PUBLIC
Chicago, IL The posh lobby of the PUBLIC Chicago makes an immediate impression. A giant clock with a backward-moving hand ticks softly behind the front desk, bellhops dressed in vest/tie/jeans/sneakers getups move through the Art Deco–inspired doors, and Mac computers rest on a table beneath archways and rectangular columns. It’s a lively introduction to this elegant hotel. Once a hangout for Frank Sinatra and Judy Garland, the Pump Room restaurant, off the lobby, is now outfitted with leather booths and glowing earth-toned orbs that hang from the ceiling. The lighting may be dim, but the energy is high.