American beauty

RITZ-CARLTON, CHICAGO

The renovation of Chicago’s Ritz-carlton marks something of a homecoming for the landmark. Debuting as a Four Seasonsmanaged property in 1975, atop the then newly minted Water Tower Place, the hotel only became an official part of the Ritzcarlton group last year, for complicated ownership reasons. San Francisco design studio BAMO’S refurbishment is a soigné take on modern luxe, with lead designer Billy Quimby selecting soothing pastel hues for the remodelled bedrooms. Inspired by the building’s exterior architecture, he has installed rows of grey marble columns and American walnut fins in the 12th-floor lobby, where a sparkling Lasvit installation of hand-blown glass mimics Lake Michigan (the latter provides a bracing spectacle from the corner gym). The overall effect bears all the hallmarks of a Ritz-carlton, but BAMO’S principle achievement has been to channel a quiet intimacy in which Chicago’s spectacular aesthetic of water, skyscrapers and Michigan Avenue dominates at every turn. Daven Wu 160 East Pearson Street, tel: 1.312 266 1000, ritzcarlton.com. Rates: from $279