Sutton Place Chicago Closes, Re-opening As A Thompson

December 18, 2012 at 12:43 PM | by ninakhahn | Comments (0)

Also designed by Tara Bernerd, The Belgraves, London (pictured here), offers clues about the style to expect at the new Thompson Chicago

At last, it's done. Last week Sutton Place Chicago officially closed its doors to begin converting into the new Thompson Chicago.

Back in February when we first shared details that Thompson was taking over the lackluster Chicago hotel, we were a bit stoked. One look at the Thompson Hotels collection and a peek last summer at the LollaShop pop-up rooms, things were looking way up for a hotel that needed a pick me up in a big bad way.

An insider shared that the reno will be massive--right down to the studs--with new rooms available by August 2013 and a new restaurant by December. We were also told that expecting something fashionable, modern and edgy like 60 Thompson NYC would not be far off the mark. Normally we�d call bullsh*t right there, but we know a few things about the new Thompson Chicago that might make this a real possibility:

1) The new Chicago hotel will be masterminded by Tara Bernerd, the same rockstar designer responsible for the Belgraves London. One look at Bernerd�s touch there -- edgy yet cozy, modern yet vintage -- and we're anxious to see what she does in Chicago. The existing 246 rooms, originally built in the 1980s, are big, too--more room for Bernerd to play with.

2) A major addition to the hotel�s public space and significant F&B program, Thompson Chicago�s new restaurant will hail from One Off Hospitality Group. These are the same guys -- Paul Kahan, Donnie Madia, etc. --that created some of the very best restaurants in Chicago, including avec, BIGSTAR, Blackbird and Publican.

3) AJ Capital is a force behind this purchase, as well as a few other new big-deal, Chicago hotels: Hotel Lincoln and the soon-to-come Chicago Athletic Association and SoHo House Chicago. If Thompson Chicago delivers anything near the character and style of these hotels, we are in for an awesome treat.

4) It shares its Gold Coast nabe with PUBLIC Chicago and the Waldorf Astoria Chicago � and positioned right on the bustling Triangle just off of Rush (with Michigan Avenue at the other end of the block and Luxbar and Gibson�s just across the street). And we can't forget to mention Oak Street shopping just one block over. Yep, the hotel�s location is prime for both locals and tourists alike.

Check back for updates as we'll definitely be on watch to see how the renovations play out.

[Photo: HotelChatter]

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