The Drake Hotel

Chicago, USA

Virgin rating

Deluxe Room
Palm Court
Deluxe Room
Palm Court

The hotel

The Drake Hotel is in the finest location in Chicago, situated at the very tip of the Magnificent Mile Neighbourhood, and located right in front of Oak Street Beach overlooking Lake Michigan. It hasn’t lost any of the glitz or traditions which drew in Chicago’s glitterati for its grand opening on New Year’s Eve in 1920, and in the decades which followed. It still hosts High Tea, with its delicate petit fours and fragrant teas now served in the appropriately decadent Palm Court. You can still dine (and drink) at Coq d’Or, the city’s second venue to get that all-important liquor license after Prohibition ended in 1933. A milestone on The Magnificent Mile, with direct access Lake Michigan’s Oak Street Beach, be prepared for drama, history and luxury.

Amenities

  • Bar
  • Room Service
  • Valet parking
  • Fitness Centre/Gym
  • Close to City Centre
  • Restaurant

Where is it

In a central spot at the end of The Magnificent Mile, and with direct access to Oak Street Beach on Lake Michigan, this hotel is a block from John Hancock Center, famous for its 360 CHICAGO and TILT! attractions. It’s also just a few blocks from the Museum of Contemporary Art and two of the city’s most historic landmarks: The Old Water Tower and Chicago Avenue Pumping Station. Transfer time from O'Hare International Airport: 1 hour.

Hotel information

609 rooms and suites. All with individual climate control, flatscreen HDTV with premium movie channels, WiFi access*, fridge*, marble bathroom, safe and luxury terry bathrobes. Deluxe Rooms have 1 king-size bed or 2 oversized twin beds, sleeping maximum 3 adults or 2 adults and 2 children.

Deluxe Lake View Rooms overlook Lake Michigan with 1 king-size bed or 2 oversized win beds, sleeping maximum 3 adults or 2 adults and 2 children.

Coq d’Or (piano lounge with cocktails and whiskey bar, open for lunch, dinner and late nights). Café on Oak (open for breakfast). Palm Court (open for afternoon tea and cocktails, with entertainment including live harpists and Salsa dancing). Lavazza Espression (hot drinks, sandwiches and snacks). Room service*. Fitness centre (on-site centre, and access to neighbouring full-service fitness centre*). Arcade shopping. Les Clefs d’Or Concierge. Self parking $49 plua tax, per day and valet parking $70 pus tax, per day (payable locally, subject to change).

*Denotes local charge.

Rating summary

  • Location Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Sleep Quality Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Rooms Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Service Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Value Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Cleanliness Image of the Tripadvisor rating

Traveller rating

  • Excellent (2713)
  • Very good (1374)
  • Average (616)
  • Poor (351)
  • Terrible (213)
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Holiday Tea at the Drake is a Wonderful Tradition

Dec 13, 2024 SRQsandy Sarasota

Visiting Chicago with three generations of family for the holidays meant careful selection of events for our five day trip. The granddaughters especially wanted a holiday tea and the Drake, steeped in Chicago tradition, was the top choice. Carolers and live harpist with beautiful decorations made for a beautiful setting. To our happy surprise our… Read more
Visiting Chicago with three generations of family for the holidays meant careful selection of events for our five day trip. The granddaughters especially wanted a holiday tea and the Drake, steeped in Chicago tradition, was the top choice. Carolers and live harpist with beautiful decorations made for a beautiful setting. To our happy surprise our server, Azmir, made our overall rating go from a 10 to a 15! His graciousness and good humor enhanced our experience. He really went above and beyond accommodating our special dietary needs. Read less
Image of the Tripadvisor rating The Drake is elegant

