Tag Archives: chicago

Afternoon Tea at Four Seasons Hotel Chicago (in Pictures)

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The Four Seasons Chicago is a luxury hotel located in the midst of Chicago’s upscale shopping district known as the Magnificent Mile at 900 North Michigan. Afternoon Tea is now offered only seasonally in November and December. So I would highly recommend contacting the hotel to confirm dates and times.

The images here are from my earlier visit to the Four Seasons.  Since then, menu items have almost certainly changed, but I’m sure you’ll be able to get a feel for their afternoon tea experience nonetheless.

Four Seasons Hotel in Chicago Exterior Scene

Four Seasons Hotel in Chicago (image courtesy of Four Seasons Hotel)

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Afternoon Tea at The Ritz Carlton Chicago (in Pictures)

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UPDATE: The Ritz Carlton Chicago no longer offers a daily afternoon tea. It is offered only during certain seasons of the year and is served in the Deca Restaurant on the 12th floor.  Still, I would like to take you on an image tour of the afternoon tea experience when I was at The Ritz, but please note that what you see here may not, is probably not, the same afternoon tea that is offered today.

The Ritz Carlton Chicago Hotel is located in the high-rise building known as Water Tower Place situated in an uber-prime area of Chicago – the high-end shopping district of North Michigan Avenue.  If you want to locate a hotel in Chicago, it just doesn’t get any better than this.

 

Entrance to Ritz Carlton Chicago Hotel on E. Pearson St

Entrance to Ritz Carlton Chicago Hotel on E. Pearson St

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Afternoon Tea at The Peninsula Hotel Chicago (in Pictures)

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There’s just no other way to say it, Peninsula Hotels just do it better.  I remember reading stories about the ultimate afternoon tea experience at The Peninsula Hotel in Hong Kong.  This is one of the most highly rated hotels in the world, if not the highest. And afternoon tea there was spoken about in hushed and reverent tones.

While I still haven’t made it to Hong Kong, I did manage to visit The Peninsula in Shanghai, which you can read about by clicking here.

The Peninsula Hotel in Chicago is, of course, no exception. Beyond the impressive hotel property itself,  I believe it’s the staff that helps make this hotel distinctive.  It’s old school, it’s gracious and it’s rare.

Read on for a picture tour of the Peninsula Chicago and the afternoon tea they serve in the 5th floor Lobby Lounge.

Let’s begin with the street level entrance to the hotel on East Superior Street, just steps away from Chicago’s Magnificent Mile, arguably the finest shopping neighborhood in the city.

Front entrance Peninsula Hotel Chicago on E Superior St

Entrance to Peninsula Hotel Chicago

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High Tea at The Four Seasons Hotel, Chicago

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High Tea at The Lounge in The Four Seasons, Chicago - image ©Four Seasons Hotels

High Tea at The Lounge in The Four Seasons, Chicago – image ©Four Seasons Hotels

An unusually warm December afternoon found me in Chicago at one of the city’s premier luxury hotels, The Four Seasons, just off the Magnificent Mile. The hotel is in a high rise building above an upscale retail mall called The 900 Shops.

The hotel’s entire lobby is richly decorated in fine-plush furnishings but, The Lounge – where tea is served – certainly stands out in its striking beauty and decor.  Unlike several hotel venues that serve afternoon tea in a large airy room, this space is small and intimate.  Ironically, the room was full but it was also very private and quiet. The acoustic engineers must have worked overtime on this space. The Lounge’s dark wood, plush carpeting, and fine tapestries all speak of the luxury you are about to experience taking afternoon tea at The Four Seasons Chicago. Continue reading →

Afternoon Tea at The Ritz Carlton, Chicago

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Lobby of The Ritz Carlton, Chicago (image courtesy of The Ritz Carlton)

Lobby of The Ritz Carlton, Chicago (image courtesy of The Ritz Carlton)

Afternoon Tea at The Ritz Carlton, Chicago reminds me of spending a relaxing afternoon in someone’s luxurious parlor or living room. The mood is unhurried, the atmosphere is elegant, and the overstuffed sofas and chairs just make you want to stay and never leave.  In some ways, it reminds me of The Gallery at The George V in Paris, one of my all time favorite places for afternoon tea.

Tea is served in The Ritz Carlton Hotel’s lobby located on the 12th floor of Water Tower Place in Chicago, a high rise building on The Magnificent Mile that includes retail stores on the lower floors, the Ritz Carlton Hotel on the mid floors and luxury condominiums with views of Lake Michigan on the upper floors. You’re close to the high energy of the city yet, at the same time, twelve floors above it in a soundproof oasis. (This is also where U.S. television personality Oprah Winfrey lives in Chicago.) Continue reading →

Afternoon Tea at The Peninsula Hotel, Chicago

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The Lobby (image courtesy of Peninsula Hotels)

The Lobby (image courtesy of Peninsula Hotels)

It was 2:45 pm and I had arrived early for the Afternoon Tea Service at The Peninsula Hotel in Chicago. From the moment you walk in, you sense something different, elegant. You get the feeling that if you simply think of a request, someone would appear to fulfill it without any further effort on your part. Continue reading →

Afternoon Tea at The Drake Hotel, Chicago

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Palm Court Fountain (image courtesy of Drake Hotel)

Palm Court Fountain (image courtesy of Drake Hotel)

Outside, it was warm and humid – unusual for an early autumn afternoon in Chicago.  As I arrived at the Drake Hotel and proceeded into the hotel lobby, I couldn’t help but relax after sensing the palpable calm inside.  Leaving the noise of the city behind, the interior of the Drake was a welcome oasis.

As I walked up a short flight of stairs, I could already hear faint harp music drifting through the air. “Afternoon Tea, Sir?”  “Yes,” I said, “Thank you.” I was shown to my table and immediately began to unwind.

The Drake Hotel is located on Chicago’s Magnificent Mile overlooking Lake Michigan and was built in 1920, designed in the Italian Renaissance style. Visitors to Chicago are often advised to take Afternoon Tea at the Drake as one of the not-to-be-missed things to do in the city. Past visitors to the hotel include Winston Churchill, Prince Charles and Princess Diana, Elizabeth Taylor, Judy Garland, and Frank Sinatra. Continue reading →