We remember our first time visiting the Peninsula Hotel in downtown Chicago. It blew us away. The soaring skyscraper, occupying an entire block on the Magnificent Mile, had just opened, bringing exotic, Asian influenced décor and calm to the Midwest hub. Flash forward: The 15-year-old Chicago classic has just completed a multi-million dollar renovation, with new room and suite décor and a state-of-the-art, tablet based technology system, making it the city’s (and the brand’s) most high-tech hotel. Fortunately, a nod to tradition and heritage remain, along with the Peninsula’s legendary, bend-over-backward service.
The new rooms feature a more cosmopolitan design, but take inspiration from both Asia and the city of Chicago. A creamy white palette contrasts Macassar wood, and azure blue fabrics and linens, with a subtle wave pattern, pay homage to Lake Michigan and the Chicago River. The chrysanthemum, the official flower of Chicago and one of the four “noble flowers’’ of Asia, also shows up as hand-crafted wall art in every room.
But, it’s the new intuitive technology that really impresses. Each room has high tech tablets embedded with specially-created software, which controls everything you might need. Push the housekeeping button and click on what you want (make up the room, bring up additional toiletries); the TV screen shows all the channels and changes them with a touch of your finger (no more scrolling up and down a listing), and tablet buttons control room lighting and temperatures. Push the spa button in the bathroom and the lights dim, soft music comes on, and the do not disturb sign is activated. You can arrange car service, order room service, check on your flight, print boarding passes, find out what’s happening at the hotel and around the city, and open PressReader, with complimentary access to more than 2,000 international publications — all from the easy-to-use tablets. And, it’s programmed with 11 different languages. We pressed the French button, and not only did the tablet change to French, but all the signs in the room and the program playing on the TV changed as well. Pretty cool.
In conjunction with its 15th anniversary and the new look, the hotel has also introduced the Keys to the City program, offering guests one-of-kind, exclusive experiences. We took a tour of the Vosges Haut-Chocolat factory, which is normally not open to the public, and included a generous gift bag of take-home gourmet chocolates. We also met Michelin three-star chef Curtis Duffy at his top-rated Grace restaurant for a tour of the restaurant and wine cellar, and a private plating lesson. Other experiences, which are only available to hotel guests and will change seasonally, include front-of-the-line entrance to popular attractions and events, VIP access to top nightclubs, and a four-course, off-the-menu dinner at celeb chef Graham Elliot’s GE Bistro.
The hotel has four on-site restaurants, including The Lobby, a grand room with floor-to-ceiling windows, serving contemporary American cuisine and a traditional afternoon tea service, and the more sought-after, AAA four-diamond Shanghai Terrace, ranked as one of the top Chinese restaurants in Chicago.
You may be tempted to stay put at “The Pen,’’ but Chicago is right at the doorstep: the Magnificent Mile, Navy Pier, Millennium Park, beaches, museums, and more. Enjoy, and then come back to your room and push the spa button.
THE PENINSULA CHICAGO 108 E. Superior St., 866-288-8889, www.chicago.peninsula.com/en/default, rooms start at $374.
Diane Bair and Pamela Wright can be reached at bairwright@gmail.com.
