The Talbott Hotel

A residential building during the roaring 20s, the independently owned Talbott was converted to a hotel in 1980. Its interiors, with a liberal use of mahogany wood paneling and ornate rugs on marble floors, recall an older and more elegant Chicago. The lobby is intimate, with leather couches and seating areas around fireplaces on either side of the main hall. The bar offers specialty cocktails and sangria, and along with the restaurant, has indoor and outdoor seating.

The Talbott is in the heart of Chicago’s Gold Coast, around the corner from the bustle and nightlife on Rush Street. Well-preserved Victorian townhouses and 19th-century buildings line the tree-shaded sidewalks of this affluent neighborhood, which gets moderate tourist traffic but not huge crowds. The hotel is within walking distance of restaurants, art galleries, the John Hancock Observatory, and the Museum of Contemporary Art. It's two blocks from the Magnificent Mile, an iconic stretch of North Michigan Avenue known for its upscale shopping. It's about a 30-minute drive to O'Hare International Airport, but with traffic this trip can take up to an hour.

Large rooms are elegantly decorated with touches from a bygone era -- heavy wood furniture, equestrian artwork, brass wall sconces. The neutral, off-white and brown palate is jazzed up with lime-green fabric accents and a floral print that is almost too much for the rest of the room. High-tech features include iPod docks and Apple Mac minis with wireless keyboards to tap into the Internet or the HD channels on the 46-inch flat-screens. Free Wi-Fi goes without saying. Keurig coffeemakers and a well-stocked minibars also come standard. The bathrooms have large marble vanities, marble shower/tub combos, and Molton Brown toiletries. As part of the hotel's Green-Seal bonafides, there's in-room climate control, and guests can opt for a less-frequent housekeeping schedule.

The hotel's restaurant and bar, serves American fare, with interior and outdoor sidewalk seating. The three opulent meeting rooms have rich carpeting, dark wood paneling, and oil paintings on the walls. Wi-Fi is free throughout, but expect to pay for valet and self-parking. Dogs are welcome for a fee. There's no on-site fitness center, but guests are given free passes to a nearby Equinox fitness center and spa club. It's a five minute walk, but the facility is state-of-the-art with a junior Olympic-size pool, four fitness studios, and a full-service spa.