The Fairmont Chicago recently completed a $50 million renovation, reinvigorating the luxury hotel with a new, contemporary look. The renovation is The Rockwell Group's first hotel design project in David Rockwell's native Chicag. It includes a new lobby, a new wine, cheese, and chocolate tasting room called ENO, a new lifestyle spa concept called mySpa, and renovated and expanded guestrooms. The new look blends The Rockwell Group's signature modern elegance with the adjacent spectacular views of Chicago's famous Millennium Park, located just steps from The Fairmont Chicago.
 
In designing the new look of The Fairmont Chicago, Rockwell was guided by the concept of contemporary elegance for the space, using clean, modern lines, dark wood, neutral finishes, and pops of color. This aesthetic is epitomized by the renovated lobby, featuring white oak-clad walls and pillars, 4-ft. x 4-ft. limestone tile flooring, a two-story contemporary chandelier and an airy, open floor plan. Another standout feature of the lobby is the Sensitile flooring in front of the main desk, which continues up the wall behind the desk; this fiber optic tiling contains sensors that trigger as you walk across it, throwing a "shadow" ahead of you that causes the floor to twinkle with tiny lights.
 
The Rockwell Group also designed the slightly recessed center of the lobby which houses a brand new ENO Wine Tasting Room. The design scheme for ENO and the lobby was to encourage a social atmosphere by using an open, circular layout. Guests to the hotel now use the space as a community area and a place to spend time instead of a quick stop before retreating to their rooms after check-in. Visitors to the hotel also find the space a place to mingle and gather. ENO is enclosed by an up-lit openwork copper and glass art wall, designed by Brad Oldham, in a pattern that evokes bamboo. Decorative pillows, designed by Aviva Stanoff, are inspired by nature, and incorporate flowers, wood, and leaves into their patterns, and create comfortable sitting and lounge areas. Dramatic, 10-foot-tall temperature-controlled white oak cabinets, designed by Grotto Custom Wine Cellars, showcase and store the wines at their optimal temperatures. These curved cabinets are with a finish in a custom stain and glaze that also features waterfall display cases, radius curving, and split system cooling to ensure even temperature control throughout each cabinet. There are also display cases for gourmet cheese, locally made chocolate and champagne bottles.
 
The guestrooms, which feature furniture designed by The Rockwell Group and manufactured by Mandos Furniture, exemplify a current popular design aesthetic of modern space without extraneous details. The rooms offer a sleek, contemporary look, with furnishings in earthy shades of ivory, cream, tan and chocolate brown, accented with moss and palm colored wool throw pillows and original floral artwork by Australian photographer Warwick Orme. Marble-tiled bathrooms feature separate oversize tubs and showers with cascading rainfall-style showerheads. Each room also includes 42-in. flat screen TVs, iPod docking stations, dressing areas with large closets and full-length mirror, and high speed wireless Internet access.
 
The Fairmont Gold Lounge is a private lounge that is part of the property's Fairmont Gold program, which offers members a dedicated, private floor with discreet and attentive concierge service and private check-in and check-out area in addition to the lounge.  Rockwell outfitted the Fairmont Gold Lounge with handcrafted ceiling light fixtures made of slumped glass rocks in metal screens wrapped in abaca ropes, onyx counter tops, spacious work areas and intimate groupings of plush furniture for guests to relax and entertain. Personalized touches, such as baskets of fresh seasonal fruit, lend a warm and inviting air to the space which is further complemented by gorgeous views of the Chicago skyline and Millennium Park. The Fairmont Gold Lounge epitomizes the highest level of service and comfort, providing a dedicated staff to attend to guests' every need—whether it is dinner reservations, spa appointments or simply a place to unwind in style.  
 
The new mySpa, also designed by The Rockwell Group, features elements of land, air and water to create an oasis of calm and relaxation in a busy urban environment. From the warm and glowing reception area, complete with micro-cut mosaic stone floor which recreates the experience of a flowing river stream, to the teak-planked pathway designed to evoke the feeling of walking along a bridge, mySpa at The Fairmont Chicago incorporates nature into design spanning oceanic hues and larger-than-life photographs of tropical flowers, also by Orme.
 
As the closest hotel to Millennium Park, Rockwell Group embraces The Fairmont Chicago's location by bringing a strong connectivity between the outdoors and the interior design.  Views of the lake as well as the park provide a stunning, organic backdrop for many of the elements used throughout the property, including the floral Warwick Orme prints, which are not only employed as signature art pieces in the guest rooms but are also carried over into the spa and common spaces.  Additionally, lighting in the guest bathrooms and spa use inset lighting to echo the feeling of natural light, providing a therapeutic ambiance for guests looking to relax.
 
The Fairmont Chicago is located in the newly revitalized Lakeshore East neighborhood.