Construction – Page 4 – Building The Godfrey

How to Stay Warm with Us

Let’s light it up! Chicago’s chilly winters won’t keep our guests away. I|O Urban Roofscape is specially designed to withstand all four seasons in Chicago. From our outdoor fire pit to our indoor fireplace, the cold winters will feel like no big deal.

A rendering of I|O Urban Roofscape featuring an outdoor fire pit.

As indicated in the above rendering, the fire pit is surrounded by luxurious seating, and is located just outside the bar and kitchen. Guests will be able to sip festive cocktails, order delicious appetizers and enjoy the unique Chicago view from the rooftop of The Godfrey Hotel – all the while staying warm during those cold-weather months.

A closeup view of the indoor fire pit during construction.

The indoor fireplace will be a central meeting spot for good company and great memories. Also situated closely to the bar and kitchen, guests can toast to a great evening in Chicago. We look forward to seeing you there!

How The Godfrey Hotel Chicago Does Laundry

Today we want to show you something that people other than hospitality employees rarely get to see – the laundry room at a luxury hotel. It’s even more unusual because a lot of boutique hotels outsource their laundry services elsewhere.

At the Godfrey Hotel Chicago, we’re different in that we want to maintain high-quality linens and towels, and by keeping laundry in house, we can ensure that it’s done right and to our high quality standards. The washers and dryers you see below aren’t even the most interesting part!

Laundry Washing Machine — Washing machines in the laundry room at the Godfrey Hotel Chicago.

Laundry Dryer — A new laundry room dryer was installed recently.

We promised you earlier today on Instagram that we would tell you what the enormous machine below does, and trust us, you’ll want one in your own home. It folds laundry automatically! With the touch of a button, clean towels and linens are folded and prepped for guest rooms. Again, this is something many luxury hotels usually do not have in house, but because it keeps the supply of those fluffy towels and comfortable sheets replenished with ease, it sure is a gorgeous contraption.

Laundry Folding Machine — This gigantic machine folds laundry and towels automatically.

Retractable Roof Installation – New Photos of I|O Urban Roofscape

We promised you updates on our retractable roof and we’re excited to share how quickly it is progressing. Below are new photos from the retractable roof’s installation and we expect it to be fully completed in the coming weeks by Lend Lease, our construction company.

The retractable roof being installed at I|O Urban Roofscape.

Retractable Roof installation at I|O Urban Roofscape at the Godfrey Hotel Chicago.

Retractable roof installation — Looking down on the retractable roof’s installation for I|O Urban Roofscape.

The retractable roof allows for panoramic views of Chicago’s gorgeous skyline. Our rooftop, I|O Urban Roofscape, will have a fire pit, shimmering water elements, a video wall and more.

Rain or shine… snow or sun, we’re ready for fun at I|O Urban Roofscape. Chicago’s weather is unpredictable and we’re ready for anything. For a flashback on our past retractable roof updates, check out this blog post.

Cheers!

A Warm Welcome with a Shining Chandelier

As guests enter our hotel, we hope they will feel warm and welcome. So much so, the very word “Godfrey” means peace and welcome. We previously blogged about the importance of the lobby and making a great first impression (cliche and all!). We want our guests to experience a chic and sophisticated lobby and a key feature of that is the chandelier we just installed.

We caught up with Chris McDonough, design director at GETTYS – the firm responsible for our sophisticated and contemporary interior design. Chris said the marble-clad oval shaped lobby provides a welcoming experience for the guest with the large concentric ring pendant serving as a focal point. While visible from the street as well, this fixture reflects the strong geometry of the building and establishes the upscale feel for the property upon arrival.

Below is a first look at our chandelier, along with a flashback to the space pre-installation.

Location for the Godfrey's chandelier — Location for the Godfrey’s chandelier (Aug. 2013)

Guests may feel stressed from the hustle and bustle of travel and upon entering our hotel, we hope they feel the surprise and delight of our beautiful space. After all, we are designing with the guests’ experience in mind.

Retractable Roof Installation – I|O Urban Roofscape

The city and media are buzzing about our upcoming rooftop lounge, I|O Urban Roofscape. And we can’t blame them – we’re just as excited. In case you haven’t heard, I|O will boast uninterrupted views of the southern Chicago skyline – just gorgeous. Guests and Chicagoans can enjoy the rooftop while basking in the sunlight during the day or through the late afternoon and into the evening starlight.

Here’s how we’ll make all that happen: With our unique design of the retractable roof. The design creates the largest northern lookout point to the entire southern Chicago skyline. The fourth floor will offer approximately 15,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space, with 10,000 square feet of lounge and event space. We previously gave you an update in a past blog post and this is the latest installation on the retractable roof, which happened yesterday (Nov. 25). Plus, among the panoramic skyline views include a fire pit, shimmering water elements, a video wall, retractable roof and more. I|O Urban Roofscape has more space and unique amenities to offer than other venues in the city.

As always, enjoy the view!