This article outlines the hotels in Chicago that offer guests club or executive lounges. By reviewing each club or executive lounges, I conclude which hotel has the best club lounge in Chicago.
When deciding which hotel to choose for your stay in a city like Chicago, it is sensible to consider the added extras provided by a hotel club lounge. Offerings usually include complimentary drinks and snacks throughout the day, breakfast in the morning, and evening cocktails with canapés.
Annoyingly, in Chicago, very few club lounges offer free alcoholic drinks. The exception is the Ritz-Carlton, which does include alcohol. In the other lounges, the beers, wines, and spirits must be paid for, but the food is free and tends to be filling and plentiful. Often, the evening food and drink offering is more than enough to replace the need to go out for the evening, and it is often worth paying to upgrade your room to a Club Room or even paying a fee to include club lounge access when you stay at your chosen hotel.
The best club or executive hotel lounges can also provide an interesting environment to work and relax in. Some lounges also provide dedicated meeting rooms, although I prefer to hold smaller meetings in the main lounge. When I travel on my own for business, I’m not particularly eager to sit in restaurants on my own. Room service is also rather lonely, so a club lounge provides the ideal environment to enjoy good food and atmosphere while comfortably sitting at a table for one.
I have compiled a list below of the club lounges available across luxury hotels in Chicago. I have listed the ones I consider to be the best at the top.
1. Ritz-Carlton Chicago Club Lounge
The Ritz-Carlton Chicago offers a club level and is one of the best executive floors in Chicago. It is pictured above. Renovated in 2016, this Ritz-Carlton Club® Lounge is located in the city’s fashion mecca. The Ritz-Carlton, Chicago, refreshed its suites and guest room corridors and upgraded its fitness center in 2016.
The huge 2,600 ft² Ritz-Carlton Club Lounge is on the 15th floor and offers stunning views of the Historic Water Tower, the Magnificent Mile, and Lake Michigan.
This club lounge does include alcoholic drinks (hurrah!), including beer, wine, cocktails, and spirits. It goes a step further with wine tastings and similar events. For example, Ritz Kids guests can enjoy a behind-the-scenes tour of the neighboring firehouse. Businesses and leisure travelers can immerse themselves in Chicago culture and cuisine through local wine and brewery partnerships.
The Club Lounge offers five different food and beverage options throughout the day, from healthy breakfast options to hors-d’oeuvres, cocktails, and evening desserts.
The space itself is sophisticated, featuring walnut hardwood floors complemented by clean, modern walnut cabinetry highlighted by hints of blue, gold, and brown, all of which tie into the hotel’s ambiance.
To see more of what you will experience at the Ritz-Carlton Chicago, take a look at the video on their website.
2. JW Marriott Chicago Club Lounge
As the most luxurious Marriott brand with Marriott in its name, you can expect a great club lounge at JW Marriott Chicago. The executive lounge here is smart and sleek, with windows all along one side of the lounge. Food provided includes breakfast, snacks, and beverages throughout your stay. Whilst not the most inspiring in design, JW Marriott club lounges tend to offer an excellent food selection. You can see more details of what you might expect in our review of the JW Marriott Grosvenor House club lounge in London.
The breakfast here is continental and adequate. The evening food spread is more impressive and enough to fill you up and is very tasty with various offerings, including salads and hot pasta dishes. But ultimately, this lounge lacks atmosphere and, although functional, is not one that you yearn to spend time in
3. Sheraton Grand Chicago Club Lounge
After the Ritz-Carlton and the JW Marriott, the Sheraton Grand Chicago probably offers the third-best club lounge in Chicago due to the multi-level design with huge windows offering breathtaking views of the city. This lounge is also open throughout the day and offers a complimentary continental breakfast, evening hors-d’oeuvres, and snacks and beverages throughout the day. It is a great place to relax with two computer workstations, Wi-Fi, and TVs around the lounge. Previously I have found the food on offer at Sheraton club lounges like the Sheraton London club lounge, to be lower in quality and variety than the offering at the JW Marriott.
4. Hyatt Regency Chicago Club Lounge
The Hyatt Regency Chicago offers a Regency Club Lounge. You can access this lounge if you book a Club King or Club Double room or are a World of Hyatt Explorist (and use your voucher) or Globalist member.
