The Best Hotels to Book Near the Jane Addams Hull-House Museum, Chicago

Fans of Chinese food will dash to the fourth-floor Shanghai Terrace, which offers classic Cantonese cuisine in a subtly lit, 1930s-style space or out on a balcony with skyline views. Generously proportioned cream-and-navy rooms feature Japanese-style dividers, floral wall art and floor-to-ceiling windows offering downtown views. Meanwhile, the 19th-floor indoor pool has incredible panoramas of the Magnificent Mile.

British designer Tara Bernerd created the urban-chic interiors at this hotel in the Gold Coast neighborhood, from a lobby of dark leather and velvet, textured brick columns and bowl-shaped mirrors to the lake- and city-view rooms with speakeasy lighting, luxury linens and curvy velvet furniture. The on-site Nico Osteria specializes in Italian dishes, such as rigatoni with lamb bolognese, and sways abroad for breakfast, with options such as burritos and french toast. Meanwhile, Salone Nico is a wine bar and cocktail lounge. Oak Street Beach and the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago are within walking distance.

Preserving its British heritage, the Langham offers an afternoon tea modeled on the original served at its London counterpart; take a window-side table in the lofty Pavilion for dainty sandwiches, loose-leaf teas and home-made sweets alongside skyline views. Rooms have a neutral, soothing color scheme and range in size from fifth-floor doubles to a 12th-level suite with a lounge, a fireplace and a custom-painted grand piano – all have views of the cityscape and Chicago River through the wall-to-wall windows. The luxury shops on Michigan Avenue are only a block away.

Housed in a muscular 1920s high-rise once occupied by the London Guarantee & Accident HQ, this four-star hotel has the only tri-level rooftop bar in Chicago. Treat yourself to one of the vista rooms – available with a king or two doubles and views of the glittering river and its towering metallic banks through floor-to-ceiling windows. Before or after heading to the roof for cocktails, tuck into hearty Midwestern comfort food at Land & Lake Kitchen.

Beer, mussels and hats might seem like an unlikely combo, but they’re all important to this riverside Kimpton in the lively Chicago Loop. In a building that once housed the largest wholesale millinery in the USA, its Belgian bistro-inspired restaurant specializes in the black mollusks steamed in wine, beer or Thai-curry flavors and offers an impressive selection of tap, bottled and canned brews. Dressed in dark walnut and brocade, all rooms have bay window seating and brass hat hooks.

Elevated fitness facilities mean you can hone your ball skills on a basketball court, swim in an indoor pool or jog on a track that skirts the outdoor pool. Lake Michigan beaches and bike paths are but a 10-minute walk away. After your workout, recline in a rooftop oasis with sofas and firepits, or hit the sauna. Dine on all-Chicago ingredients, from prime rib chilaquiles to hickory chicken wings, before retiring to your room – go for one with a balcony.

After 5pm, you’ll be surrounded by sharp-suited executives from the financial district in one of the two chic hangouts in this marble-clad hotel. Just off the lobby, indulge in caviar, rare wines and champagne in library-inspired Vol 39, a sultry saloon lined with leather-bound tomes. At Boleo, a rooftop lounge with a retractable glass roof, eat Argentinian- and Peruvian-inspired street food and sip mezcal-infused cocktails to live beats. Yoga mats and downtown views are standard in the sharp rooms with blue drapes.

This glass-walled behemoth manages to be both ultra-modern and slightly retro, blending sharp, contemporary lines with orange-brown carpets and chairs that wouldn’t have been out of place in the 1970s. Rooms are defined by an understated, mid-century decor, with whitewashed walls adorned with modern abstract art; most also have larger-than-life views of the Magnificent Mile. Japanese cuisine is served on the roof at Noyane, while Baptiste & Bottle is centered around bourbon. Stroll to nearby sights, including the Navy Pier and the Loop.

If you’re doing Chicago in luxury, treat yourself to the largest one-bedroom suite at this high-end hotel; it has smoky velvet chairs flanking a mid-century fireplace and a furnished terrace that offers Gold Coast views. It’s all about refined indulgence here, including meals. Try steak frites and French wines in the Brasserie or sweet treats in the lobby-level Parisian patisserie. Cap it off with an in-room SilkPeel facial, an ashiatsu deep-tissue massage or a dip in the indoor pool.