Athletic Association Hotel, Chicago

12 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60603, USA (show on map)

Expert reviews

New York Times review:

“Gorgeously restored and imbued with a modern spirit of play, the Chicago Athletic Association captures many of the city’s most compelling attractions — architecture, history and food — under one handsome roof.”

Telegraph review:

“The Chicago Athletic Association Hotel is all dark wood, leather and retro-clubby public areas where whiskey glasses clink. It’s in the thick of downtown’s action — ace for business travelers and power sightseers. Playful touches like the Game Room keep things from getting too stuffy.”

Guest rating

This an aggregated customer review rating of Athletic Association Hotel, Chicago. We have taken customer review ratings from hotel booking sites, search engines, the official hotel website and other travel platforms. This is the average of all those ratings. We only list places that have a customer review rating of at least 4.0 out of 5.0

4.6 out of 5.0

Ranked 5th in Chicago

112£100$139¥14734C$108A$108HK$1088S$183SFr130¥882kr1146kr839kr1082

What guests liked

All you need to know

Located on 12 South Michigan Avenue in the popular Chicago Loop district, this four-star establishment provides the very best in accommodation and hospitality for tourists and travelers in the city. The hotel is located in a landmark building in the bustling Downtown area of Chicago. The hotel offers a wide range of splendor and spectacle including a high-spirited club atmosphere and a great view of the city skyline. The hotel is also located close to some of the notable buildings and famous places in the city; The Art Institute of Chicago is located 100 m away from the hotel while the world-renowned Chicago Symphony Orchestra is just 300 m away from the hotel premises.

The rooms in the hotel are elegant and stylish featuring athletic style décor and modern furniture which makes the perfect home away from home for guests in the hotel. The hotel rooms are fitted with amenities that make for a comfortable stay such as a 42-inch flat-screen TV with cable channels, free Wi-Fi, air conditioning and a minibar.

The hotel rooms also provide luxury offering such as brass fixtures, Egyptian cotton linens, vintage athletic gear and warm color that gives the perfect touch of elegance.

The hotel has a grand ballroom that features 19th century stained glass windows and a modern fitness center with state-of-the-art equipment. The business center is designed to suit all the professional needs of guests in the hotel.

The guests in the hotel can enjoy several delicious cuisines served in the on-site restaurant.

 

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Location

Recent guest reviews

5.0

John

9 October 2023

Great location to walk to many tour activities and food options.

Location for proximity to planned activities. Staff friendliness. Food and recreation options onsite. Room and hallways were quiet. View from room of Lake Michigan.

Cindy’s restaurant needs to better separate the bar area. We had a table next to the bar and had bar patrons moving between our table and another frequently and patrons placed items on our table. And it was too loud.

5.0

Joanne

2 October 2023

Exceptional

Unique accomodation showcasing its history.

5.0

John

21 September 2023

Wonderful time

Overall architecture and woodwork. Cindy's bar. Location was optimal.

Nothing

4.0

Michael

14 September 2023

An excellent stay for business travel in central Chicago.

The building is a masterpiece and well maintained. The rooms are wonderfully comfortable with good beds. The staff are excellent, very friendly and accommodating to guest's needs.

Many private events in the hotel keep significant areas of the hotel off limits to paying guests. While it's natural that private events are held in hotels, on each stay at the Athletic Association we have not been able to enjoy the Game Room in the evenings (usually about half of the time), and Cindy's was usually at least half closed. It would be nice to maintain these areas for the paying guests.

4.0

Timothy

13 September 2023

Very good

Is beautiful hotel with a great location

I honestly do not mind paying for a high-end hotel. But I do not believe the prices meet Is the quality of the rooms you receive.

4.0

John

5 September 2023

A convenient location with great services for a mid-size wedding event.

Location was great. Staff was great, very helpful. Food was very good. We came for a wedding and all facilities, services and food were excellent.

Room and furniture in the room was a bit shopworn. The shower flooded the bathroom floor. The room wifi was okay but limited the number of devices on at one time, which made it difficult to manage who could be on at one time (there were four of us sharing the room). The lobby internet was abysmal, more like dial-up.

3.5

Antonio

4 September 2023

Excellent

I love the interior decoration of the room and the vintage style the location was perfect being in the heart of downtown

I didn’t like how I wasn’t a priority at Cindy’s I was the 10mins early and forced away. When I returned 10mins later I was told by the same staff member that forced me away that they were fully booked

4.0

Zuniga

14 August 2023

Very good

Perfect location for sightseeing. Excellent view from rooftop bar

Parts of the hotel were under renovation

5.0

Sean

5 August 2023

Exceptional

Unique and historic with an exceptional staff. The breakfast was amazing and you couldn't beat the location. Was conveniently located in proximity of the red line as well.

The tv went in and out during our stay but that did not detract much for us.

4.0

John

31 July 2023

Very good

Broken phone and shade in bedroom on arrival. Staff couldn’t fix either and nothing additional was offered to make up for the inconveniences for a “suite” having these issues on check-in

4.5

Antonio

29 June 2023

It's all in the details

Every detail is considered. From the custom light fixtures to the thoughtful and hospitable doorman. I would come back anytime. Loved all the hooks in the bathroom and the custom cabinets and giant windows.

I was able to stay because of an online promotion. It was on the higher end of what my travel budget allows. But after having stayed at Palmer House -- similar budget -- I would come back again. My view wasn't great but not a deal breaker.

4.0

Carlson

9 June 2023

Not your average hotel. This funky place o responsive staff and a

Liked breakfast and LOVED the “great hall.” The wait staff was a bit inexperienced, but they were uniformly responsive and eager. The “maid” for my room was WONDERFUL.

The room was awfully small; hotel prices in Chicago are very high.

