Blackstone Hotel

[tombarnes]

The Blackstone is Back!

Chicago's famed Blackstone Hotel, host to many presidents and supposed origin of the phrase "smoke filled room", is open again after a 12 year hiatus. The hotel has been restored carefully, but with a more contemporary eye in furnishing. Most of the important historic features have been carefully restored, but a few alterations have been made. For instance, the Blackstone Theater, once host to the likes of Lean Horne, has been transformed into a dining room. The former barber shop has been restored, but is now used as a meeting room. Penthouse executive suites are presently under construction on the top floors and are scheduled to open in April. Having visited (but not stayed in) the hotel before it closed, I can easily say that renovations were desperately needed. The former owners ran the hotel on a shoestring for years. It's great to see it back in top form.

Chi-Town Daily News