Here are a couple of photos of I|O Urban Roofscape’s new wood floor made of IPE decking. This flooring will cover the entire outside of the building on the 4th floor. In the second photo, notice the special construction under the deck for flooring support, which allows for all-weather seasons and also levels the deck. Functional and looks great!
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!
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.
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.
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.
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!
Crain’s Chicago takes an in-depth look with our developer: CEO and Founder of Oxford Capital John Rutledge. John shares his development plans, why our rooftop bar (I|O Urban Roofscape) is a must and why the market can handle more hotels. John provides a tour of both our hotel (great sneak peek!) and another project at 360 N. Michigan Avenue.
He also talks about his other hotel projects, including Hotel Felix, Hotel Cass, The Langham Chicago and the upcoming hotel at 360 N. Michigan. Take a look at the video:
Plus, we love sharing a few behind-the-scenes photos from the video shoot. Thanks again for the interview, Crain’s!
Above: John is interviewed on the rooftop of the Godfrey Hotel’s space, I|O Urban Roofscape.
Building The Godfrey 