Allerton Hotel Is in Tip-Top Shape
When touring Chicago’s Magnificent Mile, you can’t miss the historic and beautiful Allerton Hotel. Completed in 1924, this 25-story 360-foot (110 m) skyscraper was the first structure to be built with pronounced setbacks and towers resulting from the new municipal zoning laws.1
Across from Saks Fifth Avenue, the hotel was built by the Allerton House Company as part of a national chain of “club hotels.” It was meant to provide young single professionals with the amenities of a hotel and the social scene of a private club. Fourteen floors were reserved for men, and six for women. The men’s and women’s floors were serviced by different elevators.2 The hotel hosted social events, sports leagues, a library, and even an in-house magazine.
During the “roaring Twenties,” the Allerton Hotel’s chic social scene brought style and fashion to Michigan Avenue. This continued well into the ‘40s and ‘50s, when the posh “Tip Top Tap” resided in the building’s 23rd floor. The ritzy cocktail lounge closed its doors in 1961, but the famous sign is still displayed on this notable building.
From August 1998 through May 1999, the hotel was closed for a $60 million renovation.3 The building re-opened with a stylish and sophisticated look, making it one of the most superb places to stay in the city.
Photo credit: (c/o Flickr) FuriousGeorge1, christina.hope, Fellowship of the Rich
Allerton Hotel: 701 N Michigan Ave; 312-440-1500
Public trans: Bus # 3, X4, 10, 26, 66, 125, 143, 144, 145, 146, 147, 148, 151 or Red Line train (Chicago)
http://www.theallertonhotel.com/
http://www.tiptoptap.com/
1 Allerton Hotel. (2003). Retrieved September 29, 2008, from Chicago Landmarks Web site: http://www.cityofchicago.org/Landmarks/A/AllertonHotel.html
2 Allerton Crowne Plaza, Chicago. (n.d.). Retrieved September 29, 2008, from Emporis.com Web site: http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu?id=allertoncrowneplaza-chicago-il-usa
3 Allerton Hotel. (2008). Retrieved September 29, 2008, from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Web site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allerton_Hotel
1 Comment
The Tip Top Tap sign is such an icon on Chicago’s skyline. One I will always remember.