| Waldorf Astoria Chicago | |
|---|---|
 The building in 2010 | |
 | |
| Hotel chain | Waldorf Astoria |
| General information | |
| Type | Mixed |
| Location | Chicago,Illinois |
| Construction started | 2006 |
| Completed | 2010 |
| Management | Hilton Worldwide |
| Height | |
| Roof | 686 ft (209 m) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 60 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Lucien Lagrange Architects |
| Developer | Elysian Development |
| Structural engineer | Halvorson and Partners |
TheWaldorf Astoria Chicago, formerly theElysian Hotel Chicago, is aluxury hotel located at 11 East Walton Street in theGold Coast area ofChicago,Illinois.
Originally developed as The Elysian, the project was approved in June 2005; its construction took place from 2006 until 2009. The 60 story hotel was designed by Chicago architect Lucien Lagrange and was developed by David Pisor. The project consists of two main parts: a 188-room hotel and 51 condominiums above (estimated at $280 million combined). In 2009, the condominiums were valued between $2.5 and $8.5 million.[1]
The hotel opened in February 2009. In keeping with the tradition of theGold Coast neighborhood, the entrance of the project is acobblestone courtyard. Its design emulates the grand hotels of Paris in the 1920s, complete with colonnades, spires, and a motor court.
The hotel was reported to have failed to make aprofit in its first two years and in September 2011, it was announced that its owner, Jones Lang LaSalle, was looking to sell after Pisor's equity partner chose to remove itself from the hotel business, rather than developing the Elysian into a hotel brand as had been originally envisioned.[2]
By November 2011, it was announced that an investment group andHilton Hotels would be purchasing the Elysian and converting it to aWaldorf Astoria. A Waldorf Astoria had been planned as part of an international expansion in 2007, but failed to take off due to the economy in 2008. Although a sales price was not disclosed, it is believed that it was purchased for $95 million, which would put it at a per room price of $505,000.[3]
It was renamed the Waldorf Astoria Chicago on February 1, 2012, although nearly all of the hotel remained the same.[4]
In June 2015, it was reported thatSam Zell of Equity Group Investments had reached an agreement to sell the hotel for $113 million to a group led by hotel investorLaurence Geller (who previously foundedStrategic Hotels & Resorts) and including the real estate arm of Chinese manufacturerWanxiang Group.[5]
As Elysian Hotel Chicago, it was namedCondé Nast Traveler's top hotel in the United States in 2011.[3]
It ranked first in theTravel + Leisure 2012 World's Best Awards readers' survey and is a 2013TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence Award recipient.[6]
The Waldorf Astoria Chicago is located in theGold Coast, a district that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is also close toOak Street, which is known for its boutiques, high end jewelry stores, and spas, as well asState Street andRush Street. The latter is known for its night life.
Its street levelretail tenants areMarc Jacobs andSaint Laurent.
41°53′59″N87°37′39″W / 41.89972°N 87.62750°W /41.89972; -87.62750
