The Boutique Beat – Silversmith Hotel & Suites

At USA Travel Guide, we recommend a lot of big brand hotels: Hilton, Holiday Inn, Wyndham, maybe even a Marriott or two, and we’ve got our reasons. There are lots of them, for one, and standardized amenities add a degree of dependability that we appreciate. But in keeping with the spirit of our own 2009 Pledge, it seems appropriate that we call out the independents, and more specifically, the boutiques.

What’s a boutique hotel? Well, it’s a nebulous term, one seen more in the eyes of the beholder than in the rules of a definition, but in general terms a boutique hotel is an independent hotel that is additionally defined by a unique personality, décor or set of amenities. They are typically but not necessarily upscale, and they tend to favor on-site experience more than big brand, destination hotels.

Our first choice for the Boutique Beat is a charming luxury Chicago hotel located just off the Magnificent Mile, the Silversmith Hotel & Suites. Several calling cards of the boutique hotel are present at the Silversmith: it’s independently owned and operated, it’s located in a historic building that used to be something else, it has an unusual dining option (weekday dessert reception), it has a large number of suites and it employs traditional white-glove service.

Certainly the most exciting feature of the Silversmith Hotel in Chicago is the building. Located in Jeweler’s Row a block from the Magnificent Mile, the Silversmith building was built in the very late 1800’s to reflect the emerging Arts and Crafts movement in modern architecture. Like many tall buildings from the time, the Silversmith features a unique and attractively ornate façade for about five stories before transitioning into a practical many-windowed structure favored by turn-of-the-century jewelers.

The sense of grandeur continues inside where you are greeted almost immediately by a marble staircase with intricate cast iron fixtures, a classical relief ceiling and romantic deep wood tones. It’s no wonder the building has been granted status as a National Landmark.

For luxurious couple’s getaways in Chicago, consider the refined, authentic comforts of the Silversmith Hotel & Suites. In true boutique fashion, it is a hotel like no other, and there’s no better place to capture the bold spirit of Chicago.

Image used by permission

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