Must-see hotels in The Great Lakes

  • Inn at Irwin Gardens

    Indiana

    A mighty antidote to Columbus' modernist flare, this 1864 Victorian monolith with Edwardian furnishings and Italianate gardens (inspired by Pompeii) sits…

  • Ironworks Hotel

    Indianapolis

    With design touches forged from industrial parts from an abandoned Wisconsin iron foundry, this 2017 newcomer to Indy is a boutique gamechanger. The lobby…

  • Wheelhouse Hotel

    Chicago

    A 2018 newbie, the Wheelhouse features 21 rooms in a restored greystone building not far from Wrigley Field. The smallish rooms have an earthy, urban loft…

  • Sophy Hyde Park

    Chicago

    Hyde Park got its first boutique hotel in 2018, and it's a design winner. The 98 rooms have an artsy-hip look that feels truly fresh. Each is a good size,…

  • Fieldhouse Jones

    Chicago

    This hip hotel occupies a vintage, redbrick dairy warehouse. It's great value for the Gold Coast, drawing a wide range of travelers – global backpackers,…

  • Majestic Hotel

    Chicago

    Nestled into a row of residential housing, the Majestic is walking distance to Wrigley Field and Boystown and mere steps from the lakefront. From the…

  • Acme Hotel

    Chicago

    Urban bohemians love the Acme for its indie-cool style at (usually) affordable rates. The 130 rooms mix industrial fixtures with retro lamps, mid-century…

  • Publishing House Bed & Breakfast

    Chicago

    The building was indeed a publishing house more than a century ago, and it’s now transformed so it looks like the stylish home of your coolest city friend…

  • Ace Hotel

    Chicago

    Chicago’s branch of the super-hip Ace chain rises up across the street from Google’s shiny office. Hints of Frank Lloyd Wright, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe…

  • Found Hotel Chicago

    Chicago

    Breezy Found Hotel joins the elevated hostel/casual-hotel brigade. The 60 rooms come in several configurations, including four-bed dorms with sturdy (and…

  • Shinola Hotel

    Detroit

    Shinola, Detroit’s homegrown company known for its luxury crafted watches, extended the brand to this superbly stylish hotel. The 129 earth-toned rooms…

  • Waldorf Astoria Chicago

    Chicago

    The Waldorf routinely tops the list for Chicago’s best uber-luxury hotel. It models itself on 1920s Parisian glamour and, we have to admit, it delivers it…

  • Jail Hill Inn

    Illinois

    Convicts and town drunks were locked away here until 1977, but this former jail has been lavishly converted into one of the country's best B&Bs and now…

  • Oxbow

    Wisconsin

    Partly owned by Justin Vernon, frontman for the indie/folk band Bon Iver, the Oxbow is a major marker in Eau Claire's claim as a burgeoning hipster haunt…

  • Pepin Mansion

    Indiana

    Standing supremely along New Albany's historical Mansion Row, this easy-on-the-eyes 1851 Italianate abode features ornate hand-painted ceilings, original…

  • Robinwood Inn

    Indiana

    Idyllically set in the woods just far enough outside Nashville to feel isolated, these wonderful one- and two-bedroom cabins feel like they're half a…

  • Oliver Inn

    Indiana

    This elegant salmon- and green-trimmed B&B occupies a gorgeous, Queen Anne–style home dating to 1886. Corner turrets, curved-glass bay windows, spindles…

  • Viceroy Chicago

    Chicago

    The Gold Coast's newest luxury hotel, the Viceroy has 198 rooms and suites with art deco–inspired design elements with warm woods, gold accents and luxe…

  • Charmant Hotel

    Wisconsin

    The Charmant took an 1898 candy factory and converted it into a 67-room hotel, and the result is sweet indeed. Rooms have all the modern conveniences –…

  • Ambassador

    Milwaukee

    This renovated art deco gem, on the city's western side, near Marquette University, is an affordable central option. Architecture buffs will love all of…

