Holiday Inn Chicago Mart Plaza River North

Originally built in 1977, the hotel, with its central atrium design, is an open reminder of the era's ambitious interiors. Blocky retro furniture and carpets with gold starbursts throughout the hotel serve as other reminders of the time, though the hotel has been well-maintained and continually renovated. The hotel begins on the 15th floor of the Chicago Sun-Times building, where the bright atrium rises through 10 floors of interior balconies. Many visitors are business travelers and couples, though families like the indoor pool and convenient location, too.

The hotel is on the north side of the Chicago river off Wolf Point, at the west end of the Loop. It occupies the top floors of the Chicago Sun-Times building, and is connected to the Merchandise Mart commercial behemoth by a skybridge. All of the Loop, downtown Chicago's central business district, is within a 12-minute drive, and most of it is well within walking distance via the Franklin Street bridge. The Magnificent Mile, an iconic stretch of North Michigan Avenue known for its upscale shopping and famous landmarks, is 10 blocks away. Expect at least a 30- to 50-minute drive to O'Hare International Airport, depending on traffic.

Even the standard (Premium Rooms) are large here, and except for the old air conditioners in many of them, they've been updated with contemporary furnishings typical of other downtown chain hotels. The otherwise neutral-gray decor has been spiced up by purple curtains and dramatic photography -- nighttime panoramas of the city that tie in nicely with the room's orange throw pillows. Most rooms have armchairs with ottomans and side tables, or small couches with larger coffee tables. All rooms have large work desks with roller chairs, flat-screen TVs, as well as coffeemakers, but mini-fridges are only available on request. The bathrooms have had modern makeovers with brushed aluminum sinks and shower/tub combos with new fixtures.

The Cityscape Bar, with views of the Chicago River and downtown, is a hotspot on the 15th floor that serves appetizers along with wine and cocktails. For more substantial meals, Merchant Cafe does breakfast and dinner, while Merchant Market has grab-and-go eats available all day. Echoing the main atrium, the indoor pool is in a room with a vaulted glass ceiling, letting in great natural light over the long lap pool. The attached fitness center, with stationary bikes, treadmills, elliptical trainers, free weights, and medicine balls, is open 24-hours a day. The hotel is a popular wedding and events venue -- it has 25,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, including more than a dozen separate meeting rooms and two large ballrooms. There's also a 24-hour business center with two printing stations and office extras such as tape, staplers, and paperclips on hand.