to 40 diners on Michigan Avenue.
The hotel’s 274 guest rooms — 20 more than before — come with either king-size beds or two queens. For families or friends traveling together, corner units can be combined to create a suitelike space with a single hallway entrance.
A fitness center is on the second floor, where there’s also space for moderate-size meetings and private functions.
In the guest rooms, luxury vinyl tile mimics the look of hardwood floors. Blue hues add a punch of color to the mostly neutral color palette. Most rooms have walk-in showers, not tubs.
High-end touches include Frette robes and Trussardi bath products, both custom made for the hotel. Rooms feature high-tech touches, too, like “smart” fridges that let you quickly cool a bottle of bubbly, Bluetooth-enabled bathroom mirrors for streaming your own music, and bedside clocks that double as cellphone charging stations. Rooms also come with espresso machines and 55-inch smart TVs.
One thing that hasn’t changed from the old Essex Inn days: floor-to-ceiling windows. If your room faces Michigan Avenue, that means expansive views of the park, the Museum Campus, Navy Pier and Soldier Field.
“You can practically see the kickoff from here,” Jordan said, pulling back the curtains in a room on the top floor.
He gazed out the window with a sly smile.
“After looking at these views,” he said, “I think the rates just went up.”
Twitter @lorirackl
