Newbuild Riu Plaza hotel lined up for prominent Chicago site
RIU Hotels & Resorts has snapped up a well-located plot in the heart of the Windy City with a view to creating a four-star property with a showstopping sky bar on the 26th floor.
Chicago’s vibrant hospitality scene will soon be boosted by the addition of a striking urban hotel close to the city’s Magnificent Mile.
A new landmark building
As part of its ongoing expansion efforts, Riu Hotels & Resorts has acquired a plot of land at 150 East Ontario Street in the bustling Streeterville neighbourhood, which has been earmarked for a major development. It’s envisaged that the four-star Hotel Riu Plaza Chicago will be housed within a newbuild skyscraper rising up to 28 storeys and comprising more than 350 guestrooms in total.
Construction is expected to begin in spring 2022 and take approximately two years to complete. The building will be designed according to the Chicago School architectural style developed in the city in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Luis Riu, CEO of RIU Hotels & Resorts, said: “We have been working to make this opportunity a reality for several years. It’s a dream location for any investor, right in the heart of the city.
“That’s why I’m so delighted to present this project, which has gone ahead despite numerous difficulties. Chicago is a great tourist destination that complements and enhances our range of urban hotels and strengthens RIU’s commitment to the United States, where we are about to open our fourth hotel, the Riu Plaza Manhattan Times Square.”
A growing network
The hotel will cater for both business and leisure travellers, offering a broad range of services in line with the rest of Riu Plaza’s portfolio. Its classic façade will be complemented by modern interiors and venues including a standout 26th-floor sky bar that’ll no doubt deliver impressive views across the Windy City.
Riu Hotels & Resorts will also soon open Riu Plaza Manhattan Times Square, increasing the size of the collection to nine properties. The brand currently has sites in Madrid, Panama City, Guadalajara, Berlin, Dublin, Miami, San Francisco and New York.
Moreover, the brand’s gearing up to enter the UK and Canada over the next few years. The group has acquired a building next to London’s Victoria station with plans to open a 435-key property there in 2023, while a 350-key hotel is on the horizon for Toronto.
Related Articles
Amara Hotels & Resorts to embark on brand redesign
The reimagination of these properties responds to the evolving preferences of today’s traveller. The properties will unveil their new design mid-2024, with new brand experiences to follow. Brand transformation Through its brand redesign, Amara Hotels & Resorts...
Hilton to bring Conrad Hotels & Resorts brand to Jaipur
Joining the recently signed Waldorf Astoria in Jaipur, Conrad Jaipur will become the second luxury Hilton hotel in the ‘Pink City’. The new luxury Conrad hotel is expected to open in 2027. Growth across India The 246-key Conrad Jaipur is to be developed in partnership...
IHG grows voco brand in South Korea with new Seoul signing
Following the rebranding of an existing property, the hotel will become IHG’s second voco branded hotel in South Korea, following the 2022 debut of voco Seoul Gangnam. A heightened presence Following its recent signing, voco Seoul Myeongdong is set to open by the...
Marina Bay Sands reveals details of multi-billion-dollar expansion
Inclusive of a luxury hotel tower, entertainment arena and additional MICE space, the expansion has been designed by original architects of the property, Safdie Architects. Resort expansion The expansion of this iconic resort will see the construction of a luxury...
The Hoxton brings a fresh new hotel offering to Vienna
Additional highlights of this hotel occupying a marble-clad modernist landmark building include a cocktail bar, pool, The Hoxton’s very first auditorium and a ‘French-by-way-of-New-York’ bistro. A new hotel concept for Vienna The Hoxton, Vienna is found in the...
Rebrand for Caledonian
Landmark Edinburgh hotel the Caledonian is to have a makeover, with plans including a major refurbishment, rebranding and an extension to provide more bedrooms. The plans have been announced by the hotel's owner and in-house operator, Henderson Park and Klarent...
ABOUT THE CHAIN
RIU Hotels & Resorts was founded in Mallorca, Spain in 1953 as a small summer business for the Riu family, and is currently owned by TUI and the Riu family, and run by the third generation of the family.
