Ambassador East
| Ambassador Chicago | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Hotel chain | JdV by Hyatt |
| General information | |
| Address | 1301 North State Parkway |
| Town or city | Chicago, Illinois |
| Country | United States |
| Opened | 1926 |
| Other information | |
| Number of rooms | 285[1] |
| Number of restaurants | 1 |
| Website | |
| Webpage | |
The Ambassador Chicago, formerly known as the Ambassador East and the Public Chicago, is a hotel in Chicago.
In their heydays, the hotel and its former restaurant, The Pump Room, were well-frequented by celebrities.
Location
The hotel is located at 1301 North State Parkway in the Gold Coast area of Chicago.[2] It is located near the city's Magnificent Mile district.[3] It is near Lake Michigan, which it has views of.[3]
History
The Ambassador East opened in 1926.[3]
The hotel received many celebrities in its heydey.[3] Among the who held long-term residence in the hotel were Doris Day, Helen Hayes, Eunice Kennedy, and Lana Turner.[1]
The hotel was featured in the film North by Northwest.[4]
In late 2005, a joint venture by the Fordham Company, Harp Group, and Mid-America Development Partners purchased the hotel for $47 million.[5] Plans were made to convert the hotel into condominiums, but this never came into fruition.[6]
In April 2010, Ian Schrager purchased the 285-room hotel for $25 million.[7] This sale came during a down market.[5] Schranger renovated the hotel, and rebranded it as the "Public Chicago", reopening it as such in 2011.[1][8] Schrager intended for the hotel to be the first in a chain of hotels.[8]
The hotel was sold in 2017 to Shapack Partners and Gaw Capital for $61.5 million, which was considered an underwhelming sale price for the booming hotel market Chicago was experiencing at the time.[1] They hired Journel Hotels to run the hotel. This was Journel's first Chicago operation.[8] The hotel was rebranded under the name "Ambassador Chicago".[2][1]
In March 2020, it was announced that the hotel would be joining Hyatt's lifestyle hotel brand "Joie de Vivre Hotels", and that a "refresh" was planned, with upgrades to the hotel’s 285 rooms and suites, as well as to public spaces, such as its "The Library" lounge.[9]
Pump Room
From 1938 through 2017, the hotel was home to The Pump Room, a famed restaurant which was once heavily-frequented by celebrities.[10] The interior was originally designed by the Samuel Abraham Marx.[11] The restaurant's heyday was in the 1950s and 1960s.[7]
After the 2017 closure of The Pump Room, Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises opened a new restaurant in the space named "Booth One".[12] This restaurant closed in 2019, with the exit of Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises.[13] The hotel is now home to a restaurant named "The Food Gallery".[9]
Ambassador West (former sister hotel)
The hotel had a sister hotel, the Ambassador West, across the street.[11] In 2002, after 80 years of operation, this hotel was liquidated and turned into a condominiums.[11]
In 1958, the hotel built a new $1 million ballroom named the "Guildhall" on vacant neighboring land it had acquired. The interior was designed by Samuel Abraham Marx.[11] A pair of two extravagant parties were held to christen the new event space. The first party was attended by celebrities such as Douglas Fairbanks Jr., and featured entertainment from Carol Channing.[11]
During their 1959 visit to Chicago, Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh dined at the hotel.[11]
Like the Ambassador East, the hotel was featured in the film North by Northwest, with its marble front desk used in a scene in which Cary Grant's character is questioned by a clerk.[11]
Notes
- ^ a b c d e Shropshire, Corilyn (July 27, 2017). "Rebranding of Public hotel brings back part of famed name: Ambassador". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
- ^ a b "A Familiar Name Returns to Gold Coast Hospitality". Chicago Architecture. July 31, 2017. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
- ^ a b c d "This Reimagined Chicago Hotel Was Frequented by Frank Sinatra". The Venue Report. October 12, 2017. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
- ^ Jakovich-Lagrange, Melinda (June 21, 2018). "The Historic "Ambassadors" and Lincoln Park's Friendly Statues!". ChicagoNow. Retrieved December 29, 2021.
- ^ a b Murray, Barbra (April 12, 2010). "Hotel Impresario Ian Schrager Grabs Chicago's Landmark Ambassador East Hotel, Plans Extensive Renovations for Property". Commercial Property Executive. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
- ^ "Ian Schrager Purchases Chicago's Ambassador East Hotel". hospitalitydesign.com. April 14, 2010. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
- ^ a b "Schrager Acquires Chicago's Ambassador East". Hotel Business. April 5, 2010. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
- ^ a b c Gallun, Alby (July 26, 2017). "Ambassador, an old Chicago hotel name, is new again". chicagobusiness.com. Crain's Chicago Business. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
- ^ a b "Iconic Ambassador Chicago Joins Joie de Vivre Hotels". Hospitality Net. March 4, 2021. Retrieved December 29, 2021.
- ^ Selvam, Ashok (July 27, 2017). "Chicago's Legendary Pump Room Closes as Lettuce Entertain You Takes Over". Eater Chicago. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g Burns, Greg (July 28, 2002). "AMBASSADOR WEST". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
- ^ Selvam, Ashok (September 7, 2017). "Reborn Pump Room From Lettuce Entertain You Brings Back Rick Tramonto". Eater Chicago. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
- ^ "Chicago's Booth One, in the legendary Pump Room space, closing as Lettuce exits and hotel reconcepts".
