20 MAGNIFICENT YEARS
When The Peninsula Chicago opened in 2001, it became the most exclusive luxury hotel in Chicago almost overnight. This year marks the 20th Anniversary of the hotel, a Five Star, Five Diamond property located on the Magnificent Mile at 108 East Superior Street in the heart of the city.
When The Peninsula Chicago opened in 2001, it became the most exclusive luxury hotel in Chicago almost overnight. This year marks the 20th Anniversary of the hotel, a Five Star, Five Diamond property located on the Magnificent Mile at 108 East Superior Street in the heart of the city.
The Peninsula Chicago is the five-star hotel that brought traditional Asian service to a city already renowned for the warmth of its hospitality. Over the past two decades the hotel has become an integral part of life in the Windy City and is considered one of the top choices for everything from dining to accommodation to celebrations and corporate events. For this, the hotel credits its strong links to both the local community and its international heritage.
“We are honoured to have been a part of the Chicago community for the last 20 years and are truly humbled by the warm embrace we have received from both travelling guests and locals alike since our opening,” says Maria Zec, Regional Vice President - USA East Coast and General Manager of The Peninsula Chicago. “It's critical, especially in Chicago, that you're a good corporate citizen. We're involved with the Chinese Chamber of Commerce because of our roots, children's charities, hospitals, the elderly, the under privileged… It' s important that we give back to our community, especially as a hotel because we're all about hospitality,” she adds.
2001 coincidentally also saw the launch of the first ever Zagat Survey of Top International Hotels, Resorts and Spas, in which The Peninsula was named the Number One Hotel in North America, news which made the front page of the Chicago Sun Times.
The hotel was then named by Travel + Leisure as the Number One Hotel in North America, and after that the awards just kept coming.
Under Zec's leadership, The Peninsula Chicago achieved the Mobil (now Forbes) Five Star and AAA Five Diamond awards within her first year as General Manager of the property, and the hotel has continued to receive these coveted awards every year since.
Never one to rest on her laurels, in 2012, Zec oversaw the renovation of the hotel's Grand Deluxe Suites and the conversion of the former Avenues restaurant into a junior ballroom. During the same year, The Peninsula also hosted various national leaders and dignitaries who were in Chicago in May for the NATO Summit. In December, the hotel installed a skating rink outside its acclaimed Chinese restaurant Shanghai Terrace, which rapidly became a popular feature in the city.
In a city renowned for its legacy of forward-thinking design and world-class architecture, The Peninsula Chicago continued this tradition with a comprehensive guest room redesign that once again set a new benchmark for luxury accommodation in the city.
2015 marked the unveiling of the first phase of the spectacular renovation, which seamlessly combines luxury, technology and sustainability to offer guests the ultimate in luxury accommodation.
Carefully and thoughtfully designed with the luxury traveller in mind, the guest rooms are the most technologically advanced in the world. Designer Bill Rooney of Bill Rooney Studio, Inc., a leading interior design firm that provides services for select hospitality and residential commissions that require one-of- a-kind solutions, was commissioned to undertake the project.
Rooney and his team, in close collaboration with Zec, conceived contemporary interiors with a cosmopolitan attitude that syncs perfectly with The Peninsula's vibrant setting in the heart of Chicago. Drawing influences from the French Deco style of the hotel's public spaces, the guest rooms are intentionally suited for both the business and leisure traveller.
The rooms are spacious, unrestrained, and offer panoramic views of the city skyline. A hand-crafted floral art element on the wall, created by David Qian, anchors each space. By combining the latest design trends with classic Chinoiserie art, Qian used authentic techniques based on 5,000 years of Chinese art history to produce wall embellishments that are hand painted.
The motif created by Qian features the official flower of Chicago since 1966 , the Chrysanthemum, which is also one of the four “noble flowers” of Asia, further solidifying the marriage of the brand's Asian heritage with a Chicago influence. The Chrysanthemum is also closely associated with the fall season, which many consider the best time of the year to visit the city.
The colour blue features prominently within the design scheme,
a nod to the waters of the mighty Lake Michigan and the Chicago River, both iconic to Chicagoans and visitors alike.
In the realm of technology, once again The Peninsula Hotels led the way, introducing its proprietary advanced guest room technology to the United States via The Peninsula Chicago.
A major sustainability milestone was the successful deployment of LED lighting in all guest rooms and suites, a first for the Group at the time, and was a major undertaking, beginning during the design phase and involving much testing and refining to achieve the ideal hue and dimming effect.
The new room product received positive feedback from guests and numerous glowing media reviews.
In 2016, two new service initiatives were introduced at the hotel – an upgrade to the next room category for web bookings and ‘Keys to the City', which provides guests with special access to Chicago's art museums, top restaurants and tourist attractions.
In the same year, the hotel's Chinese restaurant, Shanghai Terrace, was ranked ‘Best Chinese restaurant in the city' by Zagat, and overall the hotel's food and beverage venues became even more popular following the renovation.
In June 2018, The Peninsula Chicago unveiled Z Bar, with an unrivalled mix of flavours, sights and sounds from Chicago and around the globe. Two years in the making, the bar brings together captivating concepts, skilled industry leaders and expert hosting skills to present one of the city's most exciting venues which in 2019 was named by the Forbes Travel Guide in its Verified List for the year's ‘World's Best Hotel Bars'.
Z Bar is named after Zec, who as an industry influencer, is passionate about creating memorable experiences for hotel guests and patrons and her collaborative spirit brought together winning teams of chefs, mixologists and specialists in the industry.
Conceived by international design icons Yabu Pushelberg, Z
Bar is a series of lounges, each with their own personality designed to beckon patrons further inside. A study in refined textures, bold patterns and evocative artistry, the bar is a fitting backdrop for the detail-forward beverages, drinks and cultural happenings. Scenic murals, a dramatic skylight, floor-to-ceiling windows and a sculpture of one of Zec's beloved pugs combine to create a visual feast.
Lake Michigan, the John Hancock Center, and the historic Water Tower are all visible from Z Bar's perch high-above Chicago. The outdoor terrace and the private salons adjoining the exterior space offer unmatched views above Michigan Avenue while connecting guests to the bustling city below.
The cocktails at Z Bar are crafted with exceptional ingredients and inspiration, while bespoke glassware and rare garnishes aim to surprise. The drinks are imaginative, sophisticated, international and playful.
Zec's zeal for her job never wanes, and her passion is clearly evidenced through the hotel's ongoing awards. The Peninsula Chicago received numerous accolades in 2020, including: ‘No. 1 City Hotel in Chicago' in the Top 10 City Hotels in Chicago by Travel + Leisure; ‘No. 3 Top Hotel in Chicago' by Condé Nast Traveler's 2020 Readers' Choice Awards; a 2020 Five Star Rating Award by Forbes Travel Guide; a Five Diamond rating from The Automobile Association of America (AAA); and Outstanding Ballroom Wedding and a Legacy Award from Modern Luxury Weddings Chicago's Diamond Wedding Awards 2020.
This year, The Peninsula was voted ‘No. 1 Best Hotel in Chicago' and ‘No. 3 Best Hotel in the United States' by US World & News Report.
“The last two decades have seen numerous changes in the Chicago hospitality world and we have striven to consistently refine our offerings to meet current needs and stay at the forefront of luxury service for our guests,” concludes Zec. “Our goal has always been to truly delight our visitors by providing a level of service that is tailored to their individual requirements. We can only accomplish this feat through the tireless actions of our talented team members, many of whom have been with us since the beginning.”