Hotel of the week: Public Chicago, Chicago

last updated 8 January 2015

This recently opened Gold Coast hotel “offers a lot of style for the money,” said Pilar Viladas in The New York Times. At other Ian Schrager locations, design sometimes trumps other considerations, but what he’s done with the landmark Ambassador East building is surprisingly “elegant” and “down-to-earth.” In the lobby, neo-Georgian architecture meets “neutral-toned upholstered furniture with a slightly French ’40s vibe.” Most impressive, though, are the guest rooms, which have been spruced up with “chic, user-friendly” decor. Schrager wisely gives guests “just what they need, and nothing they don’t, thereby making rooms more affordable.”

publichotels.com; doubles from $135