Chicago: 5 Places to Stay

Perhaps no other hotel showcases Chicago's impressive architectural history like the Burnham. The historic 1894 Reliance Building was lavishly restored, and rooms on the upper half of the hotel's 14 floors feature the original heavy wooden doors, iron elevator grillwork, ornate hardware, and worn marble stairs from the landmarked skyscraper's days as an office tower. The décor in the guest rooms, however, is forward-looking, with whimsical blue velvet headboards, harlequin-patterned pillows, and fancifully oversized ottomans; the tasseled curtains and mahogany furniture add a sumptuous note, as do the views from the building's distinctive Chicago Style bay windows. The ground floor has a reconstructed red-and-white mosaic tile floor and a tiny, cozy lobby with a huge stone fireplace and the superb Atwood Café, a stylish spot offering upscale versions of American comfort food classics.

Insider Tip: Rest your head on down, foam, or even buckwheat ordered up from the hotel's pillow menu.

Room to Book: Chicago history buffs take note: Al Capone's doctor treated his famous patient—and his girlfriends—in room 809.

• 1. Hotel Burnham
  1 West Washington Street, Chicago, IL 60602; 866-690-1986 41.882849-87.628655 burnhamhotel.com