Best Chicago Hotels for Families

By Laura Tiebert

From hip boutique hotels to huge facilities for convention-goers, find the perfect Chicago hotel for your family. Take a closer look at these family-friendly options near the Magnificent Mile and other top Chicago attractions.

Photo Caption: The Peninsula Chicago offers a kid-friendly afternoon tea and a chocolate buffet that even adults will adore.

A hip hotel is using its small size -- and sense of whimsy -- to cater to kids. Hotel Burnham (www.burnhamhotel.com) keeps wee ones entertained with special offers for tea at American Girl Place Cafe and deals at the city's top museums and theaters. During the holidays, you'll find special activities in the hotel lobby, including decorating gingerbread men at Christmas and hunting for eggs at Easter. Diaper bags, cribs, highchairs, changing tables, and more are available upon request. Rooms are clubby, but even the family pet is welcome.

Photo Caption: A room at the Hotel Burnham, Chicago

This isn't an easy call. The astounding altitude offered by the Trump International Plaza Hotel and Tower (www.trumpchicagohotel.com), plus its riverside perch, make this hotel a strong new contender. Then again, The Drake (www.thedrakehotel.com) and Park Hyatt Chicago (http://parkchicago.hyatt.com) also offer a mix of lake and city views.

Photo Caption: The Drake Hotel against the backdrop of the Hancock Tower.

Travelers with kids can't help but love the attention to detail, pampering, and well-connected concierges at both the ultraluxe Ritz-Carlton Chicago (www.fourseasons.com/chicagorc) and Four Seasons Hotel Chicago (www.fourseasons.com/chicagofs). Not to be outdone, the Peninsula Chicago (www.peninsula.com/chicago) offers a kid-friendly afternoon tea and a chocolate buffet that even adults will enjoy.

Photo Caption: Children's afternoon tea at The Peninsula Chicago

With its all-tile junior Olympic-size pool, the InterContinental Chicago (www.icchicagohotel.com) is a standout when it comes to indoor swimming during Chicago's frigid winters.

Photo Caption: The pool at The InterContinental Chicago

For a bohemian boutique feel, the Sax Chicago (www.thompsonhotels.com) can't be beat, and its access to nearby House of Blues and 10pin Bowling Alley should score with teens, too. Teens might also enjoy the rock-'n'-roll attitude of the Hard Rock Hotel Chicago (www.hardrockhotelchicago.com), in the recently renovated Carbon Carbide skyscraper.

Photo Caption: The Studio at Sax Chicago, a music, gaming and web-surfing media lounge with RockBand, Guitar Hero, and Wii games, is free for guests to use.

Go for Atwood Cafe (www.atwoodcafe.com), the stylish and funky restaurant fronting State Street inside the Hotel Burnham. Amazingly, this eclectic restaurant with a grown-up sophistication welcomes kids and features a special kids' menu.

Photo Caption: Dig into corn dogs at Atwood Cafe, Hotel Burnham

It's all about the location at the family-friendly Four Points by Sheraton -- Chicago Downtown/Magnificent Mile (www.starwoodhotels.com), just one block west of Michigan Avenue. There's also a pool, where you and the kids can unwind after a busy day of touring.

Photo Caption: Four Points by Sheraton Chicago Downtown, Magnificent Mile