The Thompson Chicago evaluate – The Factors Man

Your resident Chicagoan is again for one other native lodge evaluate.

For this evaluate, I went east towards Lake Michigan and north towards Lincoln Park for a two-night keep on the Thompson Chicago, a Class 5 Hyatt property.

The Thompson sits on the nook of Rush Avenue and East Bellevue Place in Gold Coast, one of many metropolis’s oldest, most historic and prosperous neighborhoods.

As a neighborhood who frequents the town’s resorts, I like to recommend the Thompson to anybody in search of an outstanding location. Its prime place within the coronary heart of this charming space makes it best for eating out and purchasing.

Learn on for extra particulars about what it is like to remain on the Thompson Chicago.

What’s the Thompson Chicago?

The Thompson Chicago is a midsize lodge in Gold Coast, a sceney, old-school neighborhood recognized for its designer shops and costly eating places. This location is considered one of 23 Thompson properties globally, 15 of which reside within the U.S.

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Throughout my two-day keep, I noticed a mixture of friends, together with households, {couples}, teams of 20- to 30-something-year-old girls and dealing professionals. The visitor profile matches with the general aesthetic of the neighborhood, which is a scorching spot for individuals who need to have the ability to stroll out their lodge door to a large assortment of eating places, retailers and leisure venues.

Associated: The long-awaited Thompson Palm Springs is now open

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The largest perk of this property, as is usually the case with Thompson resorts, is its central location. A bonus of the Thompson Chicago is that it is perched on a facet avenue in a residential neighborhood, making it quiet but accessible.

The best way to ebook the Thompson Chicago

The Thompson Chicago is finest booked by way of Hyatt, as you will discover the perfect charges by reserving instantly.

Common money costs over the autumn vary from $144 to $350 per night time. World of Hyatt factors charges begin at 17,000 for off-peak dates and go as much as 23,000 factors per night time.

For my keep, a typical room with a king-size mattress value $273 per night time. To ebook the identical room with factors, I might have wanted to redeem 23,000 World of Hyatt factors per night time.

Primarily based on TPG’s October 2024 valuations, World of Hyatt factors are price 1.7 cents apiece, making this property a greater money deal. Understanding this, I selected to ebook instantly with money, incomes 2,770 factors (price $47 primarily based on present TPG valuations) for the keep.

Needless to say Chase cardholders also can ebook the property via Chase Journey℠. Nonetheless, the identical room value extra on my journey dates, coming in at $759 or 58,036 Chase Final Rewards factors (plus $34 in taxes and charges).

When reserving the Thompson Chicago, keep in mind to make use of a bank card that earns probably the most factors for Hyatt stays, in addition to one which presumably gives automated World of Hyatt elite standing for value-added advantages, together with:

• World of Hyatt Credit score Card: Earn 4 factors per greenback spent at Hyatt resorts and resorts, and obtain automated Discoverist standing and 5 elite night time credit per yr towards a better tier.
• World of Hyatt Enterprise Credit score Card: Earn 4 factors per greenback spent at Hyatt resorts and resorts, and obtain automated Discoverist standing and 5 elite night time credit per yr towards a better tier for each $10,000 spent every calendar yr.

The placement is the property’s principal draw

With standard eating places like Luxbar, Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse and Hugo’s Frog Bar & Fish Home inside straightforward attain, the Thompson gives an outstanding location in considered one of Chicago’s oldest and most prosperous neighborhoods. It is just some blocks north of Michigan Avenue and across the nook from Oak Avenue, the place you will discover lots of the metropolis’s high-end retailers.

I’ve fond recollections of Gold Coast, the place the Thompson resides, because it’s the place I celebrated my twenty first birthday on Rush Avenue a number of years in the past. I toasted to 21 with a martini at Carmine’s, and I hope to return to the old-school Italian joint when it reopens following a $4 million renovation.

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Head one block east, and you will attain Lake Shore Drive, which connects you to the Lakefront Path and Oak Avenue Seaside. The closest L station (Chicago on the Pink Line) can be conveniently located just some blocks south, making it straightforward to get to the town heart, surrounding areas and each Chicago airports.

Count on a 30- to 40-minute drive, which might value between $30-45 in the event you’re utilizing a ride-hailing service — or about an hour by way of the L — to get between the lodge and O’Hare Worldwide Airport (ORD) or Halfway Worldwide Airport (MDW).

Should you drive, valet parking is on the market on-site for $75 per day, whereas close by self-parking begins at $50 per day.

Rooms are spacious however lack ample lighting

The property’s 247 lodge rooms and suites function 400-thread-count Sferra linens, rainfall showers and midcentury trendy furnishings.

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I used to be impressed with how massive my customary 320-square-foot room felt, particularly within the rest room. Along with having area for a king-size mattress (which featured a comforter with a sublime quilt cowl and no prime sheet) and a desk, the room match a navy blue L-shaped couch with a espresso desk, plus a espresso and tea station beneath a flat-screen TV. Within the rest room, a spacious walk-in bathe sat reverse a big self-importance.

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Total, I appreciated the considerate format of the room. Past its dimension, although, I discovered its aesthetics and choices to be common. Maybe as a consequence of dealing with north, the lighting was significantly dim, even with all of the window shades open (word that the window doesn’t open).

