Viceroy Chicago Brings Boutique Hotel to City's Gold Coast

Viceroy Hotel Group has delivered one-of-a-kind lifestyle experiences with the new Viceroy Chicago that is currently being noted as a standout for architecture and design. Chicago-based developer Convexity Properties, along with architect Goettsch Partners (GP) and hospitality design firm TAL Studio, pay homage to the history of Chicago with thoughtfully curated architecture, design, art and style for an exceptional experience with the new Viceroy Chicago.

Architecture
Located at the intersection of Cedar and State streets in the heart of Chicago’s Gold Coast neighborhood, the historic Cedar Hotel takes on a new identity as the first Viceroy property in the Midwest. The four-story brick-and-terra-cotta façade of the original Cedar Hotel is preserved and given fresh life, fronting a striking new 18-story glass hotel tower. Visitors enter an open, three-story lobby space with an adjacent restaurant, Somerset, from Chicago’s celebrated Boka Restaurant Group. Additional amenities include a ballroom and conference suite on level four, with access to a large outdoor terrace overlooking State Street. The rooftop lounge, Devereaux, also helmed by Boka Restaurant Group, offers an outdoor pool and landscaped terrace, with stunning views of Lake Michigan and the Chicago skyline.

A unique image for the Viceroy emerges through the contrasting façades of the new tower and the historic building. The brick and terra cotta of the 1920s-era Cedar Hotel exemplifies the vintage character of a building façade as a two-dimensional arrangement of building elements and ornamentation. By contrast, the glass curtain wall of the new hotel tower is a taut, three-dimensional envelope. The distinctive “folding” geometry is inspired by the argyle-like pattern found in the historic brick façade below. The design solution creates “harmony through contrast” in which both the old and new are rich examples of their specific eras.

With 180 guestrooms and suites, the Viceroy Chicago is a reborn property at a high-profile intersection in one of Chicago’s most vibrant and rapidly changing neighborhoods. In combination with the hotel’s other amenities, the existing plaza is reactivated with outdoor dining that further complements the one-of-a-kind guest experience.

“The project has caught the imagination of guests and residents alike, with a bold contrast of new and old architecture that is distinctive,” says Paul De Santis, LEED AP, partner and senior project designer at GP. “Additionally, the multiple outdoor areas spaced vertically throughout the project maximize the use of every square inch.”

Interior Design
Interior design comes from award-winning luxury design firm TAL Studio. The hospitality specialist designed the entire hotel with unique features that resonate deep meaning. The lobby space is adorned with white marble, brass light fixtures, and a one-of-a-kind 30-foot art wall tableau towering over the lobby living room with inscribed quotes from French poet Marcel Proust. Inspired by the Flâneur, a French literary figure known for a free spirit and eye for exploration, principal designer Todd-Avery Lenahan, CEO and founder of TAL Studio, used the spirited character to create surprise-and-delight moments throughout the hotel. The tableau is dramatically lit each night, filled with the collection of Proust’s works and words that fill the living room with emanating conversations without ever having a word spoken. 

“The overall interior design plans were one-of-a-kind, created with detail, precision and the highest quality, resulting in an authentic, inspired and dynamic experience for guests with many dimensions and nuances of design. The objective was to create a dynamic connection between two potentially disparate archetypes. As a juxtaposition to the historic facade, the arrival library’s remaining three walls establish a hierarchy of monumental scale with the over 30-foot-tall Proust tableau towering over the library with colorful graphic bravado, while simultaneously being quietly elegant in its precise, shimmering presentation of thousands of meaningful words to be contemplated by each view on his or her own terms,” says Lenahan.

Just beyond the library, large bronze reception desks welcome guests, positioned in front of a large painting depicting a Venetian carnival recital by South American Cubist artist Badi. The celebratory hues of this painting are seen throughout the hotel, appearing individually in the guestrooms and hallways to represent an artist’s palette before colors are incorporated into a larger painting.

