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A few weeks before Valentine’s Day, my husband whisks me away to Chicago for a romantic weekend. As we drive into the Loop, I beg him to tell me where we were going to stay. “The Chicago Mart Plaza,” he replies, pointing to a building across the river. I look up and see the hotel sign on the top of the building. It reads
Holiday
Inn. “You’re taking me to a Holiday Inn for a romantic weekend?” I huff. He laughs. “Push those stereotypes out of your head. I promise you will love it.”
And I did.
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Unmatched views of the city.
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The hotel is hidden away in plain sight. Across from the
Merchandise Mart and next to the river, it appears to be another large corporate building. An elevator takes you up to the hotel lobby with its restaurant and bar on the 15th floor. The lobby, fresh from renovations, is elegant and the staff is welcoming.
The Bar: Cityscape
“Still worried?” asks my husband.
I just grin as we make our way across the lobby into
Cityscape to toast the beginning of our weekend alone. The place is bustling but we are able to score a romantic table in one of the corners that comes with an amazing view. Floor to ceiling windows cover three sides of the room so that it feels as if we are standing in the epicenter of Chicago.
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Surrounded by the city.
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The hotel certainly has the benefit of location, agrees hotel Food and Beverage Manager
Anthony Langen, and the 20 million dollar renovations that are almost completed were designed to take advantage of the stellar location. For the past 30 years, the hotel sales office had the best view in the city. That view has now been incorporated into
Cityscape so that the guests can enjoy it.
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Special ecologically friendly window treatments helped to make the Mart Plaza Chicago's first LEED certified hotel.
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The multi-million dollar redesign also included extensive ecological measures that resulted in the hotel being the first Chicago hotel to be
LEED certified hotel.
My husband orders one of the 30 wines offered by the glass and I indulge in one of the many specialty drinks offered. My “Zen-tini” is a perfect before dinner drink, refreshing and not overly sweet. Our waitress tells me later that the Zen-tini has been voted one of the top 10 martinis in the city by the Chicago Sun-Times.
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Terrific selection of drinks and upscale appetizers.
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The bar offers a number of regular specials during the week including Sparkling Tuesdays when glasses of a variety of champagnes are priced at $4 a glass, and 5 for 5 Martini Fridays. There are also upscale appetizers available, such as Hoisin Duck Tamales and Mini Kobe Burger Trios.
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Cityscape bar is in the epicenter of the city.
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The Room: King Guest Room
We pry ourselves away from the view in Cityscape and take the elevator up to our room. The guest rooms occupy floors 16-23 and we are lucky enough to have a room on the top.
Our room is also located across from the vending area, something that gives me pause. (We did not hear one peep during our entire stay. Not from the vending machines, the rooms next door, or from people walking down the hallways. The soundproofing is excellent.)
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A spacious executive king room with views of the city.
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Our room is clean and comfortable. We have a room on the south side of the hotel which, we find out later, means our room is slightly smaller than those on the east and west side but our view is better. There are pillows on the bed, each wrapped in a ribbon that reads “soft” or “fim.” When we speak to the VP of Marketing
France
Langdon later, we find out that there is a whole “Pillow Menu” as well as other amenities that are offered to help guests be as comfortable as possible.
But let’s talk about the view. (I can’t help it - it’s spectacular!)
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The views from the hotel are breath-taking.
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On this evening, the river below shimmers with the lights of downtown Chicago. Even the traffic looks beautiful from the 23rd floor.
After we unpack, we turn off the lights in our room and sit in front of the window, sipping wine, and looking out onto the south Loop. I recognize the Opera House and the Sears Tower but it is though the actual buildings have been replaced by a fantasy of light and glass on a velvety black background.
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A large pool under a skylight is one of the many exercise options available for guests.
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We finally pry ourselves away from the view to have dinner at
Italiasia, the 9-month old restaurant in the hotel. We stop by the indoor fitness center that includes a myriad of machines and free weights as well as a full sized pool. We debate about taking a swim before dinner but hunger wins out and we head downstairs.
