Welcome to the Hotel InterContinental Chicago, one of the city's most beautiful landmark hotels. A building rich in history, unique architecture and cultural diversity, it was originally built in 1929 as the Medinah Athletic Club, a luxury men's club for members of the Shrine organization. Unfortunately, in 1934 the club had to close its doors, a victim of the stock market crash. InterContinental Hotels, renowned for its international portfolio of historic restorations, bought the property in 1988, and immediately began renovations. A quarter of a billion dollars and 12 years later, we are pleased to welcome you to the truly magnificent Hotel InterContinental Chicago.

It was the contribution of the original athletic club's 1930 yearbook, the Scimitar, which guided much of the original restoration work. Donated by a club member, the book was of invaluable assistance during the restoration. Its black-and-white photographs were used to duplicate and restore entire rooms, right down to detailing in the draperies, carpets and murals. Completed in 2001, the four-story lobby, with its grand staircase and cast bronze ornamentation, has turned out to be a harmonious merging of old-world elegance with 21st-century craftsmanship.

Today, each floor of the hotel represents a myriad of cultures and eras. Rooms marked with a notice at the entry are occupied with events and meetings. Please do not enter these rooms unescorted. The public areas available for viewing provide a glimpse of the rich history of the building.

Guided tours for groups and individual audio tours are available. Contact our Concierge for information.

When the InterContinental Chicago opened its doors in 1990, it was presented as a gift to the city of Chicago. Since then it has been the recipient of numerous awards for both its architecture and its design. It has been the scene of important events, and the hotel's guests have included international dignitaries and politicians and Hollywood celebrities. We are very proud of our hotel, both for its beautiful decor and the service we provide to match it. InterContinental Chicago stands proudly among other InterContinental restorations around the world, including the Willard InterContinental in Washington, D.C., the Marc Hopkins InterContinental San Francisco, Le Grand InterContinental in Paris, and many more. InterContinental Hotels Group operates more than 150 hotels on six continents.

The Hotel InterContinental Chicago is the only North Michigan Avenue hotel with a main entrance on the boulevard. The floor is tiled with iridescent, handcrafted, mosaic tiles made of onyx and marble. The ceiling of the four-story rotunda features tiny stars and lighting that changes to reflect the time of day.
The designs on the cast-bronze friezes along the handrail of the grand staircase are taken from the hotel's original use as the Medinah Athletic Club. Just off the lobby is Zest, the only street-level restaurant on Michigan Avenue, and a popular destination for locals and visitors alike. Zest's menu features cuisine with Moroccan, Spanish and Portuguese influences .

Located in the heart of Chicago's "Magnificent Mile", the Hotel InterContinental is one of the city's most luxurious hotels. Originally built in 1929 as the Medinah Athletic Club, the Hotel InterContinental combines historical charm with contemporary elegance. Referenced in architectural tours of Chicago, the InterContinental's blend of architecture and art from around the world creates a truly unique hotel environment.

Over 40,000 square feet of meeting and banquet space, including six private ballrooms, provides the flexibility for intimate meetings or lavish galas. The recipient of numerous awards for dining excellence, the hotel is the number one choice for both social events and the discriminating meeting traveler.

Since its first involvement in 1989, InterContinental Hotels and Resorts have invested over a quarter of a billion dollars in this flagship property. Every guest room and suite was completely refurbished in 2001. Incomparable service and facilities together with an ideal Michigan Avenue location make the Hotel InterContinental a perfect choice for both the business and leisure traveler.

The pool, located on the 3rd floor, is the last remaining feature of the original Medinah Athletic Club, which was built in 1929. This 25-meter, junior Olympic-sized swimming pool was one of the first above the ground swimming pools of its time.

Changing rooms at the Fitness Center each have a dry sauna, spacious shower stalls and an extensive line of personal care products available. A personal trainer and masseur are available throughout the day upon request. The health club staff can also arrange for guests to play tennis, racquetball and golf at nearby associated clubs. Tanning services are available within the hotel.

Prices:

Executive Express is a full-service business resource that has been specifically created to support the needs of business travelers, meeting planners and convention centers. Executive Express is more than a secretarial service or equipment center; we're experienced business professionals who can help you to get the job done when you're on the road, as well as to supplement convention needs and services.

Executive Express offers a unique range of services including:

Copying and Printing:

Mailing & Shipping:

Secretarial Services:

Computer Workstation and Office Equipment Rentals:

Design Services:

Advertising Specialties and Gift Items: Executive Express offers a full line of advertising specialty and gift items, such as:

Other Amenities:

• Office supplies
• Notary public

Design schemes representing various cultures and eras have been revived in the six ballrooms and 26 meeting rooms of Hotel InterContinental Chicago. Each ballroom is on a separate floor to ensure privacy. All meeting spaces feature an eclectic variety of motifs for sumptuous banquets, impressive meetings and unforgettable conferences

Zest

Private events can be accommodated on the second floor of Zest.

The living room
Located on the 2nd floor of the Historic Tower, guests of the Living Room look down on the activity within the Lobby or the pedestrians on Michigan Avenue. Opened in April 2002, the Living Room offers the comforts of home. Tea is served in the afternoon.

