CHICAGO—The Gettys Group has completed the $27 million renovation of the guestrooms, suites and lobby of the Renaissance Chicago Downtown Hotel here. The design firm will shift its focus to the new third-floor ballroom and destination roof-top bar & lounge of the 560-room hotel, scheduled to be completed in spring 2016.
The Gettys Group worked closely with CEO and Director Michael Medzigian and SVP George Gudgeon of Carey Watermark Investors (CWI), the owner of the hotel, alongside the Renaissance brand’s team to ensure that the project would serve as a signal for the updated direction of the brand, according to the design firm.
“We were fortunate to work with a fantastic client that was on board with our ambitious vision for this grand hotel,” said Chris McDonough, senior design director at The Gettys Group. “Through the design and implementation process, we have created a space that not only captures the essence of this unique Chicago site, but also becomes a flagship property that serves as a road map for the future of the Renaissance brand.”
“The collaborative nature of The Gettys Group has really proven to demonstrate the value of great design to further improve our ROI on this project. The culmination of the design team’s collaborative process, which included ownership, the brand, the operating team and purchasing produced this exceptional product,” said CWI’s George Gudgeon.
The new Renaissance Chicago design vision focuses on Millennials and hotel guest’s desire to stay connected in all ways in all spaces, according to the hotel. The Gettys Group team set out to engage with locals passing through the lobby, which now encourages hotel guests and visitors to socialize. Distinct “pockets” include the VIP Club Lounge, Artist Studio, Staytion, Coffee Bar and Library. Context-inspired details, such as the “hidden” Y elements and the bar caricatures and ceiling names, draw the guest in and create a true interaction with the environment, according to the design firm.
Art played a major role in the lobby’s design, with transportation as the central theme. CTA bus-inspired windows from the early 1950s serve as a gateway into the chef’s display kitchen at Staytion; wallpaper and elevator lobby artwork illustrate the Chicago “L” map; life-size photos and sculptures feature embedded elements allowing people to become a physical part of the artwork themselves; a multidimensional mural of pencils depicting a city cab and more. Even the lobby pillars are works of art, each featuring a different part of a city train, which blend together to form one single image from certain perspectives.
The renovations to the 520 guestrooms and 40 suites accommodate the changing travel habits of Millennial business travelers, according to the design firm. The guestroom features a palette of grays and tans, with accents of deep blue and yellow. The rooms were updated with new sectional sofa lounging areas and brightly illuminated bathrooms. Each guestroom also incorporates a “discoverable moment”—a collage artwork and small sculptures that render distinct elements of Chicago. In the hotel’s suites, the team revamped the original layout to incorporate zones that accommodate various activities like lounging, working and dining. Signature features like round pool tables were added to create a more residential feel.