The Restaurant: Italiasia
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The Asian influenced design of Italiasia.
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The restaurant’s concept is Italian-Asian fusion cuisine or, as they put it, “The Best of Both Worlds.” The 170-seat restaurant is just 9 months old and the Chef de Cuisine,
Brandon Hollingsworth, who created the menu agrees it is “…not typical of Holiday Inn restaurants. We are trying to step outside that shadow.”
The restaurant, located in the lobby of the hotel, shares the understated elegance of the lobby but adds a subtle Asian influenced modern aesthetic. We drink wine and munch on complimentary edame, which arrives warm and still in its pods, while perusing the menu. The prices are very reasonable, with many entrees in the $12-$18 range.
Starters include the upscale vegetable spring rolls that arrive with a side of spicy kimchee and three dipping sauces. With perfectly crisped skin and crunchy vegetables, we enjoy it immensely. The “dusted” calamari are also a tasty option.
Three soups are offered: a slightly sweet and smoky Miso soup with green onions, wakame seaweed and tofu; a Tuscan white bean soup with panacetta; and a soup of the day. There are a variety of salads available including a grilled seafood and a Tofu Noodle. We opt for the Mediterranean salad with big Roma tomatoes, black olives and feta, and what will be my new favorite salad, the Romaine Heart Salad. The salad arrives with a huge Parmesan Crisp that resembles a sail on a boat of lettuce. The romaine is crisp and refreshing and the dressing has the slight smokiness from the miso that adds an interesting umani to dish. I'm craving the salad as I write this.
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Asian influenced cuisine at Italiasia.
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The presentation of the food on the plates is beautiful and incorporate many fusion elements in their design. However, the dishes that try to execute the fusion concept in their recipes aren’t as successful as the ones that stick to their Asian or Italian roots. Next time we visit, we’ll stick to one of the entrees that lie firmly in the Asian OR Italian camp rather than a fusion entrée.
The wine list, as I mentioned before, is terrific and includes a variety of affordable and entertaining options. We are pleased with every wine we order. My husband starts with the Woop Woop Shiraz, which he tells me is as much fun to drink as it is to order. And, while the Kung Fu Girl Reisling tempts me, our waiter suggests the Salneval Alborino from Spain to pair with our spring rolls, which I love. Later, the two of us share a Zinfandel that is big and spicy and smooth.
(One caveat: The drinks come from the Cityscape bar across the lobby so there’s quite a little lag between the time the drinks are ordered and when they arrive so order accordingly. )
For dessert, we sample creamy green tea gelato, a milk chocolate cappuccino mousse with a lovely praline crust, and a ginger crème brulee with a perfectly crisped top.
And the best part? Knowing that we only had to walk over to the elevators to return to our cozy room and enjoy best view in town. And a little private romance.
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The rooms are comfortable with many amenities.
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In a Nut Shell: The best-kept secret in town. A terrific place to go for great drinks and upscale food. Wonderful accommodations with fantastic views. Close to River North art galleries, antique stores, furniture stores, boutiques and over 100 restaurants.
Specials:
The February Godiva Romance Package Includes:
· Deluxe accommodations for two
· Godiva Gems – individually wrapped decadent chocolates
· Godiva Chocolate Rewards Card
· Two Godiva Chocolate Martinis at Cityscape Bar
· Complimentary breakfast at Italiasia ($45 value)
· Complimentary parking ($34 value)
Bargains: Parking is $5 when you visit
Cityscape Bar or
Italiasia.
Sparkling Tuesdays – a variety of champagnes priced at $4 a glass
Hump Day Happy Hour Wednesdays – complimentary appetizer buffet
Conservation Alert: The Mart Plaza is Chicago’s first LEED certified hotel
Who:
CHICAGO MART PLAZA
What: Best Views in Town
Where: 350 West Mart Center
Chicago IL 60654
For more information go to www.martplaza.com or call 312-836-5000
Photos courtesy of Holiday Inn
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