Illinois
Ace Hotel Chicago opened its doors in the city’s West Loop neighborhood, known for its vibrant cultural, food, art and design scene. Each of the 159 guest rooms feature a unique piece of art on Ace Hotel Chicago letterhead stationary stippled, painted or hand-drawn by a student of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, a project curated by SAIC painting professor Dan Devening. Waydown, a rooftop lounge area, is located on the hotel’s seventh floor with views of the downtown skyline and the hotel’s restaurant, City Mouse, is a collaboration with Chef Jason Vincent. There is 7,760 square feet of meeting and event space, including a garden terrace.
The Embassy Suites by Hilton Chicago O’Hare Rosemont completed its renovation, focusing on all aspects of the hotel, including guest rooms, public spaces and back-of-house areas. The 294 guest rooms received new soft goods, furniture and artwork while public spaces were completely updated, including the atrium, pool, fitness center, lobby and elevators. The property is located across from the Donald E. Stephens Convention and Conference Center and offers 22 conference rooms totaling more than 11,000 square feet of meeting space. Additional amenities include a fitness center, indoor pool, complimentary shuttle service to and from O’Hare Airport and food and drink at Basil’s Kitchen and Bar.
The St. Jane Chicago is slated to open spring 2018 in the Carbide & Carbon building. Originally built in 1929, the building housed the former Hard Rock Hotel and is being converted to the new 363-key hotel named in honor of Jane Addams, a pioneering Chicagoan, activist and the first American woman to win a Nobel Peace Prize. Guest rooms will feature unique local amenities and artwork from Chicago artists. The Tower at St. Jane, located on floors 25 and above, will feature 33 premium suites, and guests of The Tower will be able to access an exclusive indoor/outdoor 24th floor lounge. The hotel will offer multiple food and beverage outlets, including a full-service restaurant, market cafe and cocktail bar. There will also be 11,000 square feet of meeting and event space.
Michigan
The Best Western Premier Detroit Southfield Hotel opened with 196 guest rooms. The property is located less than 25 miles from Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport and is close to downtown Detroit and Heritage Park. The top floor of the hotel offers eight penthouse suites while the 15th floor has executive suites. The property also includes an on-site restaurant, Nomad Grill, that features a bar built from wood blocks, reclaimed metal panels and pipes. There is 20,000 square feet of meeting space.
Nebraska
Marcus Hotels & Resorts debuted the Omaha Marriott Downtown at the Capitol District. The 333-room, 12-story hotel is the first new full-service hotel to open in Omaha in more than a decade. The new Capitol District is located in downtown across the street from the CenturyLink Arena & Convention Center and TD Ameritrade Park. The hotel offers 20,000 square feet of meeting space with an additional 16,000 square feet of prefunction area, outdoor event space and hospitality suites. There is also a rooftop pool with a bar and entertainment area, a full-service restaurant and bar and a Starbucks cafe in the lobby.
Ohio
The Hilton Columbus at Easton completed its multimillion-dollar renovation and amenity enhancement. The 345-key hotel completed guest room redesign in 2016 and now the hotel’s public areas, including the lobby, terrace, entryway and Executive Lounge, have been upgraded as well. The hotel added over 9,000 additional square feet of meeting rooms and event space, bringing the property’s total to 39,000 square feet.