Luxury Stays and Getaways: Park Hyatt Chicago Offers Blissful Sleep and Mindful Stays
Park Hyatt Chicago is a luxury hotel located on Chicago’s most iconic Avenue.
Sleep isn’t something anyone takes for granted these days. In our bustling world that constantly grabs focus and places high demands, people struggle to live in the moment and to set aside stresses to be able to get deep and restorative sleep.
Park Hyatt Chicago offers a solution for travelers staying in the Windy City, an oasis where guests can escape into a luxurious retreat that caters to their physical and emotional well-being.
In 2023, Park Hyatt opened two new suites updated to feature Bryte Balance beds with their state-of-the-art AI-powered mattresses—the first in Chicago hotels.
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“At Park Hyatt Chicago, we strive to provide a luxurious home away from home for discerning global travelers,” says Rike Erdbrink, General Manager, Park Hyatt Chicago. “By equipping our suites with offerings such as the Bryte Balance beds, we are excited to continue to meet the level of hospitality our guests know us for, while offering an elegant oasis in the heart of Chicago’s Gold Coast.”
But it doesn’t stop with the beds. The Park Hyatt team curated experiences and amenities to make these suites an unforgettable, restorative getaway. The restorative package includes breakfast credit (at either the restaurant or in-room dining), complimentary spirit-free cocktails, a wellbeing/mindfulness Chicago activity for two (such as tickets to Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary Art, the Chicago River Yoga Walk or the Joffrey Ballet), and a 50-minute calm mind massage at NoMI Spa for two.
My friend Cheryl and I arrived for a two-night stay over Mother’s Day weekend, leaving our kids behind for a weekend of restoration and pampering. The transformation from urban bustle to urban luxury begins immediately upon entering the lobby. Shelves of books featuring Chicago history and architecture provide a warmth that beckons you to tarry on the couches even with the luxuries of the guestrooms awaiting you.
The hotel’s interior features stunning and unique artwork throughout.
Why You’ll Love It
Park Hyatt boasts personalized service, something only made possible by the highly trained staff that consistently embodies hospitality. More than just providing good customer service, the staff are all personable, outgoing and engaging. Their personalities shine through and they rise above provided scripts to truly interact with and connect with their guests.
Much thought has gone into the details at this property and what can take an experience from conventional to delightful. They haven’t installed the latest gadgets just because they are trendy (though many of them are), but because they fit in with an overall philosophy and contribute to the goals of being able to provide comfort and individualized accommodations.
While Chicago is filled with exciting activities and things to do, Park Hyatt tempts you to never leave their environs. They provide delicious cuisine, restful rooms, a pool with a view, and a wonderful spa.
If you’re a dog lover (and you might find it hard not to be), then Park Hyatt has an extra treat for you. The hotel is home to Parker, a pug who was rescued several years ago. She had only one eye and now, at the venerable age of 15, is both blind and deaf. She slowly wanders the hotel lobby, often sleeping on one of the two luxury dog beds to either side of the front desk. She’s content to be petted and the front desk associates take her out for walks every shift. She’s become an icon of the hotel, having graced the pages of Time Magazine and appeared on “The Today Show.”
Parker the Pug is the hotel’s resident pug who can be seen around the property.
Cuisine
The comforts of the room kept us from experiencing any of the breakfast offerings, from the early morning menus to the breakfast buffet. However, we had a sublime meal at NoMI on Saturday evening.
The name of the dining outlets and the spa, NoMI, draws it’s name from Park Hyatt’s location on Northern Michigan Avenue.
Located on the 7th floor, we began our experience in the NoMI Lounge enjoying two uniquely crafted cocktails, both variations on traditional drinks. Mine was a pina colada infused with ube, a purple yam that is a staple in the Philippines and I would learn more about during the meal (see below). Cheryl’s island margarita was flavored with Jon Basil Blanco (a tequila brand created by a Black Chicago Millennial), sorel hibiscus liqueur and lime guava with a hibiscus sea salt rim.
The NoMI Lounge offers a variety of small plates and creative cocktails.
The Lounge, which connects to the restaurant, features a view of Michigan Avenue and a peek at Lake Michigan with its floor-to-ceiling windows. Buzzing with popularity the night we were there, many of the guests were dining on their signature small plates. We snacked on the spicy nuts they provided until we were escorted to our table at NoMI Kitchen.
Like the rest of the hotel, the staff puts a priority on authentic interactions with guests, connecting with them on a personable level and attentively ensuring their needs are always met. We were seated at a window seat facing the inviting vista of downtown Chicago.
