Villa D’Citta

Located in an elegant gray-stone mansion built in the late 19th century, Villa D'Citta opened as a bed-and-breakfast in 2009 after a complete redesign by acclaimed Chicago architecture firm, Burns & Beyerl. Common spaces and rooms are richly and beautifully composed, with dark hardwood floors, heavyweight furniture, and striking modern design touches, like zebra-print area rugs and buttery white leather sectional sofas. The lobby has framed antique Italian maps and oil portraits on the walls, a black-marble fireplace flanked by two satin love seats, and a wood-columned dining table with heavy bronze candlesticks and a suspended brass chandelier. Just beyond the lobby is the large communal kitchen and breakfast room, where guests can find coffee, tea, orange juice, and lemonade throughout the day, and fresh cookies in the late afternoon. The kitchen's double-door stainless steel refrigerator is consistently stocked with meat and cheese: free make-your-own-panini supplies for guests. The free drinks and sandwiches can be enjoyed at the kitchen's large communal table, on the couch in front of the fireplace in the adjacent living room, or in the grotto-style back patio with Italian statues and brick archways (a picturesque wedding or party venue).

Lincoln Park is a residential neighborhood north of Old Town and directly west of Lake Michigan. There are dozens of restaurants, bars and boutiques in the area, but it is fairly quiet. Lincoln Park is also home to bike and jogging paths along the lake, gardens, public art, some of Chicago’s best beaches, the Lincoln Park Zoo and Conservatory (both of which are free), and the famous Oz Park. But top tourist attractions - like the Loop, Millennium Park and the Magnificent Mile - are roughly a 20- to 25-minute subway ride away. Fortunately, the hotel is two blocks from three subway lines. 

• Five-minute walk to Oz Park
• Nine-minute walk to DePaul University 
• Nine-minute walk to Apollo Theatre
• 14-minute walk to Lincoln Park and Lincoln Park Zoo
• 15-minute walk to Steppenwolf Theatre
• 20-minute walk to Old Town
• 23-minute subway ride to the Loop
• 30-minute subway ride to Millennium Park
• 25-minute subway ride to the Art Institute of Chicago
• 40-minute subway ride to Navy Pier
• 7-minute drive or 16-minute subway ride to the Wrigley Field
• 28-minute drive to O’Hare International Airport
• 32-minute drive to Midway International Airport

Villa D’Citta has six spacious, romantic, and luxurious rooms. All have fireplaces and plush furniture, but color schemes and decorative accents vary. For example, the Florencia Suite has a sleek appearance that marries Old World decor and contemporary style. It features two queen beds in heavy carved wood frames, taupe-gray walls, and black-leather club chairs and a zebra-print throw rug in front of the fireplace. Florencia also has a marble-topped wet bar and French doors overlooking the rooftop sun deck.

The two-bedroom Grand Tuscan Suite has a striking four-poster antique bed and fireplace in its main room, as well as two full beds in its second room. The bathroom feels like a small personal Roman bathhouse, with polished cream-colored tile walls, a tiered jetted tub, a multi-head steam shower, and plenty of pillar candles tucked into niches on the wall. The big soaking tub and separate steam shower are special to the Grand Tuscan Suite; all other rooms have either a shower/tub combo or a large standing shower. Note that the Euro Room and Florencia Suite share a bathroom, and all bathrooms have wall-mounted shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. Features that can be found in all rooms are 42- to 52-inch flat-screen TV with cable access and premium channels, bathrobes, slippers, duvet covers, and free Wi-Fi. 

Guests have all-day access to Villa D'Citta's communal kitchen, a large open space with stainless steel appliances, wood cabinets, an oven, a microwave, a panini-maker, a waffle-maker, and dinner sets. Guests can't cook full meals here, but they can store leftovers, grab a free snack or drink, or even prepare panini using free ingredients -- cheese, meat, and bread, as well as coffee, tea, juice, lemonade, milk, and yogurt are stocked in the kitchen throughout the day, and fresh cookies are set out in the early evening. In the mornings, they can serve their own breakfasts (cereals, Italian bread, English muffins, make-your-own waffles, and fruit are all available) or can order the daily hot breakfast dish (asparagus and sausage frittatas and breakfast pizza, stone-fired in D'Citta's own pizza oven), though note that it's not usually available until later in the morning. Adjacent to the kitchen is the family room, with a contemporary white couch, animal-print throw, flat-screen TV, fireplace, and arched French doors opening to the patio. Framed by a brick colonnade, the patio has Italian statues and a gas grill available for guest use on warm nights. A wrought-iron spiral staircase leads to the rooftop outdoor sun deck and whirlpool. There is computer in the lobby for guest use, as well as a communal work table. Wi-Fi is free throughout the property.