A city that thinks their mile is “Magnificent!” Where boutiques, baseball & Blackhawks are more enticing than dating (maybe!) Whether you’re into jazz, blues, top chefs or architecture you will be blown away by Chicago!
Travel in Style. Want the red carpet treatment? VIP Travel is your go to travel source for that hard to get reservation! All you need to do is relax, enjoy the VIP “Experience” and be whisked about town.
Where2Stay
Trump Hotel – Pleasure or business? What better place than Trump Hotel Chicago? Towering over Michigan Avenue, this glass & steel skyscraper is one of ten in the world to hold a 5-Star Forbes rating for both its restaurant & hotel! It is the tallest reinforced concrete building in the world. With the largest hotel rooms in Chicago, panoramic views & luxurious spa what more can you want? How about one of their special exotic martinis at Rebar?
Shake it up – Start by flying high New Years Eve at Sixteen for dinner, then head to Rebar for fireworks and champagne. Then retire to your room to make your own fireworks!
Virgin Hotel – Wouldn’t it be nice to be a virgin again? Sir Richard makes that a reality with the opening of the first Virgin Hotel in the world! Rooms are colored exactly like his planes – red and white. Use their Virgin app (your wish, their command.) Don’t miss “Death by Chocolate” in their Miss Ricky diner, free cocktails from 6-7, meet your roommates in the Common Room or hang out literally on their roof top. And you thought you could never be a virgin again!
Where2Dine
Chicago Cut – Make the cut! Fantastic charred steaks, city views, outdoor terrace (in summer) buzzing bar – reservations essential! Martinis overflow (you even get a straw). Probably the most happening place in Chicago!
Momotaro – Not a carnivore? How about sushi & whiskey? Don’t get lost in their 11,000 sq. ft space! Serving modern Japanese in the Fulton Market District. Don’t miss their signature tartar. Don’t have a reservation? Head to their downstairs izakaya. Large tables, make new friends!
Duck Inn – Duck in! Esquire magazine named it one of the new 10 best restaurants in America & bartender Brandon Phillips just won the Global Bartender Competition for his Gin Cocktail & Gin popcorn. Pre order the duck when reserving. Better than a movie!
Pick Me Up Café – Hungry at 4 AM? Head to Lakeview (filled w/ vintage shops & bars) to this 50’s style cafe! Open 24 hours on weekends – don’t miss their zombie coffee drink: three shots of espresso, two cups of coffee, steamed milk, whipped cream w/ chocolate & caramel! Gives a whole new meaning to “getting picked up.”
Lunch Tip – Want to fast track that business deal? Dine at Sixteen, on the 16th floor in the Trump Hotel. Awarded two Michelin stars, the view alone makes you a winner!
Where2Play
Three Dots and A Dash: A bit of Hawaii in Chicago. Follow the tiki torch lit back alley named after Don the Beachcomber. Order one of their “Pain Killer “cocktails & a Pu Pu Platter. You won’t feel a thing!
Violet Hour – A yellow lightbulb is the only clue that you have arrived! This Wicker Park bar is ideal for that romantic tryst. White tables, chandeliers, candles & artisanal cocktails. Read the house rules – no beer, cell phones, no Grey Goose! Think Absinthe, beet syrup & egg whites!
The Drake – Footloose? Stay on your feet & move to the rhythm of ballroom &salsa.
Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse – Head into the “triangle”and you might never emerge. An a iconic institution – start early evening w/martinis you can drown in & end the night singing with the pianist!
What2Do
Chicago is a cultural mecca! Museums – Art Institute, Science & Industry, Field Museum to name a few. Love boat rides? Take the Chicago Architecture Boat Cruise but bundle up! For the sports fanatic – hockey, basketball & baseball which will keep him occupied while you stroll the Magnificent Mile! Don’t forget Fulton Market -art galleries, restaurants, bars and boutiques. Don’t want to carry those bags? Have VIP Travel Experience travel help out!
