Modern Luxury Hotel Infused with Rock n' Roll Glamour

Just a few blocks north of the Picassos and Monets crowding the walls of the Art Institute, and about 2 miles from the cast T.Rex and global artifacts of the Field Museum, the Hard Rock Hotel Chicago displays relics of a somewhat different nature. Here, among the black-and-silver shimmer of the lobby, steps from the faux-reptilian leather enveloping the reception area, the ruby red of Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz’s Fender Squier bass guitar draws eyes toward a glass-fronted display case, where the instrument rests alongside a hooded sweatshirt Wentz wore while on tour. It’s one of three small displays of musical memorabilia on the hotel’s ground floor, emblematic of a sense of glamour and excitement evident in everything from the shiny golden surfaces of the ground-floor elevator doors to the design of the building itself, a 40-story skyscraper said to have been inspired by a champagne bottle.

Upstairs in the Platinum king rooms, views of the Magnificent Mile shopping district unfold behind the steel-colored curtains. Each room’s king-size mattress sports Egyptian cotton bedding, and two armless chairs form an in-room sitting area, where travelers can use the wireless Internet to Skype with their pets. In addition to receiving one of three pre-selected, 10-song iTunes mixes, guests can also take advantage of Hard Rock's Check In/Rock Out program, which lets guests rent electric or acoustic guitars free of charge and play the instruments through Line 6 PODs and headphones in their rooms. Streaming on every room’s 40-inch flat-screen TV is a 70-minute intermediate guitar lesson so aspiring strummers can brush up on their technique.

On the lobby level, the vintage-inspired Angels & Kings bar boasts a full cocktail menu and an intimate stage for live music performances, and the hotel's internationally inspired China Grill replenishes rockers' empty stomachs with an array of thoughtfully concocted small and large plates.

Chicago’s Loop: Nexus of Shopping, Culture, and Urban Design

The Hard Rock Hotel sits on the northeast edge of the Loop—a portion of downtown Chicago encircled by elevated train tracks and rife with high-rise office buildings and high-end shopping attractions. After crossing the Chicago River just north of the hotel, wayfarers can stroll around The Magnificent Mile, where they can shop for everything from electronics to luxury handbags to an exhaustive assortment of apparel. Nearby, the Museum of Contemporary Art lures tourists and locals alike with a panoply of artwork in media such as sculpture, video, and photography. Current exhibitions include Motor Cocktail: Sound and Movement in Art of the 1960s.

Within its sprawling metropolitan expanse, Chicago also dedicates considerable space to greenery. Millennium Park wields well-groomed lawns and striking architecture, as well as performance venues and public spaces where visitors can avail themselves of free exhibitions or concerts. From the glimmering surface of the Cloud Gate sculpture to the sweeping steel curvature of the Frank Gehry–designed Jay Pritzker Pavilion, the park offers walkers a wonderland of attractions ready to inspire awe, curiosity, and innovative new rap lyrics.