Guestrooms host enlarged, luxurious bathrooms and closets, and a selection of suites offer expansive terraces with incredible views of the cityscape and Lake Michigan. Cubist figural artwork in the guestrooms are reproductions of Cubist artist Miette Brave. A distinct headboard wall is a digital reproduction of an original work produced by London artist Tim Modus. The display is inspired by the architectural elements and sculptural forms of the midcentury and serve as a nod to Chicago’s storied architectural history. Furnishings are midcentury inspired that recall the iconic, endearing and enduring period of Chicago’s architectural history.

What Makes a Great Global Hotel in 2018?
”The best urban hotels today seamlessly blend with their context and simultaneously create a new identity,” notes De Santis. “Today’s guests want to see and feel originality while never compromising luxury or comfort.”

Lenahan says, “When it comes to great design, it must exceed consumer expectations of what constitutes anticipatory and intuitive design, provoking positive emotional response, and is contextual and respectful of honoring the culture and location, while building loyalty with assurances of future patronage. As a designer, it’s essential to be a humble student of the cultural, social, geographic, economic, political and even spiritual history of a place to imbue the project with the sincerity and authenticity that create a true sense of place.”

About Viceroy Hotel Group
Viceroy Hotel Group inspires travelers with one-of-a-kind authentic lifestyle experiences that bring together provocative design and intuitive service in sought-after locations. A leader in modern luxury, Viceroy’s vibe-led hospitality is guided by the brand promise “Remember to Live,” an affirmation to create lifelong memories for each and every guest. Viceroy destinations are segmented into three distinct portfolio tiers to help travelers find exactly the kind of experience they’re looking for. The Viceroy Icon Collection properties include epic hotels and resorts in Chicago, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Beverly Hills, Riviera Maya, Snowmass, and St. Lucia, with forthcoming openings in Algarve, Buenos Aires, Los Cabos, Panama, and Vietnam. The Viceroy Lifestyle Series hotels and resorts are found in attitude-led destinations including New York and Santa Monica, with a forthcoming opening in Serbia. The Urban Retreat Collection properties in San Francisco have an independent spirit and bold, eccentric personalities. Viceroy Hotel Group is a member of the Global Hotel Alliance (GHA) DISCOVERY, a unique loyalty program offering exclusive benefits and experiences to its members at over 550 hotels around the world. For more information, visit www.viceroyhotelsandresorts.com. Follow Viceroy Hotel Group at facebook.com/viceroyhotelgroup and on Instagram and Twitter @viceroyhotels.

About Convexity Properties – A DRW Company
Convexity Properties is a fully integrated real estate investment firm based in Chicago, with national reach. Founded to bring new purpose to value add properties, Convexity has been building and improving unique retail, residential and mixed-use properties since 2009. As the real estate arm of principal trading firm DRW, Convexity deploys in-house capital and capabilities to offer a unique approach for each project. To see Convexity’s portfolio, visit www.convexityproperties.com.

About Goettsch Partners
Goettsch Partners (GP) is an architecture firm with a global perspective. Based in Chicago, with additional offices in Shanghai and Abu Dhabi, the firm brings a singular approach to design that combines seasoned experience with a passion for exploration and innovation. Completed projects span five continents and represent a diverse range of types and sizes. Every project design begins with multiple concepts that are evaluated for intrinsic value, constructability and environmental impact. GP projects share a consistent visual language of bold clarity that celebrates highly crafted technical solutions delivering optimal performance. Visit www.gpchicago.com for more information.

About TAL Studio
TAL Studio is a premier luxury global hospitality and entertainment design firm commissioned by today’s most respected luxury hotel developers, operators and operating brands worldwide. Founder and owner of eponymous TAL Studio, Todd-Avery Lenahan is regarded as a leading global industry luxury hospitality designer by an esteemed manifold of discerning clients, which include 12 of the Forbes list of 1,000 wealthiest people in the world. Known as an arbiter of world-class style, Lenahan is widely considered one of the most diverse and accomplished leaders in the design industry today. TAL Studio creates all elements of hotel, resort, restaurant, business or luxury estate property design, including luxury suites, guestrooms, grand public spaces, restaurants, dining rooms, spas, lobbies, theaters, retail, ballrooms, corporate headquarters and more. For more information, visit www.tal-studio.com.