Ace Hotel Chicago Announces Early Opening

Chicago, IL, Aug. 10, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Ace cuts the ribbon for the official grand opening of Ace Hotel Chicago. Located in the city’s West Loop neighborhood, known for its vibrant cultural, food, art and design scene, the 159-room hotel offers event and public spaces along with a signature restaurant and rooftop bar.

"It feels so good to be in Chicago — to pay tribute to the city's great thinkers and makers and celebrate its design history, its culinary expertise and its ongoing cultural renaissance. We hope to be able to provide a gathering space for visitors, locals and other people who stop in on their way to explore the city." —Kelly Sawdon, Partner & Chief Brand Officer, Ace Hotel and Atelier Ace

Sterling Bay Companies, the innovative investment firm and commercial real estate developers based in Chicago, are the developers behind the project while the team at GREC Architects serves as the architect for Ace Hotel Chicago. The Chicago-based architecture firm designed the building incorporating the spirit of the New Bauhaus in Chicago while preserving the existing Fulton Market landmark cheese factory façade on the south side of the building. GREC Architects also worked with Ace on the conversion of Ace Hotel Downtown Los Angeles.

For the design, Ace partnered with Los Angeles based design studio Commune to bring to life a vision that pays homage to the city of Chicago by marrying mid-western craftsmanship with utilitarian design. Simple, straightforward and thoughtfully detailed materials evoke Mies Van Der Rohe’s work at the Illinois Institute of Technology and simple coloration, hand-woven textiles, natural leather, wools, and linens were used to add a layer of warmth and texture to the clean lines. Each of the rooms are complemented by a unique piece of art on Ace Hotel Chicago letterhead stationary – each carefully stippled, painted or hand-drawn by a student of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, a project curated by SAIC painting professor Dan Devening. Built-in plywood and linoleum furnishings juxtaposed with the polished steel are nods to the designs of Arne Jacobsen and Richard Neutra.

Commune also worked in concert with Chicago’s Volume Gallery and their artists for a series of works commissioned specifically for the hotel. Volume Gallery focuses on American design, with a strong emphasis placed on emerging, contemporary designers. Asking critical questions of what it means to be an American designer in an increasingly global culture, Volume Gallery produces editions, publications and exhibits that showcase contemporary work to regional, national and international audiences. The works span the entire hotel space. Either playing with texture, light, and shadow, or engaging the framework of the city itself, the collection rewards those who are keen to examine the details.

With an impressive food and beverage program, Ace Hotel Chicago also announces the opening of Waydown. The rooftop/lounge area is located on the hotel’s seventh floor that boasts panoramic views of the downtown skyline with inspired cocktails, spirits and beer & wine menus created by Caitlin Laman, Ace Hotel Chicago Beverage Director. Waydown offers a distilled food menu as well from the hotel’s Executive Chef, Pat Sheerin. Those looking for a full dining experience can head to the hotel’s signature restaurant, City Mouse — a collaboration with Chef Jason Vincent and his team from the much-lauded Giant.

To mark the opening, Ace partnered with three local organizations, raising over $25,000 by donating a portion of reservations and events. The organizations – Little Black Pearl, Young Chicago Authors and 826CHI – all focus on the empowerment and social development of youth in Chicago. Little Black Pearl exposes urban youth to art and culture, educating them about profitable connections between art and business. Young Chicago Authors, home of Louder Than A Bomb: The Chicago Youth Poetry Festival, is a not-for-profit arts and education group dedicated to giving voice to the youth of Chicago, transforming the lives of young people by cultivating their voices through writing, publication and performance education. 826CHI amplifies young voices and teaches the necessary skills for Chicago’s youth to be the writers of their own futures, undefined by circumstance.

Ace Hotel Chicago is the newest member of the Ace family joining Seattle, Portland, New York, Palm Springs, Downtown LA, London, Pittsburgh and New Orleans. For more information or to book a stay, visit acehotel.com/chicago or call 312.764.1919.

Short Fact Sheet

Address: 311 N Morgan St, Chicago, IL 60607
Website: acehotel.com/chicago
Rooms: 159
Open: Summer 2017

Rooms Breakdown
Small 34
Medium 56
Double 41
Large 19
Suite 9

Hotel Features
24-hour concierge
Complimentary WiFi
Terrace
Event Spaces (Gallery, Meeting Rooms)
Stumptown Coffee
Ground-floor Restaurant
Waydown Rooftop Bar
Retail Space
Signature Restaurant City Mouse

Room Features + Amenities
24-hour room service
High-definition flat screen TVs
Curated newspaper and magazine selection
Mini Bar with locally sourced items

Event Spaces
Two ground floor event spaces
5th Floor Paved Terrace
6th Floor event space
Two 6th Floor Meeting Rooms
7th Floor Bar
Two 7th Floor Terraces

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