Smart Meetings July 2022 Digital Issue - 95

Private dinners in the dining space of the
property's coffee lounge, Aroma de Cafe, at the
80-room Drake Oak Brook, Autograph Collection
are made more appealing by its for-sale art
pieces by Salvador Dali, Takashi Murakami and
more from Martin Lawrence Galleries that line the
space. Also a work of art, the property's 46,000
sq. ft. of outdoor-indoor meeting space. Additionally,
teams can learn the art of coffee design
through its " Be a Barista " program.
A total of 339 guest rooms await in Trump
Chicago, the seventh tallest building in the
United States, at 98 stories. The property lends
itself to Chicago River views from in its 26,000
sq. ft. of space, including the grand ballroom,
located on its 16th floor, and Grand Salon, with
airy 12-foot floor-to-ceiling windows.
The property's new restaurant, Terrace 16,
serves American food from its rooftop on the
16th floor. Trump Chicago is also home to the
cocktail lounge, Rebar, and The Experiential
Tasting Lounge, a private tasting room where
Macallan whiskeys, Dom Perignon champagnes
and various wines can be explored. Pairing and
educational sessions are also available.
The Study at University of Chicago just
opened this spring as the brand's third property,
following The Study at Yale and The Study at University
City in Philadelphia. The property features
167 guest rooms and 4,700 sq. ft. of meeting
space, including its 2,200-square-foot Winter
Garden, replete in natural light.
Crowning the skyline with 452 rooms across 22
stories, is LondonHouse Chicago, Curio Collection
by Hilton, a building that originally served as
London Guarantee & Accident headquarters in 1923.
LondonHouse Chicago's 25,000 sq. ft. of meeting
space is accompanied by Chicago's only three-floor
rooftop bar, Tri Level Rooftop Bar, which runs from
the 21st to 23rd floor. The property also houses
Land & Lake Kitchen, which serves classic steak and
eggs, grilled cheese, roasted turkey sandwich and
more. Land & Lake also offers private dining.
Sinclair Ballroom at Waldorf Astoria Chicago
Fans of Chicago's famed Riverwalk and Chicago
River may want to call Sheraton Grand Chicago
Riverwalk home during their stay in the city. Right
along the Riverwalk, guests will be able to see it
during much of their stay at the property, from eating
at one of Sheraton Grand Chicago's restaurants,
like Chicago Burger Company, working up a
sweat in the fitness center or meeting in one of the
property's 43 venues in its 125,000 sq. ft. of event
space, including the 40,000-square-foot Sheraton
Chicago Ballroom, fit for 4,600 guests.
Half a mile down the way is Chicago Marriott
Downtown Magnificent Mile, which has a
lobby that was given a makeover in 2019, which
included the redesign of Reviver, the property's
lobby bar. The property's other F&B option,
Harvest Restaurant, serves local food in collaboration
with Heritage Prairie Farm, who sets aside
one acre of land to grow produce for the hotel.
The hotel also serves as a home to more than
900,000 honeybees on its rooftop garden.
Trends Coming out
of the City
For event professionals gathering large groups for
the first time meeting since the beginning of Covid,
a check-in on what has changed may be in order.
" What we're seeing are...events that are booking
30, 45 days in advance of arrival, " Marriott's Routh
said. " As we're talking with our customers, they
know they have to get to face-to-face meetings
[and] they're waiting until the last minute to make
sure there are no Covid implications. They're also
waiting to make sure they have the budget to do
it, " she added.
Going Off Site
Coming back to in-person gatherings, incorporating
off-site venue experiences to meetings is a big
one, said Sheraton Grand Chicago Riverwalk's
Director of Sales and Marketing Jordan Bakovic.
" Networking throughout the event, along with
additional breakout spaces for teams has been a
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Smart Meetings July 2022 Digital Issue

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