Stay in the heart of Chicago on Michigan Avenue. Chicago Hotel on Michigan Avenue - Congress Plaza Hotel. VIEW OUR CURRENT SPECIALS. SIGN-UP FOR EMAIL OFFERS. Congress Plaza Hotel, a historic Chicago hotel on Michigan Avenue, was originally designed and built to accommodate visitors to the World's Columbian Exposition in 1893. Over the years, this 14-story property has catered to our nation's Presidents, foreign dignitaries, opera performers, stage and movie celebrities, business travelers, and a multitude of conventions. Located on a picturesque setting on Michigan Avenue, adjacent to Grant Park, this hotel is ideal for visitors wanting a taste of Chicago. Many guests have found the features of this Chicago hotel to be beneficial. While the layout of this property lends itself to groups arriving for a big game, the location is ideal for frequenting the Museum Campus. Business travelers will enjoy the wireless internet connection in the lobby, and shoppers will love the proximity to the stores on State Street and Michigan Avenue. Families are excited to view Buckingham Fountain, with the Lake in the background. Architecture enthusiasts will gaze in awe at the mosaic tiles on the ceiling of our Lobby. History buffs can peruse the spots where famous Presidents addressed their legions of supporters. The guestrooms and suites of the Congress Plaza Hotel are truly spacious by today's standards, and many overlook the beautiful waters of Lake Michigan. Over half of our 850-room downtown Chicago accommodations have multiple bedding, perfect for families or extra occupants. Requests for high floors, low floors, connecting rooms, or even for more closet space, can all be accommodated at our hotel. Widely known for its vast and varied Chicago meeting facilities, our hotel boasts 23 meeting and banquet rooms that can accommodate 20 to 2000 people. The Congress Plaza Hotel has over 50,000 square feet of meeting space, including an 8,300 square foot Ballroom. The famous Gold Room, one of Chicago's most beautiful ballrooms, is an architectural marvel. Our function space has been the setting for all types of events, from business meetings to weddings. For dining and entertainment, Congress Plaza Hotel features two restaurants and a lounge. The Gazebo Restaurant serves American favorites for breakfast, lunch, and dinner in a casual environment. Rafael's offers the same cuisine in a more intimate atmosphere. Tavern Tap Lounge is a great place to greet old friends and watch your favorite team on the big screen. We have room service available for the travelers that prefer to watch the big game in their guestroom. Other amenities include a gift shop, barbershop, game room, and cash machine on property. Step outside our front door, and you will notice that we are situated between downtown college campuses, with The Loop, Auditorium Theater, Art Institute, Field Museum, Adler Planetarium, Shedd Aquarium and Soldier Field all close by. McCormick Place, Navy Pier, Magnificent Mile, and River North, are within blocks. The Museum of Science and Industry, U.S. Cellular Field, Wrigley Field, and United Center are a short drive away. Whether you are visiting Chicago for the fabulous shopping, legendary restaurants and nightlife, or world-renowned cultural venues, the Congress Plaza Hotel is the ideal vantage point to start your tour of the Windy City. Congress Plaza Hotel - on Michigan Avenue by Grant Park 520 South Michigan Avenue Chicago, IL 60605 phone: 1-312-427-3800 fax: 312-427-2919 website: www.congressplazahotel.com. Local-1 union is on strike all services provided. Sign-up for exclusive offers at the historic Congress Plaza Hotel. © The Congress Plaza Hotel. Privacy and security

Transportation and Parking. Chicago O'Hare International Airport. (11 miles) are easily accessible. Directions to The Congress Plaza Hotel. From the South on the Dan Ryan Expressway - I-90/94 Exit at Congress Parkway downtown. Follow Congress Parkway to Michigan Avenue. Turn right on Michigan Avenue. The Congress Plaza Hotel is on the corner. From the North on the Kennedy Expressway - I-90/94 Follow to Congress Parkway East. Follow Congress Parkway to Michigan Avenue. Turn right on Michigan Avenue. The Congress Plaza Hotel is on the corner. From the West on the Eisenhower Expressway - I-290 Follow to Congress Parkway East to Michigan Avenue. Follow Congress Parkway to Michigan Avenue. Turn right on Michigan Avenue. The Congress Plaza Hotel is on the corner. Driving South on Lake Shore Drive - Route #41 Stay in right lane, exit at Randolph onto Michigan Avenue. Turn left on Michigan Avenue and keep straight seven blocks to corner of Congress Parkway and Michigan Avenue. The Congress Plaza Hotel is on the Southwest corner. Driving North on Lake Shore Drive - Route #41 Stay in left lane, exit at Balbo onto State Street. Turn right on State Street and keep straight to the corner of Congress Parkway and State Street. Turn