Resort at a Glance: Biggest Loser Resort Chicago

Since 2004, tens of millions of viewers have tuned into the hit reality show The Biggest Loser to watch contestants shed pounds and revamp their eating habits during an intense weight-loss competition. This mission is shared by the Biggest Loser Resort Chicago. But instead of a high-stakes competition, the resort fosters an inclusive, supportive environment. Its team of professional trainers and nutritionists prescribe a regimen of strict exercise and nutritional education aimed at creating lasting change. The program is open to people of all fitness levels and physiques, and staff members are there every step of the way to help guests stay motivated.

• Jump-start your day with a hike through the resort’s 260-acre property.
• Daily exercise: open-gym time, fitness classes, and strength circuit training
• A supportive team environment sets the Biggest Loser program apart from other training programs.
• Healthy cuisine may include dishes such as steak-and-feta pizza and turkey chili with quinoa pasta.
• *Get pampered** with a Swedish massage, body wrap, or other spa treatment (additional fees apply: spa services, private training, and coaching not included).
• Play a round of golf on the 27-hole course (additional fees apply).
• Relax at the end of the day in your PURE allergy-friendly room.

Chicago’s Loop: Historic Commercial Center with World-Class Museums and Parks

If you want to extend your trip, Chicago is just 28 miles west of the resort. Named after the shape formed by the elevated train tracks that form its perimeter, The Loop is Chicago’s downtown and the country’s second-largest business district. Skyscrapers such as the Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower) and the art-deco Chicago Board of Trade Building loom large here. They overlook waterfront parks, a glitzy theater district, and some of the world’s finest art collections.

A must-visit is the Art Institute of Chicago, whose gargantuan collection covers everything from marble busts and sarcophagi to modern masterpieces such as Edward Hopper’s Nighthawks and Grant Wood’s American Gothic. You don’t even have to go to the museum to see outstanding art—walk around The Loop, and you’ll see outdoor sculptures from Picasso and Joan Miró. Just north of the Art Institute, Millennium Park is known for both the Frank Gehry-designed Pritzker Pavilion (which hosts free public concerts during the summer), and for the sculpture Cloud Gate, known to Chicagoans as “The Bean” for its legume-like shape.

Grant Park, known affectionately as “Chicago’s front yard,” occupies more than 300 acres along the lake just east of the Loop. Modeled after the gardens at Versailles, the park is dotted with several impressive attractions, including Buckingham Fountain, the Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium, and Adler Planetarium. Its sheer size have made Grant Park the site of many notable events, including Barack Obama’s 2008 victory speech and the Lollapalooza music festival, which takes place here every summer.

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