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One last quirk concerning the room was that the minifridge supplied was not really a fridge in that it didn’t get chilly. The entrance desk supplied to convey me a correct minifridge, with out cost, to be used in a single day once I realized this, however it required reaching out versus already having what I wanted.

A protracted-awaited on-site eating possibility is again

In 2022, considered one of Gold Coast’s most notable eating places, Tavern on Rush, closed after 24 years. Practically a yr and a half later, its authentic homeowners introduced a revamped Tavern on Rush, this time across the nook contained in the Thompson, changing the previous Nico Osteria. With this alteration in handle (1015 N. Rush St.) comes a brand new model of its outdated self, focusing extra on brunch whereas offering room service for lodge friends.

The lodge initially mentioned the restaurant would reopen in July after which mid-September. Nonetheless, on the time of my keep, the restaurant was nonetheless closed, which was by far the most important ache level of my go to.

In lieu of consuming on the restaurant throughout my keep, friends may order room service daily from 7 to 11 a.m. or buy snack objects from the grab-and-go venue within the foyer. However consuming breakfast in my room from takeout bins with plastic cutlery spoiled the room service vibe for me.

Breakfast for 2 from the above menu value $55. This breakfast, in fact, could be free to Hyatt Globalist standing holders, wherein case, save your cash to cowl your breakfast on the lodge. In any other case, if you do not have breakfast included along with your keep and you are not seeking to spend over 50 {dollars} on a turkey membership sandwich and a few eggs with potatoes on the lodge, my recommendation is to go throughout the road to both Authentic Pancake Home (family-owned, no-frills pancake joint) or get pleasure from The Bellevue Chicago, a extra upscale spot for brunch the place you will nonetheless spend that fifty bucks however you will get pleasure from a boozy brunch vibe exterior.

For a meal later within the day, purpose to make the most of the ten% low cost for Luxbar that friends obtain. The eatery sits throughout the road from the Thompson, making it a handy possibility for American fare.

Following my keep, I returned to the lodge in November to eat dinner at Tavern on Rush. The vibe was an upscale trendy steakhouse.

The service was intentional, with small but memorable particulars, together with the waiter instantly asking for any dietary restrictions, employees clearing the silverware and plates between programs and a branded steak knife.

They served a style of Prosecco earlier than dinner to rejoice the opening weekend, which my eating companion described as “gentle and crispy” and “not too dry.”

For dinner, we began with thick home bacon, which our waiter extremely really useful. After consuming it, I additionally extremely advocate it. This braised smoked pork stomach with bourbon, mustard and a brown sugar glaze was a ten/10. It is also one of many extra inexpensive objects on the menu at $18.

For entrees, we cut up the Faroe Island Salmon (butternut squash purée, brown buttercream, crispy sage, wilted kale and chive oil) however switched the facet as a consequence of my dietary restrictions, so it was served with a facet of peppers as a substitute.

We additionally had the petit filet. Each the salmon and the filet tasted good on their very own however neither got here with sides, so we ordered slightly gem salad (with extra smokehouse slab bacon, tomato, gorgonzola, scallion and gorgonzola buttermilk dressing, although I substituted the cheese dressing), truffle fries and pork stomach fried rice (garlic, ginger, scallion, egg, carrot, peas and sesame). Moreover the bacon, the salad was my second favourite dish, because the lettuce tasted very crisp and chilly. It was the perfect mixture of salt, fats, warmth and acid, with the fats/salt coming from the bacon.

Should you come to Tavern on Rush, be ready to spend cash. Appetizers vary from $18 to $26, whereas entrees, together with the costlier steaks, vary from $34 to $175. Alcoholic drinks begin at $13 as much as a whopping $800 for The Macallan M Single Malt Scotch Whisky (2 ounces).

Total, I personally discovered the menu to be overpriced in comparison with different eating places within the metropolis.

The health heart gives all of the necessities for a very good exercise

On the third ground, there’s a health heart with a small free weight and cardio space, together with two Pelotons.

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Just like the rooms, the health heart was greater than anticipated and well-equipped to get your exercise accomplished, get out and get again to having fun with the town.

Alternate options to the Thompson Chicago

The Thompson Chicago is a stable selection for vacationers who need to absolutely expertise the Gold Coast for an inexpensive variety of World of Hyatt factors.

However in the event you’re in search of a special possibility, there are a number of boutique resorts close by. For instance, The Talbott Lodge (a part of Marriott’s Autograph Assortment), The Whitehall Lodge (a part of Finest Western’s BW Premier Assortment) and Sofitel Chicago Magnificent Mile (a part of Accor) are all three blocks south of the Thompson Chicago.

Additional east towards Michigan Avenue, you will discover a few of the metropolis’s oldest resorts, corresponding to The Drake (a part of Hilton), plus luxurious resorts just like the 4 Seasons Lodge Chicago and The Peninsula Chicago.

Vacationers who’re considering being nearer to Chicago tourism mainstays could desire one of many above alternate options, as they’re every on a principal thoroughfare lined with retailers, eating places and historic landmarks just like the Chicago Water Tower and the John Hancock Heart. In any other case, the Thompson’s location in Gold Coast is tough to beat.

If you’re like me and like areas with a number of gentle and contemporary air or desire a lodge that has a whole lot of character (assume the Chicago Athletic Affiliation), this won’t be your best lodge.

If you’re in search of a stable and considerably upscale possibility in a fantastic location, then the Thompson Chicago could examine the appropriate bins for you.

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