When I first visited Chicago in the summer of 2021, I was perplexed that it had taken me more than 25 years to visit. It's a gem of a city, its architecture just as charming and impressive as it promises to be. And while it's world-class, it still has that Midwestern charm: its residents are kind and laid-back, and it's not as expensive as New York or Los Angeles.

Since that first trip with my partner — who was born in the Chicago suburbs and whose family still lives across the area — I've looked forward to every trip back (honestly, even those during the winter). When my good friend (also a Chicago native) invited us to her July wedding, we started planning a very packed itinerary to make time to see our friends and family, enjoy the wedding, and explore Chicago.

As a fan of Four Seasons properties [1], I reached out to the Four Seasons Hotel Chicago [2], and the staff generously offered to host us at their property. We spent two blissful nights in the hotel's Premier Suite [3], where we got the full Chicago summer experience with gorgeous views of the lake, tasty meals with friends, and peaceful mornings in our luxurious suite.

As if I needed another reason to love the city, I'd be excited to visit the Four Seasons Chicago literally anytime — even in the dead of winter. (Really!)

About the Four Seasons Hotel Chicago

• The hotel has 345 rooms and suites equipped with marble bathrooms and premium bedding. I stayed in the Premier Suite, which has gorgeous views of the lake, a huge living room, a wet bar, and two bathrooms.
• Rates start at about $485 per night for a City View room and at more than $1,000 per night for the Premier Suite.
• There's an indoor pool, hot tub, and fitness center in the building, and the on-site spa [4] has treatments like massages, facials, and body treatments.
• The hotel restaurant, Adorn, [5] offers elevated American fare, and in-room dining is available 24/7.
• There are many family-friendly perks, including a kids' room and an in-room ice cream sundae cart.

What I Liked About the Four Seasons Hotel Chicago

Whenever I visit a big city like Chicago, I so appreciate staying somewhere that feels like a reprieve — but still allows you to step outside and into all the action. The Four Seasons Chicago is the ultimate encapsulation of this: it's located in the heart of the city and just steps from Lake Michigan, but the entire hotel is unbelievably serene and quiet. The Gold Coast, the neighborhood where the hotel is located, is perfect for newcomers to the city, given its proximity to Lake Shore Drive and excellent shopping.

Stepping into our Premier Suite, the views of the vast lake and Lincoln Park were breathtaking. It felt like we were among the clouds, and we were definitely above the noise of the city; we couldn't hear anything from our suite the entire weekend, which was especially nice the morning after the wedding.

Ahead of the wedding, I got to experience a heavenly Queen Skin Ritual Facial [6] at the spa. Using 111Skin products, my esthetician made the 50 minutes feel like an indulgence, as if I were a celebrity prepping for a red-carpet event. I wished I could've stayed there for much, much longer.

The suite itself was also an ideal place to get ready for the festivities, with two gorgeous bathrooms outfitted with Le Labo products (my favorite). One morning, we invited our friends and their baby to the suite for a decadent room-service breakfast. The French toast was to die for, and later that night, we dined at Adorn and enjoyed the melon and burrata salad and double wagyu cheeseburger.

As has been noted in our Four Seasons reviews [7] before, the aspect of the stay that we raved about to all our friends — which is saying a lot, given our lovely time hanging out in the suite — was the service. The staff was incredibly kind and courteous, and even left earplugs, bookmarks for our novels, and cord organizers for our laptops during one turndown service. This, aside from all the luxury furnishings of the hotel, truly made staying at the property feel like a five-star experience.

Who Is the Four Seasons Chicago Best For?

While the hotel would be wonderful for any traveler who enjoys staying in well-designed, luxurious hotels when traveling, I'll note that this Four Seasons location seemed especially kid-friendly. We saw families all over the hotel: hitting the pool in the middle of the day and grabbing dinner all together at Adorn at night. I could imagine the very spacious suites are perfect for a family, too.

Is Four Seasons Chicago Worth the Splurge?

For a special trip to Chicago, I would absolutely recommend staying at the Four Seasons. It was the perfect landing pad for a wedding weekend, and being there helped me to relax and find quiet calm during a busy weekend of socializing and travel. While the Premier Suite might only make sense for a special occasion given its price tag, the Lake View rooms are not exorbitantly expensive (especially when compared to hotels in cities like New York or San Francisco), and I'd definitely opt to stay there in the future.

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