With curated artwork, a rooftop restaurant, and rooms
offering staggering city views, Chicago’s Hoxton Hotel is perfectly placed for
trips to the Fulton Market District, Anish Kapoor’s Cloud Gate and
the Art Institute of Chicago.

Built in a former meatpacking warehouse in the go-getting Fulton
Market District (Google has offices here), The Hoxton lies at the
heart of Chicago‘s
cultural buzz. A hive of round-the-clock activity, it sweeps up
guests with its excitable undercurrent. The building itself is a
beauty, all high ceilings and huge windows accented with statement
light hangings, cosy velvet sofas and fireplaces because – lest we
forget – it gets very cold here in winter.
That said, there is an excellent pool on the roof, a first for any

Hoxton hotel.

Overall The Hoxton speaks with a quiet cosmopolitanism, one that
acts as a magnet for the city’s creatives and which is sure to
exert a similar pull on the rest of the world – especially with so
much of Chicago waiting to be explored on its doorstep.

Bedrooms

Rooms are divided into three categories: Snug, Cosy and Roomy,
but in truth all you really need to know is if yours is located on
one of the upper floors, because the city views from here are
staggering. Decor nods to the area’s industrial past with
unfinished concrete ceilings and a mish-mash of mid-century
furniture. Leather headboards and brass bed lamps add some shiny
pizzazz, while artwork curated by local gallerists brings kudos to
the two-tone, white-and-rose walls. Rain showers offer much-needed
revival after a day pounding the streets, as does the pleasingly
large, squishy bed.

What’s for breakfast?

A daily breakfast bag delivered to the room includes orange
juice, a piece of fruit and delicious overnight oats. Alternatively
head to Cira restaurant on the ground floor, where the breakfast
menu encompasses French toast, shakshuka and smoked sablefish. Come
weekend brunch there’s also avocado toast, cheeseburgers and fluffy
pancakes on offer. This is the States, after all.

How about lunch and dinner?

Both Cira and Cabra Cevicheria, which is located on the rooftop,
are part of the esteemed Chicago restaurant group, Boka. At Cira
it’s all about a broad spectrum of Mediterranean sharing plates
such as brown butter hummus with chorizo verde and pumpkin seeds,
mouth-watering cacio e pepe, and crispy castelvetrano olives with
basmati rice crema and lavender honey – which will likely be one of
the greatest things you’ll ever put in your mouth. Cabra meanwhile,
is headed up by one of Chicago’s most famous chefs Stephanie Izard,
which has made it the hottest ticket in town. The menu is Peruvian
inspired so ceviche, tiraditos and doughy empanadas all feature.
Make sure you book ahead to grab a table.

Is there a bar?

You betcha. Lazy Bird is located downstairs from the main lobby
and evokes all the illicit playfulness of the city’s prohibition
era. Intimately lit and scattered with vintage furniture, the menu
consists of 52 classic cocktails guaranteed to send you out on the
town – or to bed – with wobbly legs. Late night music performances
on selected nights add to the speakeasy vibes.

Amenities

There’s a
wellness studio that runs a series of drop-in classes such as
yoga and pilates for both guests and locals. This will be the first
Hoxton site to launch an official
co-working space with desks, meeting places and facilities for
freelancers.

Things you should know

The sweet scent of chocolate that floats on the wind isn’t a
fake marketing ploy – there’s a genuine, working chocolate factory
just down the road from the hotel. And some useful information: the
hotel has bikes for hire, which is a great way of seeing more of
the city. Hop on and head for Wicker Park where the hipster kids
hangout.

Within a short walk you’ll find

Plenty of places for sourcing a good feed. Try Little Goat Diner for an
all-American style brunch, and The Publican for beer
and seafood. Locals rave about La Colombe coffee. For a culture
fix, Anish Kapoor’s mesmerising Cloud Gate is about a 30-minute
walk from the hotel. After, wander through Millennium Park and tick
off the Art Institute of
Chicago while you’re there. There are subway stations two
minutes from the hotel providing easy connections to the rest of
the city.