Amalfi Hotel Chicago

The Amalfi Hotel Chicago is a 215-room boutique-style hotel, located near the corner of State Street and Kinzie Street, in the trendy River North District, in downtown Chicago, Illinois, within walking distance of the Chicago Loop.

The Amalfi, named “Best New Hotel in Chicago” in July 2005 by Travel + Leisure magazine, was named for the Amalfi Coast in southern Italy. The name of the hotel is derived from that of the beautiful nymph in Greek mythology, Amalfi, who was loved by Hercules. Legend has it that the god Hercules and Amalfi fell deeply in love with another. Tragically, their romance was a brief one, as she died soon after their relationship began. Hercules searched the world over and found the most beautiful place on earth, retrieved her body and to immortalize her, buried her there and named the area after her. This southern coast area of Italy is known as ‘Amalfi’.

The Italian-made décor of the hotel is contemporary, warm and reminiscent of the famously beautiful Amalfi township in Italy. The hotel infuses colors of orange, earth tones, blue and green hues with wave-motif wall treatments, carpeting and vintage-style photographs of the Amalfi Coast in each room.

A staple of the Amalfi brand is the concierge-style service and complimentary facilities provided for all guests of the hotel, which include high-speed internet access, business center and fitness room access, continental breakfast, and a manager’s reception.

The Buon Giorno breakfast, as it is called, is served on each of the 5 guest room floors of the hotel, and is most often frequented by guests clad in robes and slippers. The Amalfi is the first hotel in North America to provide breakfast on every guest floor.

Each evening, the hotel invites its guests to the Ravello Lounge to enjoy Italian Hors d'œuvres and premium bar beverages, including the Amalfi’s signature drink, “The Amalfitini”. The Amalfitini, which is made of Limoncello, vodka, white cranberry juice, peach schnapps, and Cointreau, is a famed item among the hotel’s guests. The Amalfitini is authentically local to the Amalfi Hotel in Chicago.

In addition, to the Italian décor, the hotel is well-known for its unique check-in experience, pet-friendliness, and staff whose titles are named for their roles. The general manager of the hotel has assigned staff roles, instead of job titles. He believes it will give them purpose and meaning beyond the ordinary. Doormen are Impressionists, and our guests check in with one of the Experience Designers, Housekeepers become Comfort Stylists and even the General Manager is the Maestro.

History

The Amalfi Hotel Chicago, which occupies the first six floors of the 17-story Dearborn Plaza, 20 W. Kinzie St., opened to the public on February 3, 2004. Kinzie Street Hotel Investors LLC, a group that included representatives of the Cataldo family, Jupiter Realty Corp. and the Joel Stone Family of Stone-Levy LLC, invested $6 million to remake the property, which had previously been the 10 West Hotel in Chicago. Hostmark Hospitality was selected as the management company for the hotel.

The Amalfi was the vision of Robert J. Cataldo, Hostmark Hospitality Group President and Chief Operating Officer, with the concept that a hotel should be built around the guest experience. This involved a tailored approach to market research and a concentrated effort to design every aspect of the property with a specific client audience in mind. This ideal has governed the physical design, services, and standards with which the hotel was created and currently operates.

In June 2007, Kinzie Street Hotel Investor group sold the property to Cornerstone Real Estate Advisors LLC, the current owner of the hotel. Cornerstone was retained by Hostmark Hospitality Group as the management company of choice for the Amalfi.

Hostmark Hospitality is an independent hotel management firm based in Schaumburg, Illinois that is well-regarded in the industry but virtually unknown to the general public. A leading hospitality management firm operating upscale full-service hotels, resorts and focused service hotels worldwide, Hostmark Hospitality Group is an award winning operator of Marriott, Hilton Intercontinental Hotels Group, Starwood and Wyndham Hotels.

Founded by C.A. “Bud” Cataldo in 1965, Hostmark Hospitality is a leading hospitality management firm operating full-service hotels, resorts and focused service hotels worldwide and has managed more than 300 hotels in 40 states, the Caribbean, Canada and the Middle East. The family-run company currently manages 23 hotel properties and runs operations at franchises, including brands such as Holiday Inn, Hilton and Ramada. The management company also manages Carnivale Restaurant, Stretch Run Sporting Club and Grille in Chicago, and oversees operations on the iconic Queen Mary in Long Beach, California.

From http://en.wikipedia.org/