PRICE:
Frommer's Very Highly Recommended

The glory days of the Ambassador East, when stars including Frank Sinatra, Humphrey Bogart, and Liza Minnelli shacked up here during layovers or touring stops in Chicago, are ancient history. Though today's celebs tend to ensconce themselves at the Ritz-Carlton or Four Seasons these days, the Ambassador name still evokes images of glamour in these parts.

Although it's now more low profile than in the past, the Ambassador still retains a sense of elegance, from the large floral arrangements in the lobby to the mahogany four-poster beds in the king-size rooms. Executive suites have separate sitting areas; celebrity suites (named for the stars who've crashed in them) come with a separate bedroom, two bathrooms, a small kitchen, and a dining room. Most extravagant is the Presidential Suite, which boasts a canopied terrace, marble fireplace, oval dining room, and full-size refrigerator. One nod to modern times are the \"Get Fit\" rooms, which come with treadmills and a minibar stocked with healthy snacks.

The hotel's ritzy Pump Room restaurant, like the hotel itself, no longer attracts big names, but it remains an elegant spot for drinks and dinner.

Copyright: Excerpted from Frommer's Chicago 2008, (c) 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc.

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