 |
 |
|
InterContinental
Chicago
505 North Michigan Avenue
Chicago IL 60611
USA
Main/General Inquiries:
(312) 944-4100
Reservations: (800) 628-2112
Meetings & Banquets:
(312) 321-8706
Weddings: (312)321-8735
Fax: +1 312 944 1320
Erin Jesse erin.jesse@ihg.com
Lizette Marin lizette.marin@ihg.com |
|
 |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
The world meets at Intercontinental Hotels & Resorts
Welcome to the InterContinental Chicago, one of the most
beautiful landmark hotels in history. With its unique
architecture and cultural diversity, it was originally
built in 1929 as the Medinah Athletic Club, a luxury men's
club for members of the Shrine organization. Unfortunately, in 1934
the club had been a victim of the stock-market crash and was
forced to close its doors.
InterContinental Hotels, renowned for its international
portfolio of extraordinary restorations, bought the property
in 1988, and immediately began renovations. A quarter of a
billion dollars and 12 years later, this truly magnificent
InterContinental Chicago hotel was re-introduced to Chicago.
It was the contribution of the original athletic club's 1930
yearbook, the SCIMITAR, which guided the original restoration
work. Donated by a club member, the book was of invaluable
assistance during the restoration process. Its black-and-white
photographs were used to duplicate and restore entire rooms, right
down to the detailing in draperies, carpets, and murals. Completed
in 2001, the four-story lobby, with grand staircase and cast
bronze ornamentation, has resulted in harmonious merging of
old-world elegance with 21st-century craftsmanship. Today, each
floor of the hotel represents a myriad of cultures and eras. The
public areas available for viewing provide a glimpse of the rich
history of the building.
As guests pass through the bronze doorway on Michigan Avenue, they
are welcomed by the Shriner's original greeting, etched in marble
between two columns. The greeting, "ES SALUMU ALEIKUM" means "Peace
be to God," a salutation still used by Shriner's today. At the tops
of the two large marble columns are medieval hooded and sleeping
knights. The ceilings are painted in dark tones with Celtic and
Mesopotamian motifs. The lion, the fish, the eagle, and the
Assyrian bull were used to typify the highest powers of nature.
The Hall of Lions is Assyrian in Design. Many layers of paint
were removed during the restoration process to review the two
marble lions. The lions were uncovered with an unusual method
known as cornhusk blasting. Since traditional sandblasting would
have destroyed the intricate details in the design, actual
cornhusks were ground and blasted at the lions to remove the
paint while retaining the details in the carving.
Marble steps lead to an elaborately carved terra-cotta fountain
with a backdrop of Spanish Majolica tile. A Shriner's
inscription, "All Waters Run into the Sea" flanks both sides of
a stone replica of King Solomon's head at the fountain's peak. The
family crests of the original founders of the Medinah Athletic
Club decorate each step.
The King Arthur Foyer and Court bring you to a world of knights
in shining armor. Knights in colorful uniform line the ceilings
of the painstakingly restored arched entryway and guard entry to
the King Arthur Court. Inside the court, a series of colorful
paintings depict the life of King Arthur, as well as scenes of
later Christian events and daily life in Gothic times. Elaborately
carved wooden beams line the walls, providing a masculine
feeling, indicative of their original use as the Men's
Smoking Room.
The Spanish Tea Court was created to the represent the Spanish era
of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. Its focal point is an ornate
fountain lined with the original Spanish Majolica tile. The blue
ceiling was meant to represent the sky and create the ambiance of
an outdoor tea court. This was one of the few areas in which women
were allowed unescorted when the property was the Medinah Athletic
Club.
Beyond the mirrored doors on the west wall is the Renaissance
Room. Designed to depict the indulgence and extravagance of the
French Renaissance during the era of Louis XVI, this is one of
the most opulent meeting spaces in the hotel. The walls are
paneled from floor to ceiling with imported Carpathian Elm Burl
wood, a wood so rare it would be impossible to replace. Ceiling
beams are hand-painted with Renaissance motifs and are lit with
the five original Baccarat crystal chandeliers.
The Grand Ballroom is the site of some of Chicago's most elaborate
weddings and events. Located on the seventh floor, with a balcony
on the eighth floor, the Grand Ballroom is magnificent for both
its unusual elliptical shape and its many architectural details. Around
the ceiling of the ballroom are 37 hand-painted murals of classical
landscape scenes that were taken down and restored by the same
restoration artist who consulted on the restoration of the Sistine
Chapel ceiling. He also added 24-karat gold leaf to the moldings
surrounding the paintings and the 12,000-pound Baccarat crystal
chandelier, which is the largest in North America.
Directly above the Grand Ballroom is the hotel's famous junior
Olympic swimming pool. Although the original athletic club
facilities included a gymnasium, running track, bowling alley, golf
driving range and archery range, the pool is the only element to
survive the many changes over the years. Considered an engineering
feat when it was built in 1929 because it was above ground, the
pool is 25 meters long, and holds 120,000 gallons of water. It has
had many famous visitors, including Olympic gold medalist and
Tarzan star Johnny Weissmuller.
The terra-cotta fountain of Neptune on the east wall of the pool
area is lined with brilliant blue Spanish Majolica tile. The
fish-scaled design windows at both ends of the pool cast a
glittering light resembling a school of silvery fish on the
water. Rows of seating on the west end of the pool area recall
the era when swimming was a spectator sport at the Medinah
Athletic Club.
The InterContinental Chicago is the only North Michigan Avenue
hotel with a main entrance on the boulevard. The floor is tiled
with iridescent, handcrafted mosaic tiles made of onyx and marble. The
ceiling of the four-story rotunda features tiny stars and lighting
that change to reflect the time of day.
The designs on the cast-bronze friezes along the handrail of the
grand staircase are taken from the hotel's original use as the Medinah
Athletic Club. Just off the lobby is Zest, the only street-level
restaurant on Michigan Avenue and a popular destination for locals
and visitors alike. Zest's menu features Moroccan, Spanish, and
Portuguese-influenced cuisine.
When the InterContinental Chicago opened its doors in 1990, it was
presented as a gift to the city of Chicago. Since then it has been
the recipient of numerous awards for both its architecture and
design. It has been the scene for important events, and the hotel's
guests have included international dignitaries, politicians, and
Hollywood celebrities. We are very proud of our hotel, both for
its beautiful décor and the service we provide to match it. InterContinental
Chicago stands proudly among the other InterContinental restorations
around the world, including the Willard InterContinental in
Washington, D.C., the Mark Hopkins InterContinental San
Francisco, Le Grand InterContinental in Paris, and many
more. InterContinental Hotels Group operates more than
150 hotels on six continents.
The InterContinental Chicago. We Know What it Takes.
|
|
|
|
