Frommer's Review
Another historic hotel that has undergone a major face-lift, the Knickerbocker looks spiffy from the lobby but still retains a shabby-chic feel on the guest floors. The epitome of Jazz Age indulgence when built in 1927, the hotel was rumored to have shady underworld connections during the Capone era. In the 1970s, Hugh Hefner turned it into the gaudy Playboy Towers and invited the leisure-suit set to a perpetual disco inferno on the hotel's famed illuminated ballroom floor. By the time the 1980s rolled around, the Knickerbocker had been through the ringer. A multimillion-dollar renovation in 2000 brought the hotel back to life, even if its past glamour has long since faded.
Despite the renovation, the Knickerbocker remains a vintage property, with rooms that don't have space for much more than a bed, desk, and chair. (The "business center," for example, is a cramped alcove off the lobby with two computers, where you're charged $5 for 15 minutes of Internet access.) But the beds are soft and comfy, and the bathrooms, tiny though they are, at least look new and clean. The Knickerbocker's real draw is its superb location, a block from the Oak Street Beach and across the street from the more-expensive Drake. One caveat: Views are often rather dismal, but you can catch a glimpse of the lake in all rooms ending in 14, and corner rooms (ending in 28) look onto Michigan Avenue. Executive-level rooms include separate sitting areas with sofa beds, larger bathrooms, and upgraded bath amenities, including robes and slippers.
Facilities:
Restaurant (American); bar; exercise room; concierge; business center; 24-hr. room service; babysitting; laundry service; dry cleaning
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without
notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before
planning your trip.
