Fairmont Chicago

Chicago is a fantastic city to visit for a number of reasons, and while there, the Fairmont Chicago Millennium Park (www.fairmont.com/chicago, 200 N. Columbus Drive, 866-540-4408) is an excellent base for exploring the city thanks to its location, amenities and the familiar Fairmont level of service.

You can learn more about the many places to visit in Chicago such as the Magnificent Mile, Second City, deep dish pizza and the theatre district, in the “Sweet Home Chicago” episode of the Travel Brigade Radio Show.

From the moment you check in to the Fairmont and get a Tootsie Roll, which was invented in Chicago, you get the unique feel for the Windy City simply by looking out your window. The hotel sits on a block near Michigan Avenue, the Lakefront, Grant Park and Millennium Park, with the latter being home to the Cloudgate sculpture that has become synonymous with Chicago. If you haven’t heard of that name, you may know it as “The Bean,” a huge metallic bean that reflects the surrounding skyline that no traveler can resist taking a picture of.

You can take a stroll of just a few minutes from the hotel through Millennium Park and enjoy the view on the way to the Art Institute of Chicago, an encyclopedic museum complete with a number of iconic paintings that holds one of the world’s great art collections.

Chicago is full of great eateries, but save room for a visit to the Eno Wine Room located right in the Fairmont. Eno takes three items that are great on their own – wine, cheese and chocolate – and brings them together in an irresistible way. You can even take a class at the “Eno-versity” to learn more about them. The hotel also has Aria Restaurant and Aria Bar & Sushi Club, which combines Asian cuisine in the restaurant with a communal sushi bar that also has a noodle menu.

After a long day of taking in all that Chicago has to offer, come back to the hotel and enjoy a massage or other treatment at the 11,000 square foot “mySpa,” which features a full-service fitness studio as well as massages and body wraps. If you’ve spent the day shopping on the Magnificent Mile, you also might want to try the “Sole Salvation” a deluxe foot treatment with a scrub, warm paraffin wrap and foot massage.

The Fairmont brand is noted for its level of service, and one great way to experience from start to finish of your visit is to stay on the Gold Level, which comprises the 15th floor. The Gold Level has its own concierge desk in a large reception area where guests can enjoy complimentary breakfast in the morning and appetizers in the evening.

Chicago is a great place to visit for many reasons, and the Fairmont Chicago Millennium Park will make the trip complete.