A Hyatt boutique

While nowhere as big as its local Hyatt brethren, this upscale boutique hotel oozes cool the moment you step into its dark, mahogany-toned lobby highlighted by an impressive art collection (the "Piazza del Duomo Milan" hanging near the front desk is the original).

King guest rooms offer picturesque views of Lake Michigan to the east and the city to the west. But the room's true beauty lies in the bathroom, which sports an oversized tub, walk-in shower and privacy door that opens into the bedroom and its cityscape.

Even greater are the views from NoMI, the hotel's Michelin-rated seventh-floor restaurant, which offers both eye-pleasing aesthetics, courtesy of its Dale Chihuly chandeliers, and sumptuous tastes from its globally inspired menu.

One added feature: special room filtration for hypo-allergenic and smoking rooms.

Park Hyatt Chicago

Neighborhood: Gold Coast

800 N. Michigan Ave.

Chicago, IL 60611

312-335-1234

parkchicago.hyatt.com

Getting there

Cross streets: Chicago and Michigan

Public transportation: CTA bus: 66-Chicago, 145-Wilson/Michigan Express, 146-Marine/Michigan Exp.; Red Line "L" stop: Chicago

Parking: Self and valet

Wheelchair access

The basics

Prices start at $395 excluding taxes.

Floors: 18

Rooms: 198

Hotel amenities: Ballrooms (one), meeting rooms (six), restaurant and bars/lounges (one), 24-hour business center, 24-hour fitness center, pool, whirlpool, sauna, steam room

Room amenities: Flat-screen television, work desk, mini-bar, coffee maker, in-room safe

Features: Room service, turndown service, pets allowed, Wi-Fi complimentary, shopping nearby

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Boutique hotel has all the extras

Part of a series of mini-reviews of Chicago-area hotels.

Steps away from the Magnificent Mile sits the Affinia Chicago, but that's not the most attractive trait of this boutique hotel. What's impressive is that the Affinia has all the hot-button amenities you would look for in a downtown hotel — a rooftop bar, a celebrity-chef restaurant — yet manages an understated, almost homey feel.

Take the rooms, where guests can choose from a number of complimentary "My Affinia" welcome kits, including a fitness kit with yoga mats and Pilates DVDs, a kids kit filled with cupcakes, or a pillow menu that offers everything from hypoallergenic cushions to ones that plug into your iPod.

But if you want to sip cocktails while staring out into the city, visit the aptly named rooftop bar C-View, where you're privy to some fantastic cityscapes to the east, south and west. Or you can head down to C-House, where chef/owner Marcus Samuelsson (as in "Top Chef Master" Marcus Samuelsson) has developed a seafood-centric menu full of local, sustainable ingredients.

Insider tip: Be sure to check out the Candy Bar, a dessert kiosk inside C-House that's so decadent you'll have to call your dentist.

Affinia Chicago

Neighborhood:

Streeterville

166 E. Superior St.

Chicago, IL 60611

312-787-6000

affinia.com

Getting there

Cross streets: Superior and St. Clair

Public transportation: CTA bus: Michigan Avenue routes, including 3, 145, 146, 147, 151; Red Line "L" stop: Chicago

Parking: Self and valet

Wheelchair access

The basics

Prices for a standard room start as low as $209, excluding taxes and fees.

Floors: 29

Rooms: 215

Hotel amenities: Meeting rooms (5), restaurant and bars/lounges (2), 24-hour business center, 24-hour fitness center

Room amenities: Wide-screen television, work desk, minibar, coffeemaker, in-room safe

Features

Room service

Turndown service

Pets allowed: $25 service fee

Wi-Fi available: $9.95 a day

Shopping nearby

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