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Don’t Miss
The Chicago Architecture Biennial – Artist exhibits, installations from over 70 studios in 30 countries (October -January)
Randolf St. Monthly Market (dates vary)
Creatures From the Concrete (September 13th-January 10th)
Robot Revolution at the Museum of Science and Industry (May 21st-Jan.3rd)
The Next Hot Neighborhood – Pilsen on Chicago’s South Side! New buzz, new restaurants, new galleries
Look Out – Willis Tower Sky-deck Plexiglas box-step out at your own risk suspended
North America, Travel
Alinea, Barneys, Chicago, Cubs, Magnificent Mile, Michigan Avenue, Park Hyatt Chicago, Pizza, Salsa, Steak, Wrigley Field
Why Go Now? Springtime in Chicago. A perfect 4 day getaway. Travel & Leisure rates Chicago among the top five cities in America for cocktail lounges, dining, theater, music, culture, museums and have rated it # 1 for best sports bars (now men have somewhere to go while we shop.) Fun & unexpected public outdoor art,”The Gold Coast” for shopping, the 2nd largest U.S. museum (The Art Institute) a functioning public Transport System and thousands of restaurants from food trucks, pizza, to the famous 5 star molecular wonder Alinea. Let’s not forget the music scene. Grab your partner or girlfriend. Chicago is a blast.
Does being married or single influence Where2Stay? Location, cost, size & child friendly all play a part. Do you want your hotel, hip & modern with sexy dark lounges, a DJ spinning “singles” on the roof? Or do you prefer a quiet, elegant & romantic hotel? Sometimes you might want to “marry” the two which is the hardest to find. You will see an M (married), S (Single), or an MS (married/single) next to each hotel.
Where2Stay
Dana Hotel & Spa – This luxury boutique’s motto is “come as you are!” Expect cement walls, bamboo floors, balconies or floor to ceiling windows in the room, Vertico indoor/outdoor rooftop lounge year round. Outdoor firepit in winter. Chicago’s only outdoor ice bar. Value find! (S)
Waldorf Astoria Chicago – Stunning, sophisticated, distinctive, gracious, all describe this property… Romantic, w/plush rooms, the smallest room over 615 sq.ft. (M)
Park Hyatt Chicago – One of the 20 World’s Best Hotels located in the Gold Coast on Magnificent Mile, the PH is a perfect stay for both the business & pleasure traveler. Understated and quietly elegant as in all Park Hyatt Hotels.. With its awesome view rooms, concierges to take care of all your needs (forget a toothbrush it will be brought to you gratis) a top floor restaurant & bar plus outdoor garden to dine in warm weather it’s our favorite choice. (MS)
Where2Dine – Never out of style (Gibson & Chicago Cut for steak, Alinea # 6 in the world, RL totally chic, David Burke Primehouse, Pump Room (transforms into a late night supper club.) Next -purchase tickets to dine & see Girl & the Goat, an Anthony Bourdain fav). Our new W2W picks – Maestro’s – Sweet potatoe fries a must, Tavern on Rush, The Boarding House -brand new – 9000 crystal glasses hanging on the ceiling & Bavette. Best Pizza – totally personal, thin or thick crust? Try Coalfire and Great Lake!
Where2Shop – Imagine 5th Avenue and Rodeo Drive combined. That’s Michigan Avenue aptly called the Magnificent Mile. Check out Tom Ford and YSL both new. Vintage Underground (our find) for jewels, Perchance, LuLu for vintage & Intermix. Don’t forget Oak St.
Where2Dance, Listen & Sip – Drake Hotel for Swing, National 27 for Latin Cuisine – gather your strength for salsa afterwards, Alhambra Palace for salsa, Rumba (tropical heatwave) Checkerboard for Blues & Jazz, Pops for Champagne, lobby at the Peninsula Hotel (live music, perfect venue)
Upcoming events – Chicago Blues Festival June 6-9, Taste of Chicago July 10-14, Summer Dance in Grant Park all summer, Jazz Festival August 29-September 1st. & visit the Field Museum for the Maria Pinto Exhibit thru June 16
We love Chicago!