Hilton Chicago

• Location(s): Chicago, IL
• Size: 21,000 SF
• Project Includes: Architecture & Interiors

The Hilton Chicago opened in 1927 as the Stevens Hotel and at the time was the largest hotel in the world. With 3,000 rooms, a bowling alley, barber shop, Movie Theater and many other amenities it was considered a “City within a city”. Today, this landmark building continues to provide guests with the finest accommodations and services that meet the needs of contemporary lifestyles while maintaining the grandeur of classic Beaus-Arts ambiance. Hilton Worldwide commissioned Aria Group to update and expand its food and beverage venues on the ground floor and add a new entry on Michigan Avenue. The project included redesigning the hotel lounge and bar, restaurant and transforming the Buckingham Steakhouse into a multi-purpose banquet room and a grab and go store called Herb N’ Kitchen.

The design objective for the restaurant and lounge was to open the spaces to the main corridor and provide guests with an environment that portrays a classic contemporary ambiance. The Grab & Go store was challenging given the numerous obstacles of existing large columns off a grid as well as many hidden MEP conditions not found until after demolition was complete. The design maximized views to the POS stations and provided guests with easily accessible product displays and a variety of seating options.