A local's guide to help visitors discover Chicago's most delightful and authentic hotels.
Curated by Preservation Chicago
69 of Chicago’s most delightful and authentic historic hotels, carefully selected, reviewed and recommended.
Start from a destination, or open the map to search any address or landmark and see the historic hotels nearby.
Beyond the lobby
The city that invented the skyscraper, right outside your door.
Not at all — they span the full range, from affordable value stays to decadent luxury. Filter by price, neighborhood, and guest rating on the browse page to find one that fits your budget.
Most of our historic hotels cluster in and around the Loop, River North, the Magnificent Mile, Streeterville, and the Gold Coast — all walkable to Millennium Park, the Riverwalk, museums, and the theater district. The map shows exactly what's within a short walk of each one.
Every hotel is independently selected by the staff at Preservation Chicago, a nonprofit preservation advocacy organization. Hotels can't buy a spot and there are no paid ads. If you book through a link here we may earn an affiliate commission that supports our mission, at no extra cost to you.
Probably not. The Loop, River North, Streeterville, and the Gold Coast are compact and walkable, and the CTA ‘L’ trains and buses reach the rest of the city — including both airports. Downtown parking is limited and expensive, so many visitors skip the car.
Each occupies a building of real architectural or cultural significance — many are designated Chicago Landmarks or listed on the National Register — and several were saved from demolition with Preservation Chicago’s advocacy.
Both airports connect to downtown by train: the CTA Blue Line from O’Hare and the Orange Line from Midway, typically about 30–45 minutes. Taxis and rideshares are available too, though airport rideshare pickups can run slower at peak times.
Chicago Historic Hotels is an initiative of Preservation Chicago: Love Your City Fiercely!® Preservation Chicago is a historic preservation advocacy nonprofit that harnesses the power of preservation to create healthy, dynamic, and vibrant communities, and over our 25-year history, we’ve directly advocated for many of the glorious hotels featured on this site. It’s shocking to realize that so many beloved architectural treasures were recently threatened with demolition!
When you reserve a hotel room with our affiliate partners after clicking through our site, it generates a small referral fee, at no cost to you, that helps to support our ongoing preservation efforts. And if you value our work and would like to support us, you can make a tax-deductible donation directly to Preservation Chicago.
