10 New Venues in Chicago for Summer 2024 Meetings and Events

Hyatt Regency Chicago completed a $150 million renovation in June. The property updated all 2,032 guest rooms and refreshed its Regency and Crystal ballrooms. With new, neutral color palettes, the ballrooms also have new architectural lighting, refreshed flooring, and updated wallcoverings and furniture. Additionally, the prefunction spaces have renovated bathrooms and updated art collections. The Regency Ballroom is 16,560 square feet and holds banquets for 1,000 guests, receptions and theater-style seating for 1,600 guests, or classroom-style seating for 750 guests. The Crystal Ballroom (pictured) is 9,853 square feet and can hold receptions for 1,000 guests, theater-style seating for 950, classroom-style seating for 500, or banquets for 700. In all, the sprawling property has 240,000 square feet of meeting, exhibition, and ballroom space, and more updates are on tap for the near future. Renovations on the 24,282-square-foot Grand Ballroom and some smaller meeting and event spaces are underway.

Residence Inn Chicago Downtown Magnificent Mile opened an all-suite property on Michigan Avenue in April. The hotel has 8,150 square feet of event space, which includes 10 meeting rooms. The largest space, the Lincoln ABC room, can host receptions for 230 guests or conferences for 79 guests. Smaller meeting spaces accommodate meetings with 20 to 30 guests. There are two on-site restaurants, 101 Room and 101 Patio Bar & Grill, and a rooftop bar and lounge called 101 Sky Terrace. Open seasonally from June through October, 101 Sky Terrace can hold cocktail receptions for 150 guests or seated dinners for 100 guests; it serves sushi, small plates, and craft cocktails and wine. The 289 suites have workspaces with ergonomic chairs, kitchens, and complimentary Wi-Fi access.

L7 Chicago by Lotte had its soft opening in the spring and hosted its grand opening in June. In the downtown Loop, the hotel marks the first North American property from L7 Hotels, a hotel group based in South Korea. With 191 guest rooms including 22 suites, the hotel has more than 4,100 square feet of meeting and event space. This includes the 2,700-square-foot Paris ballroom, which can hold receptions for 300 guests, classroom-style seating for 170 guests, and theater-style seating for 245 guests; the ballroom can also be divided to host smaller gatherings. At 2,130 square feet, the South Central event space can hold receptions for 150 guests, classroom-style seating for 130 guests, and theater-style seating for 200 guests. Other event spaces include the 960-square-foot Athens room, which can hold conferences for 30 guests or receptions for 40 guests. The 3R lobby, which is on the third floor outside the meeting rooms, is also available for events and can hold receptions for 50 guests. At the hotel, Korean-inspired traditions include a hot or cold hand towel for every guest at check-in. Additionally, rooms are stocked with Korean skincare, and the on-site restaurant, Perilla, is a Korean American steakhouse.

JW Marriott Chicago unveiled redesigned event spaces in May. In all, the hotel has 41,973 square feet of meeting and event space. All the event spaces have new carpeting, lighting, wallcoverings, color palettes, and operating supplies including tables, chairs, silverware, glasses, and linens. The 8,008-square-foot Grand Ballroom hosts receptions for 880 guests or theater-style seating for 912, among other setups. The 6,032-square-foot Burnham Ballroom can hold receptions for 677 guests and conferences for 300 guests, among other setups. The hotel also has 35 breakout rooms. Other features include 610 recently renovated guest rooms; the on-site Spa by JW Marriott, which has 10 treatment rooms; and an Italian American restaurant, The Florentine.

La Serre, a French Mediterranean restaurant, came to Fulton Market in March. The venue is available for buyout and can host standing receptions for 300 guests or seated functions for 200. There are two private dining rooms: The East room seats 22 guests or holds 25 for cocktails; the West room seats 22 or holds 40 for cocktails. A 2,000-square-foot patio can hold semiprivate dinners for 16 to 18 guests. The bohemian-style decor features floral-patterned booths, antique mosaic tiles, and brass chandeliers decked with living botanicals. Menu items include Dover sole, whipped potatoes, and chocolate mousse. The venue is on the second floor of a larger mixed-use building with conference rooms that can be rented in conjunction with the restaurant. Just outside La Serre's doors, the Conference Room North seats 24 guests while the Conference Room West seats eight.

La Grande Boucherie, a French restaurant, opened a River North location in February. The 10,120-square-foot venue has art nouveau-inspired decor. There’s an 82-foot pewter bar, stained-glass windows, mosaic floors, and a 100-year-old glass mural from Paris. The two-story restaurant has 381 seats and is available for buyout. A private dining room, the Champagne Room, can seat 16 guests upstairs. The Loft, which is also upstairs, can hold receptions for 200 guests; The Loft Bar holds cocktail gatherings for 25 to 40 guests. Menu items include French classics such as steak frites, onion soup, and chocolate tarts, while the bar serves French martinis and specialty cocktails with Lillet Blanc.

Maxwells Trading opened in the Kinzie Industrial Corridor in January. Situated below a rooftop farm, the restaurant uses the farm’s seasonal produce in its dishes. A sample dinner may include griddle bread with whipped ricotta, roasted carrots, and salmon or dry-aged strip steak. Known as Maxwells Upstairs, the elevator-accessible event space can accommodate 72 guests for a seated function or hold 100 for a standing reception. Features of the space include a turntable with records, a bookshelf filled with antique books that can be tailored to guests’ interests, and an adjoining patio. Other areas that can host events include the rooftop greenhouse, which holds seated dinners for 30 guests. Off the main dining room, an apothecary and design store called Third Season can host seated dinners for 12. As an added perk, the venue offers group experiences called "Immersions." The experiences range from a rooftop garden tour to tutorials on preservation and cocktail-making classes using fresh herbs.

City Winery at the Chicago Riverwalk, a wine bar and restaurant, opened a retractable glass enclosure in March. The riverside venue can hold indoor-outdoor events with seating for 150 guests; the capacity for standing receptions is 200. The enclosed outdoor space can also be rented out to hold cocktail-style receptions for 100 guests. The venue serves locally made wines and can create reception stations with everything from mini lobster rolls to chicken sliders and cheesecake bites. The retractable glass enclosure is open seasonally, rain or shine, from March through late fall.

Kindling, a restaurant on the second floor of the Willis Tower, opened a rooftop terrace in May. The alfresco space is available for buyout or semiprivate events from spring to mid-fall. One of the largest terraces in the downtown Loop, it can seat 110 guests or hold 220 for a standing reception. With decor inspired by a walk through the park, the 3,400-square-foot terrace has a bar, picnic tables and game tables, bistro lights, and leafy landscaping. The menu has a “downtown cookout” theme with items such as charcoal-toasted quesadillas, wood-fired oysters, and s’mores cake bars.

Canopy by Hilton Chicago Central Loop opened Seville, a rooftop restaurant and craft bar, in April. Serving Mediterranean fare such as sea bass and paella-style risotto, the venue has a 5,900-square-foot dining room and a 1,700-square-foot outdoor bar and lounge. The outdoor space can host receptions for 150 to 175 guests, while the main dining room can hold seated functions for 80. The restaurant also has two semiprivate spaces: Both the Madrid Room and the Malaga Room can seat 20 guests or hold receptions for 25. The private Barcelona room, which has an adjoining patio, can seat 20 guests or hold 30 for a reception. The venue can also be bought out entirely to host receptions for 325 guests.