You'd think I'd have a photo of this building in my photo archives, and maybe I do, but I can't find one at the moment.
(don't ask me how I got to this website either, because I couldn't answer)
Hotel Industry News: The 443-room Allerton Crowne Plaza Chicago, the historical landmark-designated 1922-24 Chicago property that helped spur the redevelopment of North Michigan Avenue into the city's Magnificent Mile, has shed its Crowne Plaza affiliation to return to its status as one of Chicago's legendary independent hotels, the property's new owners announced today.
Rechristened today as The Allerton Hotel - The Landmark on Michigan Avenue, the 83-year-old property has been operated as an independent for all but the six years it was affiliated with Crowne Plaza. The hotel is widely regarded as one of Chicago's first high rises and is probably best known locally for its Tip-Top-Tap, the 23rd-floor club that served as the home of Don McNeil's 'Breakfast Club' radio show in the 1950s. ... The new owners are currently implementing a design change intended to update the hotel's public areas and guest rooms with contemporary features while maintaining its architecturally significant presence on North Michigan Avenue. Scheduled for completion later this year, the project includes relocation of the hotel lobby back to its original 2nd-floor setting, where it will be combined with the existing bar and restaurant, and conversion of the third floor into an elaborate ballroom and meeting space for weddings, banquets and formal events.The meeting space enhancements will be combined with future retail and restaurant partnerships to leverage the hotel's status as one of only three hotels offering meeting and banquet space overlooking the Chicago Water Tower.
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Chicago's first high-rise to be built with pronounced setbacks, towers and upper-story design elements encouraged by the new municipal zoning laws of the 1920s, the Allerton Hotel represents a rare Chicago example of North Italian Renaissance architecture, featuring decorative brickwork, carved stone details and a picturesque roofline evocative of Milan and Verona in the 14th and 15th centuries. Built over a span of three years by the Allerton House Company, a national chain of 'club hotels' combining the services of a hotel with the sociability of a private club, the 25-story hotel is credited with helping to turn Chicago's North Michigan Avenue into a chic boulevard of exclusive stores, restaurants and clubs that was later christened the Magnificent Mile.The hotel's prime Michigan Avenue location between Huron and Superior streets puts it steps from the world-class shops, restaurants, museums, galleries and other attractions of the Magnificent Mile, including Bloomingdale's, Lord & Taylor, Marshall Field, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Nordstrom, Nike Town, Apple Store, Hard Rock Café, Mike Ditka's and ESPN Zone. Also within walking distance are the Chicago campus of Northwestern University, Water Tower Place, Chicago Children's Museum, The Art Institute of Chicago, Museum of Contemporary Art, Navy Pier, the John Hancock Building and Shedd Aquarium.
funny how they throw in the Shedd at the end. By a quick glance at a Google map, the Shedd is over 3 miles away. Not quite a casual walk, especially when the temperature is hovering around 9˚ F.
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update:
Tags: architecture
