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InterContinental Chicago
505 North Michigan Avenue
Chicago IL 60611
USA
Main/General Inquiries:
(866) 210-8811
Reservations: (866) 276-6845
Meetings & Banquets:
(866) 208-3121
Weddings: (866) 211-6606
Fax: +1 312 944 1320
E-mail: chicago@interconti.com
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Welcome to the InterContinental Chicago,
one of the most beautiful landmark hotels in history.
With its unique architecture and cultural diversity,
it was originally built in 1929 as the Medinah Athletic
Club, a luxury men's club for members of the Shrine
organization. Unfortunately, in 1934 the club had
been a victim of the stock-market crash and was
forced to close its doors.
InterContinental Hotels, renowned for its international
portfolio of extraordinary restorations, bought
the property in 1988, and immediately began renovations.
A quarter of a billion dollars and 12 years later,
this truly magnificent InterContinental Chicago
hotel was re-introduced to Chicago.
It was the contribution of the original athletic
club's 1930 yearbook, the SCIMITAR, which guided
the original restoration work. Donated by a club
member, the book was of invaluable assistance during
the restoration process. Its black-and-white photographs
were used to duplicate and restore entire rooms,
right down to the detailing in draperies, carpets,
and murals. Completed in 2001, the four-story lobby,
with grand staircase and cast bronze ornamentation,
has resulted in harmonious merging of old-world
elegance with 21st-century craftsmanship. Today,
each floor of the hotel represents a myriad of cultures
and eras. The public areas available for viewing
provide a glimpse of the rich history of the building.
As guests pass through the bronze doorway on Michigan
Avenue, they are welcomed by the Shriner's original
greeting, etched in marble between two columns.
The greeting, "ES SALUMU ALEIKUM" means "Peace be
to God," a salutation still used by Shriner's today.
At the tops of the two large marble columns are
medieval hooded and sleeping knights. The ceilings
are painted in dark tones with Celtic and Mesopotamian
motifs. The lion, the fish, the eagle, and the Assyrian
bull were used to typify the highest powers of nature.
The Hall of Lions is Assyrian in Design. Many layers of paint
were removed during the restoration process to review the two marble
lions. The lions were uncovered with an unusual method known as
cornhusk blasting. Since traditional sandblasting would have destroyed
the intricate details in the design, actual cornhusks were ground and
blasted at the lions to remove the paint while retaining the details
in the carving.
Marble steps lead to an elaborately carved terra-cotta
fountain with a backdrop of Spanish Majolica tile.
A Shriner's inscription, "All Waters Run into the
Sea" flanks both sides of a stone replica of King
Solomon's head at the fountain's peak. The family
crests of the original founders of the Medinah Athletic
Club decorate each step.
The King Arthur Foyer and Court bring you to a world of
knights in shining armor. Knights in colorful uniform line
the ceilings of the painstakingly restored arched entryway
and guard entry to the King Arthur Court. Inside the court,
a series of colorful paintings depict the life of King Arthur,
as well as scenes of later Christian events and daily life in
Gothic times. Elaborately carved wooden beams line the walls,
providing a masculine feeling, indicative of their original use
as the Men's Smoking Room.
The Spanish Tea Court was created to the represent
the Spanish era of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella.
Its focal point is an ornate fountain lined with
the original Spanish Majolica tile. The blue ceiling
was meant to represent the sky and create the ambiance
of an outdoor tea court. This was one of the few
areas in which women were allowed unescorted when
the property was the Medinah Athletic Club.
Beyond the mirrored doors on the west wall is the
Renaissance Room. Designed to depict the indulgence
and extravagance of the French Renaissance during
the era of Louis XVI, this is one of the most opulent
meeting spaces in the hotel. The walls are paneled
from floor to ceiling with imported Carpathian Elm
Burl wood, a wood so rare it would be impossible
to replace. Ceiling beams are hand-painted with
Renaissance motifs and are lit with the five original
Baccarat crystal chandeliers.
The Grand Ballroom is the site of some of Chicago's
most elaborate weddings and events. Located on the
seventh floor, with a balcony on the eighth floor,
the Grand Ballroom is magnificent for both its unusual
elliptical shape and its many architectural details.
Around the ceiling of the ballroom are 37 hand-painted
murals of classical landscape scenes that were taken
down and restored by the same restoration artist
who consulted on the restoration of the Sistine
Chapel ceiling. He also added 24-karat gold leaf
to the moldings surrounding the paintings and the
12,000-pound Baccarat crystal chandelier, which
is the largest in North America.
Directly above the Grand Ballroom is the hotel's famous
junior Olympic swimming pool. Although the original athletic
club facilities included a gymnasium, running track, bowling
alley, golf driving range and archery range, the pool is the
only element to survive the many changes over the years.
Considered an engineering feat when it was built in 1929
because it was above ground, the pool is 25 meters long,
and holds 120,000 gallons of water. It has had many famous
visitors, including Olympic gold medalist and Tarzan star
Johnny Weissmuller.
The terra-cotta fountain of Neptune on the east
wall of the pool area is lined with brilliant blue
Spanish Majolica tile. The fish-scaled design windows
at both ends of the pool cast a glittering light
resembling a school of silvery fish on the water.
Rows of seating on the west end of the pool area
recall the era when swimming was a spectator sport
at the Medinah Athletic Club.
The InterContinental Chicago is the only North Michigan
Avenue hotel with a main entrance on the boulevard.
The floor is tiled with iridescent, handcrafted
mosaic tiles made of onyx and marble. The ceiling
of the four-story rotunda features tiny stars and
lighting that change to reflect the time of day.
The designs on the cast-bronze friezes along the
handrail of the grand staircase are taken from the
hotel's original use as the Medinah Athletic Club.
Just off the lobby is Zest, the only street-level
restaurant on Michigan Avenue and a popular destination
for locals and visitors alike. Zest's menu features
Moroccan, Spanish, and Portuguese-influenced cuisine.
When the InterContinental Chicago opened its doors in 1990,
it was presented as a gift to the city of Chicago. Since then
it has been the recipient of numerous awards for both its
architecture and design. It has been the scene for important
events, and the hotel's guests have included international dignitaries,
politicians, and Hollywood celebrities. We are very proud of our hotel,
both for its beautiful décor and the service we provide to match it.
InterContinental Chicago stands proudly among the other InterContinental
restorations around the world, including the Willard InterContinental in
Washington, D.C., the Mark Hopkins InterContinental San Francisco, Le
Grand InterContinental in Paris, and many more. InterContinental Hotels
Group operates more than 150 hotels on six continents.
The InterContinental Chicago. We Know What it Takes.
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