The Chicago Athletic Association

The Chicago Athletic Association is a boutique hotel in the original 1893 Chicago Athletic Association building at 12 South Michigan Avenue, a Venetian Gothic-style landmark directly facing Millennium Park and the Art Institute of Chicago. Originally constructed as an exclusive private athletic club for Chicago's social elite, the building was meticulously preserved and adaptively reused as a hotel while retaining remarkable interior features — including the Great Hall with its 40-foot vaulted wooden ceiling, a billiards room, a bowling alley, a library, and multiple distinctive dining and drinking venues. The hotel's 241 rooms draw from the original building's floor plans, resulting in a wide variety of room shapes and sizes rather than standardized layouts. Rooms are designed with an athletic club aesthetic incorporating vintage sports equipment, dark leather accents, and photographs referencing the building's storied history. Dining concepts include Cindy's rooftop restaurant and bar, which commands one of Chicago's best views of Millennium Park, Lake Michigan, and the skyline; the Cherry Circle Room for craft cocktails; and the Game Room for casual socializing. The Milk Room is a small, reservation-only bar with limited seating and a notable whiskey and spirits collection. The building's position directly across Michigan Avenue from Millennium Park's Cloud Gate sculpture, the Jay Pritzker Pavilion music stage, and the Art Institute makes this one of Chicago's most culturally situated hotels. Guests can walk to the Art Institute in under two minutes and access free outdoor concerts at the Pavilion during summer months.