Stay up to date on the latest venue openings and property renovations, including these found in the Midwest.
Illinois
Formerly the Essex Inn, Le Méridien Essex Chicago has been reimagined and rebranded into a Marriott Bonvoy property. The historic hotel, located on Chicago’s Cultural Mile overlooking Michigan Avenue and Grant Park, underwent a multi-million-dollar renovation that gave new life to its iconic building, with European flair and a modern mid-century design.
The property offers 274 guest rooms, each with a work station, smart TV, high-speed Wi-Fi and Bluetooth-enabled bathroom mirrors with hidden speakers. For F&B, guests can dine at the hotel’s ground-floor restaurant, Grant Park Bistro, serving contemporary American fare with fresh, local and seasonal ingredients.
For event and meeting space, planners can utilize the LM Studio, a bi-level event space, as well as additional meeting rooms on the second floor that feature AV capabilities and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Grant Park.
After a year-long temporary closure due to the pandemic, Chicago’s Palmer House, a Hilton Hotel reopened June 17, coinciding with its 150th anniversary. Upon its June reopening, the 1,641-room property unveiled a brand-new indoor swimming pool following a $2.2-million renovation. Also new to Palmer House is Lockwood Express, a grab-and-go concept that offers daily baked pastries, Lavazza coffee and cold brew and small batch cocktails for travelers on the go.
Planners can still book the property’s extensive meeting space—totaling 130,000 square feet—including three ballrooms, 77 breakout rooms, 11 hospitality suites and a nearly 17,000-square-foot exhibit hall.
[Related: Pendry Reinvigorates Historic Building on Chicago's Michigan Avenue]
Indiana
Coming this fall to downtown Indianapolis’ Warehouse District is Hotel Indy, a 90-room boutique hotel located at the corner of Washington and Delaware in the former State Life Insurance building, with architectural roots dating back to the 1950s Brutalist movement.
Hotel Indy will be Indiana’s first Tribute Portfolio by Marriott property. Along with 90 rooms, it’ll feature six suites, an “innovative dining experience,” a 95-seat rooftop bar and more than 1,500 square feet of meeting space. The interior design will feature a mix of gold, maroon, mint and obsidian volcanic rock and a number of noteworthy art installations.
Hotel Indy is within walking distance of Bankers Life Fieldhouse, home of the Indiana Pacers. The property will be managed by Coury Hospitality and is positioned to be the cornerstone of downtown Indianapolis’ Warehouse District.
A Milwaukee Venue Revs Up for An Expansion
An exciting new addition is planned for Milwaukee, Wisconsin's Harley-Davidson Museum, which is a 20-acre campus housing an unrivaled collection of Harley-Davidson motorcycles and memorabilia and a top tourist destination for the city.
The new single-story space, slated to open in the spring of 2022, is dubbed The Garage and will boast more than 8,000 square feet of event space, floor-to-ceiling views of the Menomonee Valley and state-of-the-art AV capabilities. It will replace Chrome, the museum’s seasonal event space.
The museum’s 1903 Events team will manage the space to book special occasion and corporate events. Throughout the space, planners can also expect five glass garage doors and access to an adjacent outdoor space called The Square. They’ll also have access to onsite catering and event equipment.
Other event spaces at the Harley-Davidson Museum include Rumble, which can accommodate up to 440 people and the Motor Bar & Restaurant for up to 200 people. For something smaller, planners can look to Bolt, which can accommodate up to 30 people.
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