New Navy Pier Boutique Hotel Gets Official Approval

By Emma G. Gallegos in News on Oct 27, 2017 9:00PM

Rendering of Navy Pier Hotel (Courtesy of KOO)

Construction on a new boutique hotel at Navy Pier has been officially approved to start, and we have more details about how the new hotel complex will look.

A demolition permit has been issued so that construction crews can begin to make way for the 222-room, seven-story hotel. Curbed Chicago reports that the hotel doesn't have a name yet but it is expected to be operated under the Curio Collection by Hilton brand.

KOO is designing the glassy building, which will take advantage of the hotel's location on the pier to "provide the experience of looking back at the postcard view of the Chicago skyline." Each guest room has an exterior balcony for those balmy summer months but also a window seat so that guests can enjoy the skyline for the rest of the year. It looks pretty cool:

Close-up rendering of Navy Pier Hotel (Courtesy of KOO)

The hotel will be immediately south of the Pier’s Festival Hall, and there are also plans in the works for a rooftop restaurant and bar directly east of the hall, too. In this overview, you can get a sense of how it will all be laid out. You can see the existing Grand Ballroom at the end of the pier, the new rooftop venue behind it, and the new hotel on the left side of the pier:

Overview of Navy Pier complex (Courtesy of KOO)

Navy Pier is undergoing a major overhaul called the Centennial Vision, in commemoration of 2016, its 100th year. Locals might start to like Navy Pier better, but the main goal seems to be attracting more tourists to Chicago. Other parts of the plan include a reflecting pool at the edge of the pier, a cool overlook and a new park.