The prior to my 40th trip around the sun, the gentleman suitor type person (edited: master manipulator) and I spent a very chilly weekend in Chicago. It was his first time there and my first in seemingly as many years. So much has changed, new neighborhoods crop up, old haunts shut, the shopping a bit worse for wear, nonetheless, I was pleased to be playing tour guide to his first time in Chicago. We needed a chic and central location so we opted for the Pendry Chicago, well situated at the north side of the Loop. In the art deco masterpiece the Carbide and Carbon building, we were very happy with our choice… even if they didn’t celebrate my 40th alongside me despite knowing in advance… not something I’d expect from a hotel of this caliber, but we definitely made the best of it ourselves.

The chic lobby and bars of the hotel served as a fun location for late night chats, cocktails with friends, and cozy views of the city.

We booked a corner king room but were upgraded to a “tower king” which was more than spacious, but lacked some of the charm perhaps such as the shower with city views… not complaining, the room was gorgeous.

The closet featured a cozy robe, slippers and safe, all set to the background of festive wallpaper.

The ample tv wall also doubled as a mini bar, or maxi bar, with full size bottles as well as a coffee corner with easy-to-use espresso machine.

The table and mismatched chairs served well as a makeshift office as well as a lovely setting for a room service breakfast.

The bathroom was chic and well-sized to complement the room even if the shower was missing the city views of the corner king.

The view of the tower king was lovely and offered views across the river as well as directly into the apartment building next door. Luckily, the high floor masked some of the traffic honking as there was much.

Overall, we had a lovely stay at the Pendry. Would I stay again? Maybe… I missed some of the personal touches, like the correct room, a birthday celebration, a copy of our bill at the end after asking/emailing several times… but the location and vibe really couldn’t be beat, so perhaps if we caught another deal I’d give it a try, I just wouldn’t invest another special occasion with the property.