4-Star Hotel on Chicago’s Magnificent Mile with Skyline and Lake Michigan Views

Two of Chicago's most celebrated treasures are Lake Michigan and the city skyline. The guest rooms at the Avenue Crowne Plaza Hotel and Suites Magnificent Mile put both on display. To the east, Lake Michigan’s dark-blue waters stretch to the horizon, whereas the city’s iconic skyscrapers lie to the north and west. Since the hotel’s guest rooms begin on the 14th floor, each room gives you a uniquely scenic perspective of the city. Whether it's a view of the lake or skyline depends on availability, but neither disappoints. The hotel’s location right next to the Magnificent Mile means guests can walk to Michigan Avenue’s high-end stores and upscale restaurants.

In addition to the vistas, one-bedroom king suites pay tribute to the Windy City with framed photographs of the Chicago River and the corncob-shaped Marina City towers. Contemporary decor includes a tawny, leather sleeper sofa and a striped zebra chair.

In the morning, a breakfast spread (available for an additional fee) is set up in the hotel's 40th-floor Sky Lounge, where slanted windows on three sides show off the city just as it’s waking up and combing its giant, Mike Ditka-esque mustache. Options 3 and 4 with this Getaway include two entrees at the onsite Elephant & Castle restaurant, which serves classic pub fare such as fish 'n' chips and shepherd's pie alongside 26 ales on tap.

Chicago's Magnificent Mile: Upscale Boutiques and Historical Architecture

On Chicago’s Magnificent Mile, landmark skyscrapers such as the John Hancock Center and the Wrigley Building tower over the city's liveliest retail corridor. In total, the stretch of high-end real estate houses some 460 stores, ranging from exclusive designers such as Armani and Chanel to beloved brands including Apple, American Girl, and Gap. Double-decker buses and horse-drawn carriages circle the Chicago Water Tower, a limestone icon that survived the Great Chicago Fire, while droves of shoppers navigate eight levels of boutiques and cafés at the nearby Water Tower Place.

Lake Shore Drive runs two blocks east of Michigan Avenue. Travel + Leisure called this stretch “the greatest architecture road on earth” thanks to the superstar skyscrapers lined up along the lakefront. Runners, cyclists, and runaway lawn mowers travel the adjoining Lakefront Trail throughout the year.