PRICE:
Frommer's Very Highly Recommended

In 2007, a $17-million renovation transformed the former House of Blues Hotel into the new Hotel Sax Chicago, a luxury property with a bohemian boutique feel. While the lobby is certainly grand -- with Italian marble floors and trompe l'oeil candelabras -- the adjoining lounge, Crimson, goes for a Middle-Eastern vibe, with exotic rugs, jewel tone colors, and floor-to-ceiling screens and mirrors. This eclectic sensibility carries over to the guest rooms, which feature wingback chairs covered in snakeskin and side tables constructed entirely of mirrored panels. Despite the eye-catching decor, one of the hotel's biggest selling points remains its location in the entertainment-packed Marina Towers complex. Within steps of the hotel, you've got a bowling alley, a marina with boat rentals, the riverside Smith & Wollensky steakhouse (an outpost of the New York restaurant), the innovative Bin 36 wine bar and restaurant, and the House of Blues music hall and restaurant (don't miss its gospel brunch on Sun).

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

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