The Inn of Chicago, originally known as the Hotel St.Clair, was built in 1927 by Oman & Lihienthal, and is located on the corner of Ohio Street and St. Clair. The hotel is now part of the Choice Hotels International hotel chain, after a history involving many exchanges between management companies.

Location

The 250 ft (76.2 m). Inn of Chicago Magnificent Mile Hotel is located on the corner of Ohio Street and St. Clair, a half block off of the Magnificent Mile

Magnificent Mile

The Magnificent Mile, sometimes referred to as The Mag Mile, is a neighborhood in Chicago, Illinois, that runs along a portion of Michigan Avenue extending from the Chicago River to Oak Street in the Near North Side community area. The district is located adjacent to downtown; it is also one block...

 in downtown Chicago

Chicago

Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...

, Illinois.

History

Originally known as the Hotel St. Clair, it was built in 1927 by Oman & Lihienthal and decorated by Geo. P. Davidson. Half of the 21-story building was designated one-bedroom residences to Chicago's most prominent figures of the 1920s. In addition, the hotel was frequented by guests including: Judy Garland, Gypsy Rose Lee, Roy Rogers, Dean Martin, Bob Hope, Jerry Lewis and Irv Kupcinet. The top floor, known as the Skyline Terrace Penthouse was home to the Chicago Press Club Headquarters from 1960 to 1978. The 22nd floor Chicago Press Club was the longest resident of any Press club in Chicago and host to some of Chicago’s most famous newscasters. In 1980, Hotel St. Clair was renamed The Inn of Chicago after a $13 million renovation. Shell Hospitality Group reopened the hotel in February 1982 as a Best Western

Best Western

Best Western International, Inc. is the third largest hotel chain, with over 4,195 hotels in nearly 80 countries. The chain, with its corporate headquarters in Phoenix, Arizona, operates more than 2,000 hotels in North America alone. Best Western has a marketing program involving placement of free...

. In November 2006, the Inn of Chicago was purchased from Best Western and sold for $40 million to the Chartres Lodging Group umbrella of hotels. In 2006, the hotel underwent major renovations including a new lobby, new guest rooms, bathrooms, and a refurbished lobby and bar. The primary historic façade was restored, including the hotel’s trademark “Inn of Chicago” neon sign. The restoration resulted in 359 guest rooms, 6 suites, and 5800 square feet (538.8 m²) of meeting space. The 22-story hotel is now equipped with a fitness center, business center, innbar, and a street-level Lavazza

Lavazza

Luigi Lavazza S.p.A. is an Italian manufacturer of coffee products. Founded in Turin in 1895 by Luigi Lavazza, it was initially run from a small grocery store at Via San Tommaso 10. The business of Lavazza S.p.A. is currently administered by the third and fourth generation of the Lavazza family.-...

 café with outdoor seating area. The latest renovation was to give the rooms a boutique hotel feel reminiscent of the 1920s.

Ownership/Management

The Inn of Chicago has recently become part of the Maryland-based Choice Hotels International and Ascend Collection chain of hotels. The Inn of Chicago was purchased in 2006 by IOC Hotel, LLC, a joint venture between The Chartres Lodging Group of San Francisco and Longwing Real Estate Ventures, LLC, a member of the Dubai Investment Group. Kokua Hospitality LLC has managed the Inn of Chicago since its opening in 2006. Kokua Hospitality is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Chartres Lodging Group, LLC. There are four hotels managed by Kokua Hospitality; Inn of Chicago, The Doubletree Hotel Chicago Magnificent Mile, the Aloft Washington National Harbor and The Allerton Hotel.