NoMI’s Executive Chef Terence Zubieta carefully chooses the seasonal menu, and in May he said he had slimmed the offerings down to focus on crafted specialties that usher in the summer with lighter fare. Chef Zubieta creates modern American cuisine rooted in French techniques. He highlights local ingredients while drawing in flavors and touches reflecting his cultural and professional heritage. Originally from the Philippines, Zubieta takes dashes of the best of their cuisine and mixes it in with Western dishes.
We started the meal with the crispy Maitake mushroom appetizer, a dish made with local honey, espelette and cashew butter pickled vegetables. Decorated with bright yellow flowers, this crunchy dish was a perfect launch to the meal, exploding with rich, meaty flavor and juicy pickled zucchini. Warm, crusty rolls accompanied it and it was difficult to say which was better—the bread or the homemade butter that came with it.
One of the dishes we tried was the crispy Maitake mushroom appetizer.
If you’re wanting to splurge, NoMI offers an appetizer that has quickly become a trend in upscale Chicago restaurants: a seafood tower. We had to pass due to Cheryl’s allergies, but the $160 starter features king crab, jumbo shrimp, Prince Edward Island mussels, snow crabs, and east and west coast oysters—all paired with traditional sauces and accouterments.
NoMI is known for its sushi bar, flying in its fish from Japan and adhering to the highest standards of preparation. I sampled a salmon sushi that was exquisite in its simplicity, quality and subtly seasoned bed of rice.
The next stop in our culinary journey was a delicious salad dubbed “local greens.” It was a highly tasty dish mixed with pickled fennel, candied walnut, cauliflower, radish and lightly sprinkled with white balsamic emulsion. Light and fresh, every bite danced on the tongue and the candied walnuts added just the right degree of crispy sweetness.
Another highlight was the Local Greens salad.
We then shared the chef’s beautifully plated Wagyu NY Strip, richly prepared to perfect tenderness. It was then expertly paired with earthy king trumpet mushrooms and a roasted Brussel sprout resting in creamy pommes puree and finished with a luscious bordelaise sauce.
A dish that came highly recommended was the chef’s Wagyu NY Strip.
Executive Chef Zubieta visited our table and among other things, we discussed the ube in my cocktail. He explained that it was a popular ingredient in the Philippines because of its sweetness, starchiness and vibrant purple color. He introduced it to NoMI and its chefs and bartenders have found creative uses for it. At his recommendation, we ordered the Ube ice cream, which delighted our taste buds with its velvety texture and subtly sweet, nutty flavor.
We further indulged in the Chocolate L’Orange, a beautifully sculpted dessert that molds jivara mousse into a ball enclosing blood orange gel with malt candies and caramelized hazelnuts adorning it. It was as tasty as it was beautiful.
For dessert we enjoyed the Chocolate L’Orange, which features jovara mousse, blood orange gel, malt candies, and caramelized hazelnuts.
Insider’s Tip
Don’t hesitate to wear the Park Hyatt-provided robes and slippers as you travel from your room to the spa, pool or fitness area. You won’t be alone and it further fosters both luxury and feeling at home.
Park Hyatt is a pet-friendly hotel—and not just for its resident pug. For an extra fee, dogs 50 pounds or less are provided with accommodations designed to be as comfortable as those for their human companions. The hotel provides your canine friend with its own dog bed, water bowl and treats. Plus, the hotel is within easy walking distance to Lake Shore Park, Washington Square Park, and lakefront trails for you and your pet to enjoy outdoor time together.
NoMI Spa is a relaxing wellness haven that features a calming and minimalist environment.
Spa Treatments
While they offer facials and body treatments, massages are the signature service at NoMI Spa. They’re classified by the result they will produce in you and not just the techniques or tools used during it.
Spa Profile: NoMI Spa at Park Hyatt Chicago
The four main massages are calm mind, revive, balance, and grounded. For a full details of the NoMI Spa experience, read the spa diary here.
The spa offers an intention-driven artisanal approach to treatments with services that focus on improving guests’ overall well-being.
Accommodations
The rooms are what make any stay at the Park Hyatt blissful. Nothing about them is “standard,” with everything carefully curated to create an experience and not just a place to catch a quick snooze before heading out in the city.
All rooms come with some specialty wellbeing offerings such as motorized blackout drapes and triple pane windows that contribute to a restful night.
Spring 2023 saw the installation of two restorative suites—the Wellbeing Suite and the Mindfulness Suite—both with the Bryte Balance mattress (which I’ll come back to in a moment). The Wellbeing Suite includes an in-room TONAL digital fitness system, access to Peloton bikes by request, a freestanding, deep-soaking tub, Bulk Apothecary eucalyptus sleep oil and body butter and fresh-pressed superfood juices and nutritional bites crafted by Chef Zubieta.
