The Renaissance Chicago Downtown Hotel has completed a $32 million total renovation, which includes a new ballroom with views of the Chicago River, an additional 4,000 square feet of meeting space and one of the city’s hottest rooftop bar concepts.
The first phase of the renovation was finished in April 2015, when the lobby and guestroom transformations were unveiled.
The new rooftop bar, Raised, is on the hotel’s third floor. An indoor/outdoor space, its design features elements of glass, iron, greenery, fire pits and reclaimed wood. It comfortably seats 160. The bar also has an additional event space called Urban Blue.
The new 3,000-square-foot Looking Glass Ballroom overlooks the Chicago River and some of Chicago’s most iconic architecture including Marina Towers and the Wrigley Building. The property’s junior ballroom—the Cloud Gate Ballroom—has also had a refresh and been expanded from 4,000 to 5,000 square feet.
The project was completed by The Gettys Group’s Interior Design and Branding teams in conjunction with the Renaissance Hotels Brand Team and Carey Watermark. Both renovation phases were managed by hospitality developer The John Hardy Group.
Phase 1 revamped the iconic property’s lobby with high-low design approach, pairing luxurious high-end finishes with raw, gritty, concrete and graffiti-inspired surfaces. Experiential works of art by local artists include CTA bus-inspired windows from the early 1950s serving as a gateway into the chef’s display kitchen at Staytion Market and Bar, the hotel’s first floor dining concept.
In addition to Staytion, the lobby also has an R-Lounge for Marriott Rewards elite members; The Artist Studio; and The Library.
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