The largest Aloft hotel in North America, the newly built Chicago Mag Mile property, opened in late 2018. We’ve always been fans of the brand and eagerly booked a stay. Tree-lined East Ontario Street feels intimate, like a neighborhood, yet it is only steps from the high-end shops on the Magnificent Mile.
We pulled up to the porte-cochère conveniently located on the side of the building and a valet parked our car. My husband carried our luggage inside to the colorful lobby. A plaque on the wall explains the hotel sits on the former site of the Museum of Contemporary Arts Center, moved to its current space a few blocks away in 1996. Photo reproductions of important shows and works the MCA exhibited now hang on the walls of the Aloft. The meeting rooms are named for artists who exhibited at the MCA.
There is energy to the lobby. People sit on the couches talking or at tables working on laptops. A mother and her daughter play pool. The W XYZ Bar’s neon signage draws patrons well into the evening and four nights a week, local musicians perform. A handy self-serve food station caters to a wide range of preferences from Red Bull to almond milk. The vibe is fun and the staff friendly.
Our 16th-floor king accessible guestroom achieved a loft-like feel with a textured cement ceiling, floor-to-ceiling windows, a corner nook for working, a playful headboard and free WiFi. The sink was in the bedroom and the bathroom was well designed for a wheelchair user. The 19th-floor fitness center is open 24 hours and the indoor heated pool has a chairlift for those who can’t manage steps.
The Aloft is only a few blocks to the River Walk and about a mile to Navy Pier. Whenever we visit the Windy City, we always see a play or musical. Several theaters, including the Lookingglass, Goodman and Chicago, are within a mile radius. After a show, we love to walk back to our hotel and soak in the exuberance of a night on the town. The Aloft, like the city, evokes a welcoming zeal.
Aloft Chicago Mag Mile
243 E. Ontario St.
Chicago, IL 60611
tel 312 429 6600
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