Chicago Travel Guide Summer 2021 Where To Stay, Places To Eat, Things to See & More
My latest trip was to Chicago, Illinois to partner with The Rose Hotel! It was a quick one, just three days two nights and I invited one of my sweet YouTube friends Sydney Nicole to tag along.
This was our first time meeting and we had an absolute blast together. I couldn’t have asked for a better travel partner and know this won’t be our last trip together! Today I’m recapping our entire trip to Chi-town from the stay to the food to everything we did. We weren’t able to hit everything on our list due to it being such a short trip + some inclement weather but I’d love for you to leave your own recommendations in the comments below for my viewers (and myself) to add to their itinerary!
WHERE WE STAYED
This quick trip was sponsored by The Rose Hotel– an adorable boutique hotel located less than a mile from the Chicago Ohare airport. Although this property is known for hosting different conferences and business meetings, it was the perfect place for our short stay in Chicago.
The first floor of this hotel is so inviting with a cool color palette and fun patterns scattered throughout. There’s a different vibe with every turning corner, electric decor yet a sophisticated design make the ultimate combo. I love hotels that have different nooks for working + couches to sit and lounge in.
They also have their own restaurant and lounge along the first floor, Thorn Cafe. It was so delicious but we’ll touch on that later. They serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner with Starbucks coffee all day long.
They also have some amenities worth noting: a complimentary shuttle to and from the airport/local spots within a 2-mile radius, complimentary luggage storage, and a huge fully equipped gym.
Now onto the room itself. We stayed in a beautiful room on the fifth floor with two queen beds. I have to admit they were incredibly comfy. There was adorable decor throughout and enough space to spread out our zillion outfits!
The bathroom was also very spacious with a large shower and lots of counter space. These sliding barn doors in the bathroom are so fun and are becoming more and more common in hotels these days. I like them because they help circulate the air!
We were greeted by room service delivering the most amazing spread of macaroons (the raspberry was my favorite) and fresh, cozy robes for us to spend the evening in. The property was quiet and our stay seamless—although I’m not sure when I’ll be back to Chicago, I would definitely stay here again.
It’s important to point out this hotel is not in The actual city- it’s in Rosemont which is about a 20 minute Uber from downtown! However, Syd and I really enjoyed being away from all the hustle and bustle and felt extremely safe in this area. Don’t worry there’s still plenty to do here—with a baseball field, outlet mall, and a few restaurants in the area we were able to spend a full day just in the area.
If you’re interested in booking a stay at The Rose Hotel click here to browse room and availability.
WHAT TO PACK
As per usual, I also shared a full outfit guide to accompany this trip. Click here for ten outfit ideas to wear on your next trip to Chicago! In the meantime, here are a few key pieces to pack when visiting Windy City!
- Layers: It’s not called Windy City for nothing. Even in the dead of summer, this is definitely a place you’ll want a cardigan at night. I found myself wearing either jeans and a tank or long sleeves and shorts most of the time!
- Comfy shoes: Chicago is a lot of walking. Like a lot more compared to my last few trips. You absolutely need to bring a pair of good walking shoes. I went with the Zina sneakers from Dolce Vita. I like these because they aren’t too chunky and can be worn with jeans or dresses. Super versatile and come in tons of colorways.
- A crossbody purse: Chicago’s known not to be the safest of cities (at least in some areas) and similar to visiting NYC it’s definitely a place you’re going to want a crossbody purse rather than a tote. I felt much better having all of my belongings attached to my hip (literally), plus it kept the weight off of my shoulder.
- A mask: Things aren’t fully open in Chicago, even for the vaccinated so you’re going to want to pack a mask. Airports and Uber’s still require them as did a few other spots.
WHERE WE ATE
We weren’t in Chicago long enough to hit up all of your recommendations but we did take a few! Here’s the verdict…
Like I said The Rose has its own restaurant in it and man did we eat good here! We got a few comped meals so we took full advantage.
For dinner, we tried the shrimp tacos which weren’t my fav, and the Mediterranean cheese board that was amazing 10/10 recommend. I got the Rose burger and french fries as my main course and we finished it off with a blueberry creme brule that was so unique! Delicious meal, awesome service, and I loved the intimate atmosphere.
For breakfast, we both got the bacon, egg, and cheese on sourdough and shared the most amazing chocolate chip pancakes. 10/10 would recommend and eat here again. I definitely loved this meal over dinner. We also got sandwiches before heading to the airport and the chicken pesto panini was arguably one of the best I’ve ever had. I’m still thinking about it tbh…
On our first day, we enjoyed brunch at Yolk, a popular spot in Chicago with several locations. I got their scrambler with eggs, cheddar cheese, chorizo, guac, salsa, sour cream, and potatoes. It came with a side of pancakes and the portion of food was insane for the price. This was so yummy- I’d come back here in a heartbeat. Syd got their cinnamon roll french toast and rated it a ten!
