I had a sense of familiarity as I entered 21c Museum Hotel in Chicago. I had been to the very first of the company’s properties in Louisville, Kentucky, more than a dozen years ago. I have been talking about it ever since so I was anxious to have the opportunity to stay at the one in Chicago.
The excitement increased when I rolled my wheelchair in the door and realized the current 21c building is on the former site of one of my favorite Chicago hotels, The James. I had been disappointed when the hotel closed and am delighted it has been reincarnated into another artistic property. My friend Lynn and I checked it out during a girls’ getaway.
History & Penguins
The first 21c was founded in 2006 by Steve Wilson and his wife, Laura Lee Brown. The art lovers wanted to combine their love of contemporary paintings with their desire to preserve old and historic buildings. Aiding in the revitalization of Louisville was another objective they succeeded in achieving by opening the hotel in the Kentucky city.
After the success of the first hotel, seven more properties have opened under the 21c Museum label. A ninth, location undisclosed, is expected to be announced soon. They have managed to keep the uniqueness of the hotels by rotating the art displays, so each one is different. The penguin colors are also hotel specific. The 21c Museum Hotel in Chicago has green penguins.
You will see these tall plastic penguins as soon as you walk into the lobby. These penguins were one of the things I loved the most about my visit to the first 21c and I still enjoyed them. They bring whimsical fun to the experience as guests move them around the hotel. It’s a game even adults get into, so don’t be surprised if you find a penguin in the elevator, or in my case, in your room.
If you do fall in love with the penguins, they are available for purchase for $5,000. (Much less expensive stuffed animal versions will be available soon.)
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All About the Museum
Don’t let the inclusion of the word “hotel” confuse you, there is definitely a museum here. Exhibits change at least once a year and the contemporary art is like no other, you will see as they are from the private collections of 21c hotel founders Steve Wilson and Laura Lee Brown. They are avid gatherers of contemporary art and open their warehouse to loan to each hotel.
The Chicago hotel’s chief curator, Alice Gray Stites, coordinates the details of every display. Unlike other museums, the one at 21c is free and open to the public 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Tours are given on Thursday afternoons and they too are complimentary.
The abundance of unusual artwork makes the hotel especially popular for weddings and other special events.
SheBuysTravel Tip: Leave at least one hour to check out the museum. If you are a contemporary art lover, leave two.
Rooms & Accessibility
In addition to standard double, queen, and king rooms, 21c Museum Hotel in Chicago offers Studio, Luxury, and Corner suites, the latter of which has a living room and a separate shower and also a bathtub. All of the rooms include complimentary mineral water, robes, mini refrigerator, and a Nespresso machine.
We had a Deluxe Two Queen Accessible room. This room did have plenty of room to get around and I was able to park my wheelchair between the beds for easy access. The bathroom was also quite large and had a bathtub, something you don’t often see in an accessible room. There was a chair that unfolded down, and I was able to slide from the wheelchair onto it. The bathroom also had railings by the toilet and bathtub. There was a doorbell that flashed the lights for those who are hearing impaired.
The hotel itself had wide hallways that were easy to get around with the wheelchair. The vintage elevator is a bit small so I couldn’t get into it if there were already people in it.
Lure Fish Bar
The restaurant was spacious and easy to wheel through to tables. Unfortunately, it is also famous for its fine seafood and sushi, to which I am highly allergic. Although they do offer steaks and burgers, a conversation with the General Manager made it clear that the vast majority of everything in the kitchen during dinner would be from the sea, so I decided not to take a chance.
I did go to Lure for breakfast and had the Brioche French Toast, with caramelized bananas. It was as good as it sounds.
Location Matters
It doesn’t get much better than the location of 21c Museum Hotel Chicago at 55 E Ontario Street. It’s half a block from my favorite deep-dish pizza at Pizzeria Due and just one block from Michigan Avenue, the city’s most famous street for shopping, activities, and restaurants.
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