Weekend away in Chicago
Marnie, one of our team members, was lucky enough to visit the wonderful city of Chicago recently. Below, you’ll find her telling us all about her experience!
“Amongst one of the largest cities in the US, Chicago is known for its architecture and museums and it’s located on the shores of the epic Lake Michigan. Chicago regularly hosts and caters for conventions and large conferences. The main purpose of this particular visit was to scope out a selection of hotels and venues for a large global conference we are organising for one of our clients next year.
We flew into Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport with American Airline. Touchdown was a reasonable 10.30 in the morning and although I’d left at 8.30am, the 6-hour time difference meant I’d almost travelled back in time! Getting a taxi from the airport to my first stop of the weekend was super easy, plenty of cabs outside the terminal. I was soon whisked away by a friendly chatty taxi driver to the Intercontinental Chicago on the famous Magnificent Mile.
Arriving at the hotel, I was greeted by the smiling face of the doorman ready and waiting to take my case. While there are other hotels on the Magnificent Mile, the Intercontinental is the only one with an entrance onto the Magnificent Mile. Built in 1929 and home to secret speakeasies, the hotel maintains its grandeur of the Roaring Twenties.
Soon I checked in and I was ready for a tour of the hotel and its many meeting rooms. Boasting nearly 800 bedrooms, 45,000sq ft of event space, 6 Ballrooms and High Tech AV, this hotel is definitely going to impress your delegates.
Next stop was the JW Marriott, located in the famous downtown Chicago loop, a landmark hotel that once was the Continental and Commercial Bank. The hotel is popular for tourists being close to museums, restaurants and nightlife. The hotel is also ideal for large conferences – 600 plus bedrooms and 44,000 square feet of meeting space spread across 37 meeting rooms.
The Grand Ballroom can host up to 939 delegates for a conference.
The final hotel on the list to see was the Marriott Marquis. Located in South Chicago and connected to America’s largest convention centre – McCormick Place.
The hotel itself has a plethora of meeting space – 90,000 square feet to be precise!
63 meeting rooms, the largest can host up to 3068 people in a theatre style set up. The most spectacular space though has to be Level 33, floor to ceiling windows with panoramic views across Chicago and Lake Michigan – perfect for a special dinner or a drinks reception.
Next on the agenda was a selection of venues we were looking at using for an offsite dinner. Our first stop was Offshore Rooftop, the worlds largest Rooftop Bar as noted in the Guinness Book of World Records (2019), it sits on the 3rd floor of Navy Pier’s Festival Hall.
It offers panoramic views of Lake Michigan and the city skyline. The venue can host up to 1000 guests in total, 300 indoors and 700 outdoors.
Next was the stunning Field Museum, considered one of the best natural history museums in the U.S. The Field Museum is located a mile from downtown Chicago on Museum Campus. This iconic Chicago venue transforms into a dramatic event space that has ample room for cocktails, dinner, and dancing. Up to 1500 seated or 4500 for a reception.
360 Chicago was the next stop, a truly iconic landmark in Chicago. Located on the 94th floor of the John Hancock Centre, with the best 360-degree views over the city’s skyline and lakefront.
If you are after an event with the WOW factor, this is the venue for you! Perfect for cocktail receptions, networking events and dinners.
4 different spaces that can accommodate up to 550 people. This would really be an unforgettable experience for your guests!
The final stop of our time in Chicago was the brilliant Architecture Boat Tour. Experience the birthplace of the modern skyscraper on this iconic Chicago adventure that winds through Chicago River, highlighting the history of the skyline and offering ample opportunities for stunning photos. A very engaging expert guide will take you on a journey through the past, present, and future of Chicago architecture on this leisurely tour that is rated as one of the best city experiences in the world!
Feeling inspired to book an event in Chicago?
Whether it’s a large conference, a small meeting or incentive, Chicago has so much to offer in terms of hotels, dinners, tours and more. We can help you plan the event whatever it may be, just get in touch.