21c Museum Hotel, Chicago

Chicago may be best known for big business, but it’s also got a rich, vibrant arts culture that spans decades. And from the social realism movement of the 1930s to the rebellious Exhibition Momentum movement of the 1950s and the playful surrealism of the Chicago Imagists in the 1960s, it’s the city’s high-culture side that’s on display at the 21c Museum Hotel Chicago.

The 21c concept is by now familiar: it’s one part luxury boutique hotel and one part expertly curated art gallery, both faithfully tailored to the location. In addition to a rotating exhibition that’s free and open to the public, the hotel offers regular cultural programming, and each guest floor showcases work by local artists. River North, the neighborhood, is conveniently central, and full of dining, nightlife, and entertainment options — you’re half a mile from the River North Gallery District, which boasts the largest concentration of art galleries in the United States outside Manhattan.

Meanwhile the guest rooms offer a reprieve from the busy streets below. All rooms feature high-end linens, original artwork, and premium Malin+Goetz bath products. Deborah Berke Partners, as always, is responsible for the architecture and design, and the look here, with its metallic tones, subtly recalls Chicago’s industrial heritage. It’s the biggest of the 21c hotels, and the first in a city anywhere near this large — safe to say that growth hasn’t hurt the brand a bit.