HOTEL VERSEY: CHICAGO a local, boutique experience Situated at a bustling intersection in the vibrant and historic Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago, Hotel Versey celebrates the diversity of the surrounding neighborhoods by connecting the dots between the area’s history and current attractions.
A flagship design that is intrinsically true to the property’s heritage and history.
Lauren Chipman Chipman Design Architecture
As the first ‘soft brand’ location for Wyndham Hotel Group’s Days Inn brand, the design firm was hired to create a boutique hotel with a bold personality that was built upon Chicago’s cultural diversity and rich history. Housed within the 1920’s Diversey Arms building, the hotel’s musical history dates back to 1925, first serving as a home to jazz musicians. More recently, it was known fondly as the “Rock and Roll Days Inn” due to its popularity with many iconic rock stars of the ‘90s such as Nirvana, Goo Goo Dolls, Radiohead, Sheryl Crow, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The concept and design for Hotel Versey represents an unveiling of the hotel’s musically-influenced heritage, fused with inspirations from the diverse neighborhoods surrounding the hotel.
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HOTEL VERSEY: CHICAGO
RH Gallery
Running the thematic gamut of the hotel’s location and history, artwork featuring one-of-a-kind painted guitar cases nod to the hotel’s musical heritage while custom created bicycle frame light fixtures and bike chain bodices pay tribute to the local bike culture. A spectacular mural of Harry Caray featuring his infamous glasses in 3D welcomes guests with his ringing remark, “Sure as God made green apples, someday, the Chicago Cubs are going to be in the World Series.” Perhaps the showpiece of the Hotel Versey art gallery is a full panel piece of street art featuring words and phrases including iconic tourist attractions, local musical venues, various historic names of the hotel as well as local sports teams and universities. Designed to be all-encompassing, this mural truly speaks to the neighborhood feeling of the hotel and the great variation of the clientele: from parents visiting their children at DePaul University to Cubs fans taking in a game at Wrigleyfield. The message is clear – all are welcome. The lobby design continues the theme of Chicago’s diversity and history through custom-designed details. With the hotel’s prime location at a five-point intersection where numerous
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CHICAGO TOURISM BY THE NUMBERS
Total visitation by tourists in 2017 were 55.2 million, an increase of 2.5% over the previous record year The tourism and hospitality industries supported an estimated 146,500 jobs in 2017, a 17% increase in six years Chicago’s fifteen major museums achieved a total of 15.28 million visitors, an increase of 6% Hotel room demand in Chicago reached 589,889 in January 2017 ALONE, a 7.6% increase from January 2016
The entire Hotel Versey experience whisks guests through Chicago in a glimpse. From the art gallery murals featuring Chicago icons welcoming guests to the guestroom’s custom-designed wallcovering, the entire concept was a love letter to the Windy City.” - Julie Babcock, CDA Design Manager
neighborhoods and cultures collide, space-planning the reimagined Lobby around a central axis point or ‘hub’ was a natural decision. Titled ‘Headliner,’ a custom focal chandelier draws your eye to the center point of the Lobby, a sweet juxtaposition created by the modern shape of the chandelier with the restored, historic plaster ceilings. This tiered collection of cover pages from the Chicago Reader celebrates Chicago’s alternative news source including historic controversial covers celebrating freedom of the press. Additional custom-design art pieces include the firm’s take on a few of Chicago’s most popular tourist attractions. Organic hand-blown glass shapes are dipped in mercury and hung from the ceiling at the entrance of the hotel’s forthcoming restaurant, creating a miniature airy conversation pieces reminiscent of Chicago’s most social media-tagged locale, ‘Cloudgate’ or ‘The Bean.’ Flanking the reception desk is the design team’s interpretation of the infamous iron work at Wrigleyfield featuring the hotels branded logo. Making the most of the lobby’s small footprint of 1,300 square feet, flexible and fluid seating arrangements are easily adjustable to accommodate groups of all sizes, appropriate for working on your computer, settling in for a cocktail or cup of coffee or simply perching while waiting to check-in. An individual work zone is located under the faceted mirror feature wall with lounge chairs designed for privacy. Accent tables are wired with traditional power outlets as well as USB for easy charging. Tessallated tile is used as wayfinding to the front desk/check-in area as well as leading the guest to the energetic ‘hub’ of the lobby, a
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communal table which is the social work space for the lobby with three-sided booth seating. One of the largest challenges the team faced was completing such a large Lobby transformation in such a short timeframe. Demolition kicked off in January 2017 and the hotel remained operational thoughout construction with ribboncutting ceremony a rapid four months later. Other trials the team faced during construction revealed themselves as walls were opened up and unforeseen 100-year old building methods presented alternative problem-solving. It was undeniably helpful to have the design team local to Chicago and present throughout the construction phase for troubleshooting and collaboration with the construction team. Hotel Versey welcomes travelers from both near and far with a bold personality; memorable moments throughout and a local experience laced with nods to Chicago culture. Guests that have been visiting the hotel for decades still feel at home given the celebration of the building and area’s storied history; while newcomers find comfort in the modern surroundings with a nostalgic twist.
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HOTEL VERSEY: CHICAGO