CHICAGO
Autograph Collection Hotels, part of Marriott International, announced a May 2017 opening for Hotel EMC2, a boutique hotel in Chicago that will celebrate the convergence of art and science through its design, cuisine and guest experience. Hotel EMC2 joins a growing portfolio of more than 100 Autograph Collection hotels.
"Hotel EMC2 is the perfect addition to Autograph Collection Hotels with its complex, yet enriching concept and complementary design elements," said Julius Robinson, VP, Autograph Collection Hotels. "Our hotels and resorts are known for providing standout guest experiences ... we believe that Hotel EMC2 will exceed this promise."
Designed by the Rockwell Group, the 21-story, 195-room hotel greets guests with a typographic design sharing the words of Renaissance man, Leonardo da Vinci: "Study the science of art. Study the art of science. Develop your senses – learn how to see. Realize that everything connects to everything else."
Da Vinci's vision guides the design of the hotel: from the lobby, which features an assembly of freestanding bookcases, creating nooks and crannies of curiosities, to the guest rooms and suites that are subtly influenced by the 1920s laboratories with rose gold fixtures and luxurious furnishings.
"It's always intrigued me that people distinguish art and science as two different disciplines; I see them as one in the same," said Scott Greenberg, president & CEO of SMASHotels. "Our unique hotel will pay homage to the symbiotic relationship of these fundamental concepts and transcend the traditional hospitality experience."
Hotel EMC2 will also feature a 120-seat contemporary American restaurant, the Albert, where curious foodies can nourish their senses with acclaimed chef Brandon Brumback's seasonal menu.
Unlike any culinary experience in the city, the restaurant will offer the warmth of a 1930s institute of higher learning, where professors swirled a scotch and talked about the mysteries of the universe. The Albert will also offer an intimate 20-seat open kitchen where diners are invited behind-the-scenes to witness Brumback create bold new flavor profiles. At the center of the restaurant, a glass chandelier evokes a scientific experiment pouring house-made infused liquors developed by Rebecca Royster, who will lead the hotel's F&B efforts.
Creative expression also extends to nearly 2,000 square feet of flexible meeting space. Honoring Emmy Noether, one of the greatest math minds of all time, and the principle of symmetry, which underlies the convergence of art and science, the two multi-functional meeting and event spaces include blackboard-style artwork installations and the show-stopping art of Dr. Eugenia Cheng (a British mathematician, musician, author artist and Scientist in Residence at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago).
Hotel EMC2 is situated in the heart of the Magnificent Mile Shopping District within the Streeterville neighborhood and is pedestrian-friendly to Chicago's attractions, shopping and dining.
