April 2024
The Langham had been on our list for a long time – in fact, since it opened in 2013 in an iconic Ludwig Mies van der Rohe tower on the Chicago River. The sleek black building in the modernist international style — the former regional headquarters of IBM — has always been a favorite of ours among the dozens of standout skyscrapers in downtown Chicago, and we were excited when we learned that part of it was converted to a hotel. But other travel plans, the pandemic, and life in general kept us away until now when we had a weekend to make a quick run to the Windy City to pick up some wine from a favorite importer.
We shouldn’t have waited so long.
The treat at the end of the tunnel
Arriving to downtown by car, we dropped into Lower Wacker Drive and traversed the bowels of the city, emerging via an exit just a few blocks from The Langham. Although we had been near the building dozens of times, this was our first opportunity to get up close and personal. After leaving our car with the valet, we walked through the ground floor sitting area – pausing to greet a portrait of van der Rohe – and then took the elevator to the second-floor lobby and reception desk.
The peacefulness and somewhat intimate feel of the first floor was replaced with a bustling and lively scene when we emerged into the soaring and light-filled space on the second floor. In addition to encountering a wedding party that had gathered for photos, we saw families heading left to what appeared to be a salon hosting high tea and another group on its way to the bar on the opposite side.
A coherent design story
The Langham Chicago is one of 17 Langham hotels in Asia, Europe, the Pacific, and North America, with more on the way. The Langham London opened in 1865 and was the largest building in London at the time and Europe’s first “grand hotel.” After World War II, it was bought by the BBC but returned to operations as a hotel in 1991 and is the namesake of the Langham Hospitality Group.
The Langham Chicago occupies the lower 13 floors of the van der Rohe tower, which was completed in 1971 and is on the National Register of Historic Places. As of now, The Langham is the only hotel in a van der Rohe building. A professed pillar of the Langham Hospitality Group is design with each hotel “manifesting a unique story through its architecture, design, and one-of-a-kind local art.” We were excited to see how the black tower, built as a corporate headquarters, would be interpreted as a hotel, and the common areas proved to be a great preface to the rest of the story. The skeleton of the building – anodized aluminum and bronze-tinted glass – featured prominently, but the modernist lines were softened and even complemented by curvy patterns in the stone floor, a playful suspended sculpture of blown glass, and plush couches and chairs. With two floors of light bouncing off all of the reflective surfaces, the lobby nearly glowed.
Anticipated refinement with a few surprises
After a friendly and efficient check-in and a promise to return soon for a drink and dinner recommendation, we stepped back in the elevator for a lift up to the tenth floor and our room. The guest room hallways were expansive yet cozy with dark wood paneling, intermittent mirrors, low lighting, and a beautiful runner rug. It felt like yet a third interpretation of the building’s spaces after the intimate ground floor sitting area and the soaring second-floor lobby.
Our room — #1015 – was beautiful. A tiled entry foyer separated the main space from the door; off to one side was the bathroom and a bit further down on the opposite side was a dressing room, closet, and vanity. A wall of floor-to-ceiling windows with expansive views of nearby skyscrapers and the river let in lots of natural light, and the classic mid-century furnishings and white upholstery and linens felt refined. We loved the piece of furniture that housed the mini-bar and coffee station; it opened up in all kinds of interesting ways and looked a little steam punk. (The Langham calls the custom-designed piece a “cellarette.”) It was a fun addition to an otherwise fairly serious room design.
We also couldn’t get enough of the magic glass that separated the soaking bathtub in the stone and tile bathroom from the bedroom. With the flip of a switch, it changed from opaque to translucent. And the dressing area and vanity was a special indulgence. One of us felt the need to do a bit of primping – even though we had nowhere fancy to go – simply to use the space.
A start but not nearly enough
Our time at the Langham went by in a flash. We managed a stop at the hotel bar for a cocktail but didn’t have time to fully explore the hotel’s amenities. The tearoom was lovely and the pool, like the lobby, was also built by removing floor slabs to allow for a view out of two floors of windows. Chicago is such a terrific city, and The Langham matches up. We’ll be back, and next time we’ll stay longer.
Stay Details
- The Langham Chicago
- 2-night stay: April 6-8, 2024
- Deluxe Premier King Room
What we did, where we ate:
- Drinks at the hotel bar – Travelle Lounge
- Dinner at Siena Tavern (tasty but a bit corporate)
- Rainy stroll through Grant Park
- Coffee and pastries at Cafe Umbria
- State Street and the Walnut Room at Macy’s (gem from a bygone era)
- Shedd Aquarium
- Dinner at Mi Tocaya Antojeria in Logan Square
- Lunch at Asti Deli near O’Hare (after picking up the wine)
- Coffee and eclipse viewing at The Bodacious Brew in Janesville, Wisconsin
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