right onto Congress Parkway and drive just two blocks to Michigan Avenue. The Congress Plaza Hotel is on the Southwest corner. These directions may seem overly complicated, but numerous one-way streets and limited unloading areas dictate these routes. Driving East on the Stevenson - I-55 Stay on the Stevenson to Lake Shore Drive. Exit at Balbo onto State Street. Turn right on State Street and keep straight to the corner of Congress Parkway and State Street. Turn right onto Congress Parkway and drive just two blocks to Michigan Avenue. The Congress Plaza Hotel is on the Southwest corner. These directions may seem overly complicated, but numerous one-way streets and limited unloading areas dictate these routes. Transportation Parking Information. Car parking is located directly West of the Hotel: Park One Parking OFFICIAL HOTEL PARKING has two entrances: Valet is recommended 525 South Wabash (one Way from North to South) and 63 East Congress Tel: (312) 663-0979. Overnight Parking: Valet Parking, Car: $32.00, Van: $37.00 Self Parking, Car: $27.00, Van: $32.00 Day Parking Rate: Valet Parking Car: $19.00 Van: $23.00 Self Parking Car: $16.00 Van: $19.00 (Vans and oversized vehicles at additional cost). Special rates are available for guests with tickets that are VALIDATED at the hotel Front Desk or the Bellman's Stand. BUSES Bus Parking is located at: Bus Park-Loop Auto Park 524 South Wabash Avenue Tel: (312) 922-1499. Please make arrangements before arrival if possible so your bus is assured a spot. 24-Hour Rate: $45.00. Transportation To And From O'Hare International Midway Airport Airport Express (800) 654-7871 One way from O'Hare $23.00 each way, $42.00 round trip One way from Midway $18.00 each way, $32.00 round trip Call Airport Express for group rate. Chicago Transit Authority (312) 836-7000 From OHare: Take the Blue Line to the Jackson stop and exit underground train station. Walk South 2 blocks to Congress Parkway, then 3 blocks East to the hotel. From Midway: Take the Orange Line to the Library stop and exit the elevated train platform. Walk South 1 block to Congress Parkway, then 2 blocks East to the hotel. One way to/from airport $1.75. With a transfer $2.00. Taxi Cab (312) 243-2537 or (312) 829-4222 One way to/from O'Hare $30.00-$35.00 One way to/from Midway $22.00-$28.00. View taxi fares online

Unlike many landmarks, the Congress Plaza Hotel - on Michigan Avenue by Grant Park is still very much an alive and prospering institution. We have catered to our nation's Presidents and political leaders, foreign dignitaries, opera, stage, and movie celebrities, a multitude of conventions, business travelers, and folks like you who love coming to Chicago with your families and friends for the absolute delight of it all! Enjoy our first amenities, from room service, to restaurants, to our exercise facilities. Rafael Steak - House/Hours of Operation. Congress Plaza Hotel Convention Center Facts. 850 Spacious Guest Rooms. 36 Classic Suites - Ideal for Hospitality Functions. 50,000 Square Feet of Function Space. 23 Function Rooms with Capacities of 20 to 2,000. Gazebo Restaurant - Serving a variety of American Cuisine in a casual atmosphere. Open daily from 6:30 a.m. - 10:30 p.m. The Tavern Tap Pub - Serving imported and domestic beer, wine, and specialty cocktails. Complimentary popcorn. Open Sunday through Thursday from 4:00 p.m. to midnight. Friday from 2:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m., and Saturday from 2:00 p.m. to midnight. Electronic Key Locks. Modern Exercise Facilities - Open 24 Hours. Room Service from 6:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. Complimentary Cable Television Including Showtime, CNN, and ESPN. Hair Dryers and Coffee Makers in every room. Children Under 17 Stay Free. Same Day Valet Dry Cleaning. Continental Air Transport to/from Midway Airport O'Hare International Airport, Call 1-888-284-3826 for details. Easily Accessible from Interstates 90/94, 290, and 55

The Congress Plaza Hotel in Chicago, Illinois was built in 1893, when Chicago featured cobbled streets, gaslights, and horse drawn carriages. The hotel was originally called the Auditorium Annex when it opened to house the throngs of visitors to the Worlds Columbian Exposition. Built as an annex to Louis Sullivans Auditorium Building, across the street, its facade was designed to harmonize with that of his remarkable hotel, theater, and office complex. The Auditorium Annex was built by a famous hotel developer, R.H. Southgate. The first section, or north tower, was designed by Clinton Warren, with Louis Sullivan and Dankmar Adler serving as consultants. A celebrated feature of the new hotel was an underground marble passageway called Peacock Alley, that connected the new annex with the Auditorium Hotel. Our south tower, constructed in 1902 and 1907, was designed by the renowned architectural firm of Holabird and Roche. The South Tower construction included a