Printers Row Gets an "O"

By Hanna Aronovich in Arts & Entertainment on Jul 17, 2006 2:48PM

Handbag and clothing lines were just the start. Now, Nicky Hilton is getting her hands in the family business and taking the endeavor to Chicago. According to reports, Hilton is developing a hotel chain in conjunction with hospitality firm The Falor Companies and lending her name to the brand.

The condo-hotel concept will open its first location in November in Miami, with plans to open a location in Chicago, along with as many at 10 other hotels across the country. Hilton says the South Beach spot will be a party destination, while the Chicago hotel “will be a little more calm.”

The Nicky O Chicago (the “O” standing for “Olivia,” her middle name) will be a 162-room boutique hotel in the Morton Salt building at 500 S. Dearborn. The property is currently the Blake Hotel, also developed by Falor. Suites will cost between $300 and $500 a night. We haven’t heard the going rates for Nicky O condos in Chicago, but in Miami, units start at just under $500,000 with penthouses priced at more than $1 million.

From a girl who grew up at the Waldorf-Astoria, Hilton just might know what it takes to make a fabulous hotel – although we’re not sure if her penchant for pink and glitter will translate well into interior design. But, misting the entire property with perfume is a nice touch. No word yet on whether the lobby will be encrusted with Swarovski crystals.

Image via Zilbert Realty Group.