The Six Continental Bar
The Six Continents Bar and Salon is the perfect place to gather with friends or relax alone. Award-winning Martinis, cocktails and fine wines are offered. A light meal is available.

Live entertainment at weekends.

Room Service

The Hotel Intercontinental Chicago maintains a 24-hour Room Service

Historic Tower Guest Rooms
Rooms in the historical tower, originally built in 1929 as a luxury men's athletic club, look out over either Lake Michigan or the famed Michigan Avenue.

The opulent guest rooms, in the historical tower, were designed with soothing russet and gold-tone fabrics and warm honey-colored wood. Decorated with more of a European touch, the rooms include custom-designed, oversized writing desks, convenience outlets throughout the room, dimmable lighting, cordless telephones and 27-inch televisions. The bathrooms within the tower are designed with customized Italian marble.

Main Building Guest Rooms
These beautifully appointed guest rooms are designed for soothing, sophisticated comfort and convenience. Rich mahogany furnishings resonate with natural beauty. Built to world-class standards, every room features luxurious amenities such as complimentary in-room coffee, daily newspaper service, minibar, plus many other accouterments. Discerning guests will appreciate the 24-hour Room Service, hairdryer, iron and board, plus windows that open throughout the building.

North Tower Rooms
Beautifully appointed guest rooms designed for soothing, sophisticated comfort and convenience. Rich mahogany furnishings resonate with natural beauty. Every room features world-class amenities such as complimentary in-room coffee, daily newspaper service, minibar, plus many other accouterments. Discerning guests will appreciate the 24-hour Room Service, hairdryer, iron and board, plus windows that open throughout the building.

Business Rooms
For the 24-hour workday, we've created the 24-hour office.

A workplace engineered for productivity
At InterContinental, we believe that comfort isn't a reward for doing a job well; it's a necessity. That's why our Business rooms offer everything you need to do your job effectively and easily.

More space to spread out your spreadsheets
To ensure you're not buried in paperwork, we've designed a spacious desk with storage for stationery and supplies. It's also equipped with easy-to-reach, surge-protected outlets and dataport, as well as a printer cable.

Print, copy and fax from your room
A specially designed desk drawer ensures that you're no more than an arm's length from a state-of-the-art printer - fax - copier which produces crisp, presentation-quality documents.

A line for voicemail. A line for e-mail
A dual-line telephone equipped with voicemail ensures that you never miss a call, even when you're faxing or operating your modem.

Everything you need to stay comfortable, productive and awake
Along with a constant supply of fresh coffee, the Business rooms also provide amenities that are so important, yet so easy to forget: copy paper, notepads, stapler, scissors, paper clips and pens, even bi-directional parallel-port printer cables. You'll also find ergonomically designed chairs that enable you to work for extended periods without back pain, as well as special halide lamps, which provide five times more power than a 300-watt halogen lamp while generating 75% less heat.

Suites

Executive Suites
Located in both our Historical Tower and Main Building, these suites boast all the amenities found in our guest rooms, with the added luxury of extra living space. Each Executive Suite is approximately 50% larger than a regular guest room, and contains an additional seating area.

One-Bedroom Suites
Located in the Historical Tower, One-Bedroom Suites overlook either Michigan Avenue or Lake Michigan. All suites have the same decor and amenities as other Historical Tower guest rooms, but include a separate living room and bedroom.

Presidential Suite
Located on the 37th floor of the Historic Tower, the Presidential Suite overlooks both the famed Michigan Avenue and Lake Michigan. A two-level suite, the luxurious living room boasts a beautiful staircase leading to the dining room and two bedrooms above. Floor-to-ceiling windows add a spectacular touch. The suite has two guest rooms and four full baths.

Each guest room provides:

Room service is available 24 hours, and a laundry valet service.

The hotel offers the following ADA facilities and services for travelers with disabilities:

The Hotel InterContinental Chicago is located at the heart of Chicago's "Magnificent Mile", which features an extraordinary collection of shopping, dining, nightlife and cultural attractions. The hotel lies directly across from the North Bridge Complex, home of Nordstrom's, and only minutes away from Water Tower Place, Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdale's, Sak's Fifth Avenue and American Girl Place.

Only steps from our Michigan Avenue entrance, diversions other than shopping abound with Navy Pier, the Children's Museum and the Chicago River, starting point of the world-renowned architectural tours.

Sears Tower, one of the tallest buildings in the world, Shedd Aquarium, Art Institute of Chicago, and Chicago Theater are all within easy access, while Lincoln Park, site of Lincoln Park Zoo and the Peggy Notebart Nature Museum is just three miles from the hotel.

O'Hare Airport and Midway Airport are within 16 and 12 miles respectively, and take an average of 30 minutes by car.

Visitors interested in sports find the major Chicago sports teams within easy access of the hotel; just three miles from the hotel is Soldier Field, the home ground of the Chicago Bears pro football team, the oldest surviving National League ballpark, Wrigley Field, home to the Chicago Cubs is a 15-minute drive away, while the Chicago White Sox baseball team's home ground Comiskey Park is just 12 minutes away.