Dec 10, 2024 tt153 Naples, Florida

The Drake is a wonderful old hotel, decorated beautifully for Christmas, Eddie the bellman there 28 years is a delight. They closed the cape codder bar, that was a mistake, the current bar and restaurant are very average. Rooms are updated but some broken furniture from many years ago. The drake is convenient, it is quiet, if you like old world… Read more
The Drake is a wonderful old hotel, decorated beautifully for Christmas, Eddie the bellman there 28 years is a delight. They closed the cape codder bar, that was a mistake, the current bar and restaurant are very average. Rooms are updated but some broken furniture from many years ago. The drake is convenient, it is quiet, if you like old world char it has a lot of that. I was there for a large convention, so it was expensive, outside of peak travel, dont pay too much for this hotel Read less
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Great charm and quiet

Dec 2, 2024 John T

I had a high king lakefront view. I had a great time. Very quiet room, and no problems. I went there for a Sting concert at Roosevelt University. Probably the smartest staff of any hotel I've stayed. Great old hotel with two great old gift shops. Very clean, very old, and no problems. Lobby is beautiful, and I bought a Drake bathrobe,… Read more
I had a high king lakefront view. I had a great time. Very quiet room, and no problems. I went there for a Sting concert at Roosevelt University. Probably the smartest staff of any hotel I've stayed. Great old hotel with two great old gift shops. Very clean, very old, and no problems. Lobby is beautiful, and I bought a Drake bathrobe, glasses, coasters, etc. Better gift shop than the Fairmont in San Francisco, but Hotel wasn't filmed at the Drake. Also, Tony Bennett has a statue at the Fairmont. The Drake needs some statues, and one of huge fountains in the lobby. Great charm....great place to stay. Read less
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Lights Festival and Christmas Tea

Nov 25, 2024 MrsOchs Olney, Illinois

My friend and I surprised our pre-teen daughters with a trip to Chicago. The highlight of our trip was staying at The Drake. We were centrally located and walked everywhere. When I booked our room online I was able to pay for overnight parking in the garage about a block from The Drake. Our vehicle never moved and we never needed a ride. Upon… Read more
My friend and I surprised our pre-teen daughters with a trip to Chicago. The highlight of our trip was staying at The Drake. We were centrally located and walked everywhere. When I booked our room online I was able to pay for overnight parking in the garage about a block from The Drake. Our vehicle never moved and we never needed a ride. Upon arrival, we received the warmest welcome from Leslie from guest services. She gave the girls Santa post cards to put in the mailbox by the gingerbread house. I appreciate how she took time to answer all of my questions about the hotel throughout my entire stay. The bell services team was extremely professional, pleasant and most importantly, helpful! The Christmas tree in the entrance is gorgeous and the charming decor throughout the hotel made me feel like we were elegantly traveling back in time. Overall, I found the pace of the hotel relaxing. Our room was spacious, clean and had the best view of the beginning of the Lights Festival parade. We walked to eat at the Cheesecake Factory, shopped at the Louis Vuitton store, visited Water Tower Place multiple times, shopped at The American Girl Doll store and dined in the restaurant, attended mass at Holy Name Cathedral, took obligatory tourist pictures at Cloud Gate in Millennial Park, viewed Chicago from Tilt 360 Chicago and finished our tour of the city in our hotel at Palm Court for Christmas tea complete with jovial carolers and a beautiful harpist. Michelle at Palm Court provided excellent guest services when our group had a little mix up with our online reservation. I will forever cherish the memories I made this weekend at The Drake and highly recommend staying here if you plan to visit downtown Chicago. Read less
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Disappointing

Nov 10, 2024 Debraval

The room was beautiful with floor to ceiling windows overlooking lake shore drive ! Large spacious room . This is the reason I gave them a 4 it would of been a 2 for their utter lack of room amenities . The tv had no streaming options just on demand $$$ and bad local channels . There is no room service for breakfast I was told to scan a QR code… Read more
The room was beautiful with floor to ceiling windows overlooking lake shore drive ! Large spacious room . This is the reason I gave them a 4 it would of been a 2 for their utter lack of room amenities . The tv had no streaming options just on demand $$$ and bad local channels . There is no room service for breakfast I was told to scan a QR code and order on my phone . Very limited me u snd when I ordered they called to say they were out of it Read less