The 22 Most Notable Hotel Openings of 2020

21c Museum Hotel Chicago: During Chicago’s vaudeville heyday, actors would flock to the Croydon Hotel. Decades and several iterations later, that River North hangout is now home to the 21c Museum Hotel Chicago – Mgallery, attracting visitors to ever-changing art exhibitions rather than campy theater. Like the other eight hybrid hotel-museum properties in the brand’s portfolio, this one was designed by Deborah Berke Partners, the New York firm that coincidentally worked on the James, which previously occupied the site. Floor-to-ceiling windows in the lobby invite passersby to gaze at both the sculptural balustrade staircase and often-provocative contemporary art selections. Bright white public spaces morph into darker corridors that pave the way to the guestrooms, sanctuaries with a soft blue palette mimicking the hue of Lake Michigan, marble baths, and cushy, large-scale leather and velvet headboards. (Photo courtesy of 21c Museum Hotels)