I don’t go out of town for work often. But when I do, I find that while it’s a nice change of pace from the office, it’s hard on a self-proclaimed creature-of-habit homebody. My stay at the Fairmont Chicago Millennium Park for IBTM America—a global trade show connecting meeting planners and exhibitors—made my four nights away from my Minneapolis home better than home (where I don’t get coffee delivered to my room with my alarm clock).
It was easy to fall into the groove of Chicago while at the Fairmont. With a view of Lake Michigan from my window (the 687 rooms look over the lake, Grant/Millennium Park or the city skyline), I was a half-mile walk to The Loop where I took the ‘L’ (Chicago’s public transit system) to/from McCormick Place and Midway International Airport. I took advantage of the 24-hour fitness center in the morning and watched the Blackhawks play one night in the Gold Lounge, where desserts from Pastry Chef Meagan Selvig were out for the taking. I enjoyed breakfast one morning in a Grand Suite on the top floor of the hotel (the five Grand Suites each recently underwent a $1 million renovation—redesigned and decorated by Looney & Associates) while the sun was rising over Lake Michigan.
Indeed, life at the Fairmont didn’t feel like home.
While IBTM was off-site at McCormick Place, I could easily understand why Illinois Meetings + Events readers voted Fairmont a runner-up in the spring 2014 issue for Best Hotel with Meeting and Event Space (More Than 400 Guest Rooms). Not only does the hotel feature 62,000 square feet of meeting, conference and banquet space (two ballrooms and 13 additional function rooms) for anywhere from 10 to 2,000 people, but each space is sound proof as none of the rooms share a wall.
But it’s more than just amount of space and privacy. The staff proved to be passionate about customizing every group’s experience. Each night I came “home” to a different culinary amenity put together by the Fairmont team as a clever way to shed light on the areas where the hotel goes above and beyond. Here are just a few ways how:
Culinary: Fairmont recently became one of three properties in the city with a kosher kitchen supervised by The Chicago Rabbinical Council. The team also works to stay on top of food trends as well as catering to guests’ needs, from offering mini pairings (like a beer shooter with tiny savory items such as pretzel bites, pork sliders or a mini-margarita with a grilled fruit ceviche) to “poptails” (frozen cocktails served on a stick). Cocktails with a Conscience is a way to give back: add a specialty cocktail to the bar menu and $1 will be donated to a local charity.
Green: Groups can request local seasonal foods (instead of a traditional fruit tray) and hand out swag bags containing reusable coffee cups or water bottles in place of using disposable items during a meeting. Fairmont’s Eco-Meet program gives planners the opportunity to minimize their meeting or event’s ecological footprint by participating in the hotel’s green initiatives.
Wellness: Helping design the menu makes sure your group’s food is healthy and energy boosting. Fairmont can schedule private fitness classes as a way to incorporate a physical activity into the itinerary. Or groups can host a meeting or reception in the 10,000-square-foot spa (with eight treatment rooms).
Tech: On top of high-speed Internet access in all meeting rooms, audio-visual options include down links for teleconferencing, high-tech projection rooms, CCTV equipment and built-in sound and light equipment. Other A/V options include laser-based projectors that support the newest technologies while ensuring a seamless presentation (you won’t have to fear a bulb burning out) and projection mapping, which makes your PowerPoint more engaging by turning common objects of any 3D shape into interactive displays.
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Fairmont Chicago Millennium Park | 312.565.8000