This club opens at 6:30 am and serves breakfast through to 9:30 am on weekdays and until 10:30 am on weekends. It remains open throughout the day for snacks, water, and sodas. In the evening, hors d’oeuvres are available from 6:30 – 10:00 pm.
The breakfast in this lounge is good and filling and includes fresh fruit, smoked salmon, hard-boiled eggs, pastries, cereals, and one hot item.
In the evening, the offering includes fresh vegetables, cheese, meats, bread, and one hot bowl of food. This is enough to fill you up but is not massively generous, and you do have to pay for any beer, wine, or cocktails that you drink.
The advantages of this Hyatt Regency include the central location as you can walk anywhere in the city from here. It is also central if you want to shop or eat out, with plenty of local restaurants within walking distance.
5. Hilton Chicago Executive Floor Lounge
Situated in the Magnificent Mile area of Downtown Chicago, the huge Hilton Chicago enjoys views of Lake Michigan and the surrounding city. You get complimentary access to the executive lounge if you are a Diamond status member. Otherwise, you have to pay extra for rooms on their executive floor.
The lounge is located on the second floor, so it doesn’t enjoy particularly great views, but it is modern and functional if a little uninteresting. You can enjoy soft drinks, coffee, bottled water, granola bars, and nuts/pretzels throughout the day.
Breakfast in the executive lounge is served from 7:00 – 10:30 am on weekends and 6:30 – 10:00 am on weekdays. Hot egg dishes and oatmeal, fruits, croissants, and cereals are available.
Hors d’oeuvres are served from 5:00 – 7:00 pm with things like dumplings with soy sauce, enough for dinner but not noteworthy. This lounge reminds me more of an airport lounge than a place I want to spend the day.
What is noteworthy at this Hilton is the gym and pool located on the 30th floor, which means that you can jog on a treadmill to view of the Chicago skyline.
6. Renaissance Blackstone Hotel In Chicago Club Lounge
Chicago has three beautiful and historic luxury hotels; The Palmer House, The Blackstone, and The Drake. Palmer House and The Drake are Hilton brand hotels. The Blackstone is a Renaissance. The location of the Renaissance Blackstone is on South Michigan Avenue, and the historic architecture, with high ceilings offering intricate detailing along with marble floors in the foyer, gives it a classic feel.
The club lounge is open for breakfast at 6:30 – 9:30 am, Hors d’oeuvres 5:00 – 7:30 pm, dessert from 7:30 – 9:30 pm, and closes at 10:00 pm. The look is classic or old-fashioned (depending on your opinion), but the food on offer is extensive. Breakfasts include pastries, muffins, scrambled eggs, bacon, and sausage, along with healthy options like oatmeal. In the evenings, the chef goes nuts and offers a variety of food that changes every night. Dishes include tomato soup, grilled cheese, or multilayer Mexican dip (guacamole, salsa, cheese, etc.), quesadillas, coconut chicken, egg rolls, and shrimp. There is also cheese, ham, salads, and fruit. Dessert is usually Cookies and bite-size cakes, and pastries.
The food offering is good at this Renaissance, but the lounge feels dated.
7. Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile Club Lounge
This Marriott has a club lounge which opens in the morning for breakfast and evening for snacks and drinks. It closes during the rest of the day, which is frustrating if you want an alternate place to relax or work.
The breakfast buffet is, however, excellent, with various choices. You can also order additional items like eggs cooked how you like them. The evenings in this lounge are less impressive, with only a small number of choices and probably not enough food to make up a main meal.
8. Intercontinental Chicago
It is worth noting that the Intercontinental Chicago does not have a club lounge.
Which Club Lounge In Chicago Has The Best View
The club lounge at the Sheraton has the best view.
Which Club Lounges In Chicago Include Complimentary Alcohol?
Unfortunately, most club lounges in Chicago charge extra for alcohol, with the exception of the Ritz-Carlton, with free beer, wine, cocktails, and spirits, along with specialist wine tastings once a week.
Which Is The Best Club Lounge In Chicago For Food?
You will not beat the breakfast and evening-themed food offerings at the Ritz-Carlton in Chicago.
Which is the best Lounge Overall?
The Ritz-Carlton Chicago Club lounge.
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