Recommend March 2013 - (Page 77)

Chuck’s Manufacturing restaurant at the Hard Rock Hotel Chicago. private jam sessions After touring all night long, sometimes it’s best to take the morning easy. Sleep in, order room service, that kind of thing. Plus, at a Hard Rock Hotel, it’s the perfect time for party animals to let their inner rock star reign. Hard Rock properties now offer an incredible program: Sound of Your Stay, a recently debuted complimentary offering, available to all guests, that really blows whatever competition the brand might have had out of the water. Says Smith, it’s a “multifaceted program that offers curated downloads, guitars and lessons, DJ mixers with customized instruction, and basically anything else anyone with even a slight interest would ask for.” We’ll say it again—guests of Hard Rock properties can check out a Fender guitar or mixer. For free. “The Sound of Your Stay,” Smith continues, “currently includes three components: tracks. picks. mix.” Through tracks., guests choose a genre that they like best and can download a free playlist of 15 songs, theirs to keep forever. picks., meanwhile, allows guests to check out a Fender guitar anytime during their stay. Guests choose from a 20-piece guitar menu, call up room service, and before they know it the guitar is sitting front and center, complete with Ludacris headphones and a mini ampliﬁer so they can jam to their heart’s content. That customized instruction that Smith mentions is helpful for those who have never picked up a guitar in their lives (like us)—it’s available in-room, on demand, via the 40-inch ﬂat-screen TVs in each guestroom. Meanwhile, mix. provides guests a professional DJ mixer—the perfect complement to the 15 songs guests download through tracks., which we imagine are just waiting to be mixed together. For now, mix. is only available at this property and Hard Rock Hotel San Diego, but the program will be rolled out to select additional properties throughout 2013. red-eye? no thanks. When private jets aren’t an option for your weekend rock stars, good news: Chicago is served by two airports, O’Hare International Airport (ORD) and Midway International Airport (MDW). Chicago O’Hare offers nonstop ﬂights to about 140 domestic destinations, served by American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue, Spirit Airlines, United Airlines, U.S. Airways and Virgin America. Serving a slightly smaller range, Midway offers service to 60 nonstop domestic destinations on Delta, Frontier Airlines and Southwest Airlines. ● Archived related articles (available on recommend.com/magazine/issue-archive): Chicago: Nothing Second About This City (November 2010) contact information Choose Chicago: choosechicago.com or choosechicago.com/travel-professionals Hard Rock Hotel Chicago: (312) 345-1000; hardrockhotelchicago.com rockin’ bytes We’ve covered all of the (legal) essentials of a music-central tour through the Windy City, but a rock star’s gotta eat, too. Hard Rock Cafe—Duh. The quintessential music-themed restaurant and its Rock Shop can’t be beat. Weekends ‘til 1 a.m. Rockit Bar & Grill—Edge and ﬂair couldn’t be more apparent here, where menus are served on record sleeves and speakers pipe out favorites that everyone will want to sing along with. Even Conde Nast Traveler has recognized this restaurant as “one of the top concepts in the world.” Weekends ‘til 2 and 3 a.m. Hub 51—They do late-night, too, but Hub 51 is the couldn’t-be-more-perfect spot for brunch (no matter what time your clients drag themselves out of bed). Calling itself “a continual party,” Hub 51 promises discounts to those who show up in their pajamas, and bigger discounts if their pajamas are the same as last night’s outﬁt. Plus, they make a mean bloody mary. Weekends ‘til 2 and 3 a.m. Untitled—Previously mentioned, yes, but worth a second consideration. This speakeasy-themed restaurant offers an ambiance that just can’t be found anywhere else these days (thank goodness). Nondescript bouncer, dim lights, loud conversation and talented musicians—we adore it. Weekends ‘til 2 and 3 a.m. Chuck’s Manufacturing—Newly opened at Hard Rock Hotel Chicago, Chuck’s Manufacturing is best described as bright, busy and insanely delicious. Having a hard time deciding what to eat? Chuck’s lets you mix and match your meal. Weekends ‘til 1 a.m., with a live DJ or VJ on-hand six nights per week. march 2013 77 26-77 NA HR Chicago.indd 77 2/20/13 12:00 PM http://www.recommend.com/magazine/issue-archive http://www.choosechicago.com http://www.choosechicago.com/travel-professionals http://www.hardrockhotelchicago.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recommend March 2013

Editor's Notes/Agent Speak
Hotel Desk: Fairmont Hotels & Resorts
Tour Talk: Travel Indochina
Safaris in Southern Africa
Un-Cruise Adventures in Alaska
Alaska is Celebrating in 2013
"Hard Rock" Chicago-Style: Rock out in the Windy City
Mexico Destination Weddings & Honeymoon Planner
Girldfriends' Getaway at Eden Roc, Miami Beach
Kyushu: The Rising Sun of Japanese Destinations
The New All-Inclusives in Jamaica Claim Their Turf
RIU Punta Cana
Costa Rica: A Trio of Detours
Touring Central & Eastern Europe

Recommend March 2013