The Midland Hotel, Chicago

The Midland Hotel, Chicago regained its historic name in January 2025, after 24 years as W Chicago City Center. The 22-storey building at 172 West Adams Street is owned by Park Hotels & Resorts, managed by Pyramid Global Hospitality, and has 403 rooms and suites.

The place

The hotel stands at 172 West Adams Street in the Loop, close to Millennium Park, the Art Institute of Chicago and the Chicago Theatre. It is a contributing property in the West Loop-LaSalle Street Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2013.

The concept

The Italian Renaissance Revival tower was designed by architect Karl M. Vitzthum as the Midland Club, a private businessmen's club on the first six floors with offices above. Sources differ on the completion date, from 1927 to 1929. The club did not survive the Depression.

In 1938 the hotelier Philip Pekow leased the space and opened the Midland Hotel, which eventually occupied the first twelve floors. Starwood bought the building in 1996 and reopened it in 2000 as W Chicago City Center. The Midland Social Club restaurant dates from a 2018 renovation and was named in tribute to the original club.

The facade is limestone, with arched openings at street level and a bracketed cornice. The plan is U-shaped, with a light well opening to the east.

The 2025 renovation runs in two phases: first the public spaces, with a reworked lobby and restored historic features, then the 403 rooms and the meeting space.

Dining & wellness

The Midland Social Club is both bar and dining room, and the hotel also has a lobby bar and the Plateau Bar. The menu runs to burgers, salads, pasta and craft cocktails, and in-room dining offers charcuterie boards and breakfast in bed.

For events, the Great Room opens onto a patio and the WorkRoom can be set classroom style, in a U or with round tables. The hotel advertises close to 12,600 sq ft of meeting space.