4.5

Jo

24 May 2023

Nostalgic, cozy, playful full-service hotel a walk away from Chicago's amazing, diverse offerings.

Location was exceptional. Right on Michigan Avenue and the entrance to the park. Just blocks from Lake Shore Drive and the lake front and within walking distance of great cafes, bars, food, entertainment.

The rooftop bar was closed for a private event when we got there and no one told us even though we'd been trying to make reservations there for days. The front desk however, part of the property's excellent staff, did right by us, howeveer.

4.0

Carlson

17 May 2023

I loved my stay!

I liked breakfast and its location a lot. The vegetarian quiche was especially delicious

The room was awfully small, though perfectly adequate. It was also marvelously clean!

5.0

Nathan

9 May 2023

Exceptional

access to locations, the views. the upkeep and cleanliness. the room was worth the upgrade. the game room is a plus, and lobby is such an awesome vibe.

there wasn’t anything we disliked at all.

4.5

Jenin

21 April 2023

I thoroughly enjoyed my stay and would definitely be back.

I love the interior design of the room. It's cosy yet not too small. Love that the heat works well and that room service was superb! Just a ring and they would bring what you need in a jiffy. My favourite part of the stay was the breakfast area and the games room. I had so much fun with my friends just hanging out there. It was comfortable and welcoming.

Definitely the hot water tap. It only has really cold and then really hot. Difficult to predict.

5.0

Ronald

21 April 2023

I had a short two-night visit with an old friend and this was the ideal place to stay.

Breathtaking design and excellent public spaces.

My otherwise comfortable room looked out onto rooftop ventilation ductwork just a foot away.

4.0

Etienne

14 April 2023

Over all we loved the hotel and will be back.

The room was great, although the "view" was of the hotel's interior brick walls. The location was the best we've stayed at in Chicago. The hotel facilities (bars/restaurants/game rooms) were very nice.

The AC wasn't working, and the shower glass didn't prevent water from flooding the bathroom floor.

4.5

Mary

12 April 2023

Full of character and charm this hotel offers contemporary comfort with a nod to the past

Exciting contemporary room design that pays tribute to the building's historic past as an atheletic association from a bygone era. Rooms were quiet and very comfortable. Great location near cultural sites, Millenium Park, public transit, and good restaurants.

The common areas in the hotel's lobby got crowded in the evenings and were noisy--from the photos on the website I expected a cozy quiet setting. You need advance reservations for the rooftop restaurant, we hadn't realized this and were not able to get a table. Given that the rooftop is a major selling point for staying at this hotel I was sorry that guests were not prioritized.

5.0

Delia

12 April 2023

Exceptional

it has everything you could ask for- great location, beautiful historic building, lots of food options on the premises as well as in the area and the game room! it’s a fun and exceptional place. Would definitely go back!

4.0

Maureen

10 April 2023

Neat place... Bars closed too early

Decor and comfort of the room was cool

The fact that Cindy's and ALL the hotel bars wouldn't serve us a drink before 11 pm. It said Cindy's closed at 11 pm and we couldnt get an elevator up there to toast my birthday. Which was real bummer!! :(

5.0

Melissa

7 April 2023

Amazing, historic hotel in a fun city.

It is an absolutely beautiful old building and the restaurants were amazing. The staff could not have been nicer.

Our room was decorated nicely but there was no view and it was very hot and the heat didn’t seem to be able to be turned down. In fairness to the hotel we lived with it and didn’t ask to move. If we went back I’d definitely want a room with a view.

4.0

Sophia

6 April 2023

This hotel was awesome and we will totally come back.

We had a problem with our first room not being up to a sanitary standard and the staff immediately switched our room with no issue. They were extremely willing to make this a great stay. We loved the game room and it was great to have Shake Shack, a cafe, and the roof top bar all in one!

The shower did not have a door that closed, making the floor extremely slippery/wet. A bit of a safety hazard!

4.5

Daniel

4 April 2023

Pleasant, helpful staff. Good location with tons of character

Central location, easy access by public transport, friendly and helpful staff

Nothing - it was not the fanciesst room I havfe stayed in but it was clean and had character

3.5

Harry

29 March 2023

lovely building and location.

love the location and amenities

the breakfast package turned out to be over complicated and contains hidden taxes and charges. rooms are also rather noisy certain nights due to loud music played at what I would presume are the bars in the hotel.

Hotel facilities

Food & Drink

  • - Restaurant
  • - Bar
  • - Breakfast in the room
  • - Special diet menus (on request)
  • - Coffee house on site

General

  • - Room service
  • - Non-smoking rooms
  • - Facilities for disabled guests
  • - Lift
  • - Safety deposit box
  • - Heating
  • - Allergy-free room
  • - Non-smoking throughout
  • - Air conditioning
  • - Pet bowls

Business facilities

  • - Meeting/banquet facilities (additional charge)
  • - Business centre
  • - Fax/photocopying

Reception services

  • - 24-hour front desk
  • - Express check-in/check-out
  • - Luggage storage
  • - ATM/cash machine on site
  • - Concierge service
  • - Private check-in/check-out
  • - Invoice provided

Activities

  • - Fitness centre
  • - Games room
  • - Billiards
  • - Entertainment staff
  • - Evening entertainment
  • - Fitness
  • - Bicycle rental

Outdoors

  • - Terrace

Cleaning services

  • - Laundry (additional charge)
  • - Dry cleaning (additional charge)
  • - Daily housekeeping

Miscellaneous

  • - 24-hour security
  • - Security alarm
  • - Smoke alarms
  • - Face masks for guests available
Check availability 112£100$139¥14734C$108A$108HK$1088S$183SFr130¥882kr1146kr839kr1082