DESIGN : LE MÉRIDIEN CHICAGO
LE MÉRIDIEN CHICAGO
OAKBROOK CENTER
DETAILS : 172 guestrooms ( including two spa suites with curated spa services in partnership with ESPA ); 3,500 square feet ( 325 square meters ) of event space ; Spanish tapasstyle restaurant , El Tapeo ; the lobby Hub featuring the recently launched Master Barista program .
Corner rooms feature floor-to-ceiling wood headboards .
The lobby is framed by a large-scale mural by contemporary artist Justus Roe depicting the architecture of Chicago .
THE ART : A large-scale mural by contemporary artist Justus Roe of the Chicago Artists Coalition depicting the architecture of Chicago ; an installation of a deconstructed bicycle , a nod to Oak Brook ’ s many biking trails ; elevator lobbies showcasing images taken from Chicago ’ s signature “ L ” train , including the mileage and direction from the hotel ; an Executive Club Lounge featuring photos by a Chicago native portraying locals caught in the rain .
INTERIOR DESIGNER : Chicago office of Gensler , led by Carlos Martinez and Todd Heiser .
OWNER : Rockbridge , a Columbus , Ohio-based private equity firm that since 1992 formed and managed 10 institutional private equity funds and executed on more than 325 hotel investments in 45 states in transactions worth more than US $ 5 billion .
MANAGER : Wischermann Partners , which focuses on upper-upscale and luxury hotels , and currently operates a hotel portfolio of more than 3,400 rooms .
BRAND MANAGER : Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide , which now has nearly 100 Le Méridien hotels in more than 40 countries with several more on the way .
34 HOTELS January / February 2015 www . hotelsmag . com