  • Hampton Inn Chicago Downtown/N Loop

    Chicago

    This unique property with a central location makes you feel like a road-tripper of yore. Set in the 1928 art deco Chicago Motor Club Building, the lobby…

  • Virgin Hotel

    Chicago

    Billionaire Richard Branson transformed the 27-story, art deco Dearborn Bank Building into the first outpost of his cheeky new hotel chain. The airy,…

  • Summer's Inn

    Gold Coast

    This completely renovated mid-century motel is well-located, quiet, comfortable and excellent value. Rooms are small but well-appointed, and common lounge…

  • Hotel Julian

    Chicago

    Twelve stories in a 1912 office building now comprise one of the Loop's newest mod-luxe hotels. Large rooms are elegantly decorated with a slightly…

  • Kimpton Schofield Hotel

    Cleveland

    Set in a rehabbed 1902 building downtown, the Schofield is for the cool cats in the crowd. Rooms are spacious and have funky artwork (such as prints of…

  • 21c Museum Hotel Cincinnati

    Cincinnati

    An outpost of Louisville's popular art hotel, the 21c sits next door to the Contemporary Arts Center. The modern rooms have a Nespresso machine, free wi…

  • Lora

    Minnesota

    Central boutique with bold, modern styling, like exposed stone walls, that harmonize beautifully with the mid-century inspired pastels and furnishings…

  • Old Rittenhouse Inn

    Wisconsin

    This beautiful Victorian on a high hill, with a commanding view of the water, is a worthy splurge if you're looking for lace, creaky floorboards and a…

  • St James Hotel

    Red Wing

    The landmark St James has been welcoming guests since 1875 and looks better than ever. Walk into the lobby and step back in time 100 years, when Red Wing…

  • Rembrandt and Rutabagas

    Wisconsin

    This white stucco International–style home seems oddly placed on a hilly, 200-acre farm, but there it is. The five, bright-hued rooms are decorated in…

  • Wales House

    Minneapolis

    This historic 10-bedroom B&B, in a house dating from 1910, serves as a home away from home for scholars from nearby University of Minnesota. The hosts,…

  • Cleveland Hostel

    Cleveland

    This hostel in Ohio City, steps from an RTA stop and the West Side Market, is fantastic. There are 15 rooms, a mix of dorms and private chambers. All have…

  • Hungry Hippie Farm & Hostel

    Northern Minnesota

    If you've ever dreamt of escaping and just getting away from it all, this remote farmhouse-hostel, 8 miles east of Grand Marais, is the place to indulge…

  • Hotel 340

    Minnesota

    Hotel 340 delivers old-world ambience aplenty, and it's usually a great deal to boot. The 56 rooms in the stately old building have hardwood floors and…

  • Longman & Eagle

    Chicago

    Check in at the tavern downstairs and then head to your wood-floored, vintage-stylish accommodations on the floor above. The six rooms aren't particularly…

  • White Gull Inn

    Door County

    This gleaming, white-boarded inn, a short walk from the bay and central Fish Creek, looks as if it stepped from the pages of Town & Country magazine. The…

  • Inn on Ferry Street

    Detroit

    Forty guest rooms fill a row of Victorian mansions right by the art museum. The lower-cost rooms are small but have deliciously soft bedding; the larger…

  • Stafford's Perry Hotel

    Gold Coast

    The Perry Hotel is a grand historic place. Hemingway once stayed here (in 1916 after a hiking and camping trip in the region). Count on comfy beds,…

  • Pines Motorlodge

    Gold Coast

    Retro-cool tiki lamps, pinewood furniture and communal lawn chairs add up to a fun, social ambience amid the firs in Douglas.

  • Riley's Railhouse

    Indiana

    Occupying a decommissioned 1914 freight station in Chesterton, this railway-themed boutique B&B offers a beautiful, fireplace-warmed lounge with…