CHICAGO
Best Western Hotels & Resorts president and CEO David Kong was joined by Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives Michael Madigan, Ward 13 Alderman Marty Quinn and Vīb developer Amit Patel at Tuesday’s ground breaking ceremony for the Chicago Vīb hotel.
Vīb (as in vibrant) is Best Western’s new chic, hip urban boutique hotel. The $8 million Chicago Vīb hotel project will create approximately 70 construction jobs, and more than 22 permanent jobs.
“Midway Airport is a vital economic engine for Chicago and this new hotel will enable it to meet its growing passenger traffic so it can continue to drive job creation and economic growth for our entire city,” said Mayor Rahm Emanuel. “I want to thank Best Western and developer Mr. Patel for making this investment, which represents a tremendous vote of confidence in the future of Midway.”
The Chicago Vīb is being developed on Cicero Avenue across from the upscale, high traffic Midway Hotel Complex, in the Chicago/Midway International Airport market. The property will be a visible gateway three-story, 74-room hotel for the SW Chicago area, which has seen a recent resurgence in commercial growth, with the city and local government spearheading the economic redevelopment.
In addition to the Chicago Vīb, Best Western Hotels & Resorts has Vīb projects under development in Miami, Los Angeles, Staten Island, N.Y., Springfield, Mo., Little Rock, Ark., Seoul, South Korea, and Vientiane, Laos, and is actively negotiating deals in several other key U.S. cities.
News reports did not reveal if there was meeting space available at any of the incoming Vīb properties, however, the hotel chain offers communal areas for guests to meet and network.
The Chicago Vīb hotel is expected to open by late summer 2016.
