Why this building matters
This is among the most significant adaptive-reuse stories in the city. Completed in 1914 to the designs of Chicago architect Paul Gerhardt (also behind Lane Tech High School), the old Cook County Hospital is a monumental building whose heavily ornamented Classical Revival facade combines granite, white glazed terra cotta, cream-colored brick, and massive columns. Once the largest hospital in the nation, it treated patients of every background — earning the name “Chicago’s Ellis Island” — and it pioneered the nation’s first Blood Bank (1937) and first Trauma Unit (1966). It loosely inspired the TV series ER and appeared in The Fugitive . After a new hospital opened in 2002 the building sat vacant for some 15 years under the threat of demolition, until a long preservation campaign prevailed; a roughly $130 million restoration reopened it with two Hyatt hotels, medical offices, a museum to its legacy, and Dr. Murphy’s Food Hall.
Two Hyatt brands share the restored building, and it's worth knowing the difference before you book. Hyatt Place is the main hotel — front desk, breakfast, and bar — and it's the listing this page books through. Hyatt House shares the same building and amenities but is a separate extended-stay brand, with full-kitchen suites built for longer visits. Because the hotel sits inside the Illinois Medical District, immediately next to Rush University Medical Center and UI Health, that extended-stay option is a genuinely useful one for family staying nearby during a longer hospital stay.
Read more about the building's history (Cook County) → (booking directly with the hotel doesn't generate a referral fee that supports our preservation work — the button at right does)
What guests are saying
What guests love
- Sleeping inside a rescued landmark with a remarkable past — the nation’s first Blood Bank and Trauma Unit began here.
- Dr. Murphy’s Food Hall, a lively hall of largely BIPOC-owned vendors, plus a museum to the building’s story.
- Spacious rooms (many with kitchens) ideal for medical-district visits or longer stays; near Rush, UIC, and the United Center.
What to keep in mind
- Two brands share the building: Hyatt Place (the main hotel) and Hyatt House (extended-stay suites with kitchens)
- Near West Side / Medical District — a ride from downtown sights
Best for History and architecture lovers, anyone visiting the Illinois Medical District, UIC, or the United Center, and family who need an extended-stay suite near Rush or UI Health during a longer hospital stay.
Summary of guest reviews. Sources: Hyatt House/Place Chicago - Medical/University District, Commission on Chicago Landmarks, Preservation Chicago. Photography courtesy of Hyatt Place / Hyatt House Chicago Medical/University District, used with permission. Details may change over time.