As you know, we opened in February, but we’re not done growing. In fact, we’re adding two additions to our lobby floor – a restaurant coming later this year and George Howell Coffee’s newest location late May.
That’s right, in just about a month you’ll be able to grab a cup of freshly ground coffee before heading out for a day of business meetings or sight seeing.
We have to leave a little mystery for opening day, but we thought we’d share some sneak peek, behind-the-scene shots of what’s to come in our George Howell Coffee location.
Keep checking back for more details as we get closer to our George Howell Coffee opening at the end of May.
Chris McDonough is Design Director at The Gettys Group, leading interior design for the guest rooms at The Godfrey Hotel Chicago. We spoke to him about where he started with the project, and about how he wanted guests to feel when they arrived at the hotel.
The Gettys Group Design Director Chris McDonough created an urban sanctuary when designing guest rooms at The Godfrey Hotel Chicago.
Q: What are some of your favorite features in the guest rooms?
A: From a guest experience and emotional response, my favorite aspect of the guest room is the overall feeling of sophisticated calm that the space provides. The subtle variance in the shower tile finish is a hidden design element that the guest can discover.
Q: Where did you start when designing the rooms? Or, what was the inspiration?
A: The boldness and the strength of the exterior architecture was obviously a design parameter that we had to consider. When considering the guest room design, our goal was to compliment the unique exterior but also provide an urban sanctuary for the guest from the energy of River North.
Q: What do you want guests to feel when they stay at The Godfrey Hotel Chicago?
A: We would like the guest to feel stylish and sophisticated, and that they have found a hidden, unique gem within the crowded Chicago hotel market.
To see more of our guest room photos, take a look at this blog post featuring the newly designed spaces. You can also learn more about guest room features at The Godfrey Hotel Chicago by clicking here.
Installing a retractable roof system like the one at IO Urban Roofscape takes much planning and preparation. Libart North America’s recent blog post explains how architects took a special retractable roof course with Libart Project Manager Jeff Manger prior to construction of The Godfrey Hotel Chicago.
Libart Project Manager Jeff Manger taught architects about retractable roof systems. (libartusa.com)
IO Urban Roofscape encompasses approximately 15,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space, with 10,000 square feet of lounge and event space – named for its captivating Indoor/Outdoor ambiance. Get started at the indoor bar with plush banquettes and a VIP area. Breeze through the sliding glass wall and you’ll find yourself sipping drinks at the outdoor bar during the day, after work, at night or on weekends in front of the commanding views of Chicago.
Indoor/outdoor paradise with our retractable roof system.
Experience IO Urban Roofscape, where you can enjoy the day and dress the night. Follow on Twitter and Instagram at @iogodfrey, or plan your next event. You can even see some of the various daytime or evening events we have hosted in the past by clicking here.
It’s Throwback Thursday (or #ThrowbackThursday or just #TBT) and we want to take a look back at the construction and progress of I|O Urban Roofscape. From the beginning, the team envisioned what I|O Urban Roofscape is today: a rooftop lounge with uninterrupted views of Chicago’s southern skyline. I|O’s rooftop lounge offers panoramic views, a fire pit, shimmering water elements, a video wall and our famed retractable roof. It boasts approximately 15,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting and event space.
But first, it was simply a blank canvas. Take a look at this #TBT photo below from Feb. 15, 2013 (more than one year ago), which shows I|O Urban Roofscape in the beginning. This was from one of our many #SiteVisits and you can see parts of the impressive skyline view as initial surveying is completed.
Flash forward to Dec. 5, 2013 and you can see our one-of-a-kind retractable roof being installed. A photo is below:
Then, take a look at I|O Urban Roofscape today – an indoor bar with plush banquette seating, a VIP area and more. Guests and Chicagoans can step outside and walk past the sliding glass wall to the outdoor lounge. It makes for the perfect place to sip cocktails at the outdoor bar or enjoy lunch while taking in Chicago’s skyline. No matter the weather, I|O Urban Roofscape offers the perfect escape and is open for breakfast, lunch, dinner and late night bites. To view I|O’s menu, please click here.
Following are photos showing how the breath-taking rooftop lounge has evolved into Chicago’s newest hotspot:
The entry of I|O Urban Roofscape at The Godfrey Hotel Chicago.The indoor bar at IO Urban Roofscape at The Godfrey Hotel Chicago.
It all comes together when you take a look at the photos from start to finish – and of course, we hope to see you soon at The Godfrey’s I|O Urban Roofscape.
#ThrowbackThursday – A look at how I|O Urban Roofscape evolved from a blank canvas to Chicago’s rooftop lounge with a retractable roof, fire pit and shimmering water elements.
If you missed the release of I|O Urban Roofscape’s awesome time lapse video this weekend, you can watch it here. The video captures the entire construction process for the nightlife hot spot, showing the installation of the retractable roof. We’ve also been snapping some awesome photos of guests having a blast at I|O Urban Roofscape since we opened – you can see them in the video, too. Come see us soon and make sure to tag photos of you and your friends with @iogodfrey on Twitter and Instagram, or visit us on Facebook.
I|O Urban Roofscape is Chicago’s largest indoor-outdoor rooftop lounge and is open year-round. We offer unobstructed skyline views, a gourmet bar menu, innovative mixology cocktails and more. To learn more, please visit www.iogodfrey.com. Curious about the menus? Our food and drink offerings are available here.
Building The Godfrey 