Graduate Evanston

The North Shore Chicago suburb of Evanston is home to Northwestern University, and with the renovation and restoration of the 1928-vintage Homestead Hotel, it’s now also home to an outpost of the hotel brand that has quickly become synonymous with American college towns: the Graduate Evanston.

In typical Graduate style it’s packed with local references — not just headboards in Northwestern purple, but details from Evanston’s and Chicago’s history. The rest of the rooms, by comparison, are more restrained, though they’ve got plenty of Twenties style, as well as modern comforts like Malin + Goetz bath products.

Another common thread among all Graduate hotels: The Homestead Room, a restaurant and bar that’s similarly tailored to the campus it calls home, especially the achievements of its various athletic programs — make a plan well ahead of time for Wildcats football weekends. Meanwhile, the university district’s main drag, with all its restaurants, shops, and cafés, is just to the west, while the shores of Lake Michigan lie just a block or two to the east.