magnificent banquet hall, now known as the Gold Room, which would become the first hotel ballroom in America to use air-conditioning. Another ballroom, called the Florentine Room, was added to the North Tower in 1909. These two famous public rooms combined with the Elizabethan Room and the Pompeian Room to host Chicagos elite social events of the day. Over the years, various owners have updated the hotel in continuous efforts to keep pace with the modern properties. Even the name has been changed. By 1908, with over 1,000 guestrooms, the hotel had an identity of its own. In order to differentiate the hotel from its predecessor, the Auditorium Hotel, the owners renamed it the Congress Hotel (derived from its location on Congress Street, across from the celebrated Congress Plaza section of Grant Park). The next 50 years brought a succession of owners and improvement programs to the Congress Hotel. A 1916-17 guestroom enhancement project changed the lighting scheme by substituting electrical outlets and desk lamps for the hanging chandeliers. The original bathroom plumbing fixtures were replaced in a 1923-24 renovation. In the early 1930s, the former Elizabethan Room on the ground floor was transformed into a stylish night club, with a revolving bandstand. Renamed the Joseph Urban Room, it would become the 1935-36 headquarters for an NBC Radio show featuring Benny Goodman. Following the outbreak of World War II, the Government purchased the Congress Hotel and used it as a headquarters for U.S. Army officers. Then, in 1945, a group of Chicagoans purchased the hotel and reopened it to the public. Five years later, Pick Hotel Corporation purchased the property and embarked on a multi-million dollar remodeling, redecorating, and refurnishing program. The 1950-52 renovation involved the creation of a mural-encircled lobby, new front desk, new corridors, new third floor public rooms, new Congressional and Presidential Suites, and a new supper club called the Glass Hat. Another modernization program by Pick, in the early 1960s, included the construction of a new ballroom and the addition of escalators, which was a novelty for hotels at that time. Even through the hotel building boom of recent years, the Congress Hotel has retained its uniqueness by blending the old with the new. In contrast with the more modern houses, its guestrooms are larger, its ceilings are higher, its bathrooms bigger, its window expanses wider. The abundant public space, large lobby, and long corridors provide a freedom of movement not present in the more constricted area of todays hotels. Many famous people have stayed at the Congress Hotel, including several U.S. Presidents. In fact, the Congress Hotel was once known as the Home of Presidents among Chicago hotels. Presidents Grover Cleveland, William McKinley, Teddy Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, Woodrow Wilson, Warren Harding, Calvin Coolidge, and Franklin Roosevelt all rallied their partisans to discuss campaign strategies at this hotel. The Congress Hotel has played a prominent role in some of Chicagos most famous political conventions. Many famous interviews, caucuses, and deliberations were staged here. In 1912, former President Teddy Roosevelts comment to the local media coined the famous Bull Moose nickname for his newly created Progressive Party. The Congress Hotel was back in the limelight, in 1932, as the command post for President-elect Franklin Roosevelt and the Democrats. During the summer of 1952, a national television audience was given a first-hand impression of the Congress Hotel when the Republican Credentials Committee met in the Gold Room. And, in 1971, nearly 3,000 people packed the Great Hall when President Richard Nixon addressed the Midwest Chapters of the AARP and National Retired Teachers Association. Viewing the property from a historical perspective will enhance any time spent at the Congress Hotel. From famous architects to Presidential speeches, it has a colorful past. Having existed for more than a century, the hotel is considered by many to be a Landmark of Chicago Hospitality.

 Guest rooms have air conditioning
 Baby chairs and cots are provided
 Luggage storage
 Breakfast may be served in the room
 Rent-a-car service
 Central situation
 Playground for children
 Clothes dry cleaning
 Conference and meeting room
 Credit cards accepted
 Currency exchange service
 Dinner may be served in the room
 Lift
 Disabled guests are welcome
 Facsimile services
 Hairdryer
 Hairdresser's saloon
 Heating
 Access to internet
 Ironing facilities
 Kitchen
 Laundry services/washing machine
 Licensed bar
 Fully stocked mini bar
 Mixed dorms
 Smoke-free guest rooms
 Around-the-clock recetpion
 Parking lot
 Fridge
 Restaurant
 Around-the-clock room service
 Safe deposit box
 Shop on premises
 Private/Ensuite bathroom
 Tea and coffee making facilities
 Phone at reception
 Phones in rooms
 TV sets in rooms
 Patio, summer terrace