Everyone and this mother (literally) recommended this place for dinner. It’s true authentic Italian with delicious pizza! Although this wasn’t like most deep dishes, it had a pie-like crust that was interesting. It was much better than the pizza I could get at home but definitely not as good as I expected it to be.
This was hands down one of the weirdest places I’ve ever been. With LED lights, strange decor, and cool pop-ups Jo Jos is truly a sight. It’s a really cool atmosphere and the shakes are gigantic. It’s a sugar overload and you definitely, and I mean definitely, don’t need your own. I got the chocolate nirvana and it was delicious. I’m not a huge fan of the marshmallow and donut on top but it was still a fun, sweet treat!
There are so many other places I wanted to go and eat but sadly our trip wasn’t long enough. I’m dying to try one of their hotdogs though, lol!
THINGS WE DID
There’s a lot to see in Chicago! However, because our stay was so short we didn’t have a crazy busy itinerary. I so wish we could have gone to the tower to get a photo in the glass elevator but unfortunately, we couldn’t make it there in time. Oh well, it’s on the list for next time. In the meantime, here’s everything we did throughout our stay (besides eat, of course 😜).
Navy Pier was at the top of everyone’s must-see list. Although it was a Tuesday when we visited, Sydney and I were both stunned by how few people were in this area. At one pm we had practically the whole place to ourselves! There is so much to do along the pier; it’s about two miles all the way around with restaurants, small shops, and waterfront hotels along one side.
The center of Navy Pier has a few different attractions for young kids and a huge ferris wheel that looks out over the water. Of course, you’ve got a beautiful view of Lake Michigan with a skyline view of Chicago. It really was a sight and the water was so insanely blue! There are a handful of skyline boat tours you can get on, starting around $41 dollars one way. We would have loved to get on one but weren’t sure what else our day had in store. This was such a peaceful area and I’m so glad we made the trek out to see it.
Almost everyone we talked to said to check out the Riverwalk as well. The view here was absolutely incredible as well, a river lined with skyscrapers along either side. Similar to Navy Pier, there are a few restaurants and several different boat tours going on. You can also rent kayaks and spend the day out on the water. There were lots of people walking their dogs and going for runs in this area, so it seems to be a place loved by locals too. It’s an incredible photo op as well!
Millennium Park is right around the Bean and it’s got a few fun things to see: a beautiful fountain, a handful of sculptures, and the coolest concert venue. There is a lot of sightseeing in this area which typically isn’t my vibe but I truly enjoyed it.
You can’t go to Chicago without taking a trip to see the Bean! It really is just a big ole silver bean plopped down in the middle of the city. It makes for a fun photo and truly is a touristy “must-see”. Make sure to walk underneath it to check out the trippy reflections along the center.
There is tons of good shopping in Chicago, and I mean tons. We made our way down tons of different side streets walking in and out of fancy department stores and local favorites. However, the Magnificent Mile is what Chicago’s known for. This strip has a lot of good shops and several high-end brands as well. If you’re in the market for a new designer handbag this is definitely the place to go. It’s also really built up over here with some incredible architecture and really cool views.
Impact Field is across the street from The Rose hotel and since the Cubs were out of town during our stay, we decided to stop in and watch the Chicago Dogs play instead. This team is not a part of the MLB but they are still a professional baseball team. It’s definitely more of a summer camp/family-friendly vibe but it was still fun to check out a new baseball field—y’all know how much I love seeing the different fields! The seats were surprisingly very comfortable and concessions have reopened since Covid.
The outlet mall is less than a mile from the hotel so we stopped in before our flight to do a little window shopping. I’ve never been to an indoor outlet mall, most near me are open/outdoors so this was a cool change of pace! They had tons of good deals and stores like Forever 21, Aerie, and Lululemon were stocked full of trendy new pieces. If my luggage wasn’t already stuffed to the brim, I definitely would have brought some things home with me.
WATCH THE VLOG
As always, I brought my camera along for the ride and clogged the entirety of our trip. From outfit details to a more detailed look at The Rose, to the streets of Chicago this video has got it all. Be sure to give it a watch and hit the subscribe button for more travel content, vlogs, and try on hauls.
I’m off to Miami next for Swim Week and will have a few posts going up for that as well! In the meantime, be sure to check out the rest of my travel content here. Any other cities you want to see me cover?! Leave em down below and I’ll add them to the “Must See” list. Safe travels to everyone visiting Chicago—you’ll have a blast… as long as you’ve got good walking shoes!
With love, McKenz
Latest Post: 10 Outfits To Wear In Chicago This Summer
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