We stayed in the hotel’s Mindfulness Suite which offers many unique features.
We stayed in the Mindfulness Suite, a memorable room that we didn’t want to leave. It had several features that made the room an experience:
The outdoor tranquility terrace. This is no small add-on balcony with a few plastic chairs. You could comfortably host a dozen people on this terrace that features a long table with wicker chairs, outdoor lounge chairs and couches, an end table for drinks and a round, low table. It offers a secluded, fresh-air escape.
The suite included an outdoor tranquility terrace for a secluded and relaxing escape.
The bathroom. From the walk-in shower with both a pulsating wand and a rainshower head to the deep, free-standing tub, the bathroom contributes to the restful, luxurious experience. A cup of bath salts and a bottle of bath gel accompany the tub, as does a water wand for rinsing. There is a separate stall for the high-tech bidet toilet. The lid automatically lifts when you enter and the seat is heated. A remote control installed on the wall lets you control the heat and water functions. Another subtle but wonderful touch is the motion-sensor light that activates a dim night light so you are not blinded when getting up to use the bathroom in the middle of the night. It also features a heated floor to warm your bare feet.
The bathroom featured a free-standing, sunken tub for the ultimate bath experience.
The bed. Let’s talk about the bed, shall we? Because once you stay in it, you’re going to want to talk about it. Bryte has installed several high-tech proprietary elements to their AI-powered mattresses. You’ll install an app on your phone to control the bed. Each person controls their side of the bed and can customize it to their needs. A slider lets you indicate how soft or hard you want the bed to be. Somnify is a multi-sensory relaxation experience where you can choose from a variety of themes that will pair sleep-inducing sounds with soothing motions. Throughout the night, the matrix of intelligent cushions sense and relieve pressure points to minimize waking up in the middle of the night, making real-time adjustments as you move. Cheryl warned me that she was a restless sleeper. From my side of the bed, I never felt her toss and turn. Their Silent Wake Assist lets you set an alarm that wakes you gently with silent, rhythmic motions, a method that lets each person have different wake-up times. While not a part of the mattress, the bedroom is installed with a motion sensor so that when your feet hit the floor, a dim night light illuminates the bottoms of the wall to help you find your way out without having to turn on brighter lights that will further yank you out of restfulness.
The bed features an AI-powered mattress with several high-tech proprietary elements.
The amenities. Additional amenities in the room include a fully stocked bar with a selection of wines and liquors; a mini-fridge filled with gourmet snacks; coffee-table books on Chicago art and architecture; beautiful artwork; an in-room yoga mat, ball, blocks and hand weights; and luxurious robes and slippers. Throughout our stay, we were brought various treats that are part of the mindfulness experience. Shortly after checking in, a bell attendant brought up a table of goodies that included two pitchers of fruit-infused water (one with fresh raspberries, the other with thinly cut lemons), small bottles of super-food juices, bowls of nuts and dried fruits and a platter of fresh fruit. Later we were brought mini-butter cream cupcakes with designs inspired by the hotel’s artist-in-resident. Housekeeping provided nightly turndown service and filled the ice bucket.
Shortly after we checked in, a hotel attendant brought up an assortment of healthy snacks and beverages.
We were also brought mini-butter cream cupcakes with designs inspired by the hotel’s artist-in-resident.
Often high-tech rooms are hard to figure out, but the lighting and service controls in the suite were highly intuitive. A control pad at the door let you discreetly request service or ask not to be disturbed in addition to controlling lighting in the room.
Other control pads were intelligently placed throughout the room including at both bedsides and in each of the suite’s rooms. The control pads let you set several different lighting configurations, raise and lower the drapes and shades and control the temperature.
From arrival to check-out, everything about the stay was high class and restorative.
The spacious and comfortable living room area in our suite.
For more information and to book a stay at Park Hyatt Chicago, call 312-335-1234 or visit their website. Follow them on Instagram: @parkhyattchicago
800 N. Michigan Avenue, Chicago IL 60611
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[Photos courtesy of Park Hyatt Chicago/Bridgette Redman]
Bridgette Redman, who is a second-generation journalist, fell in love with spas and travel while working as a writer and editor for 16 years at the Educational Institute of the American Hotel & Lodging Association. As a freelancer for the International SPA Association, she co-wrote two textbooks, nine workbooks and numerous case studies on spas. Her freelance career began in the 80s and she has written for publications in Michigan, Arizona, California, and Texas along with several regional and national publications. She is a committed storyteller who loves sharing narratives which improve people's quality of life and build community. Born and raised in Michigan, she currently lives in Lansing with her husband and son. See more of her writing at www.bridgetteredman.com