The latest entry in the rich Chicago luxury hotel market will soon be The Godfrey Hotel, officially opening in February 2014. As the flagship property for the boutique hotel brand’s launch, The Godfrey offers a modern mark on The Windy City’s architectural history.
Designed by Chicago-based firm Valerio Dewalt Train, the property is the first staggered steel truss building in the city. "We conceived of the hotel's design as a taut wrapping of cubist forms that shift inward and outward to reveal the building's expressive structural frame,” says architect David Jennerjahn. “The sleek and modern design is unique and vaguely familiar of the iconic bridges along the Chicago river.”
Designed by Gettys Design Group Chicago, the upscale property is influenced by its energetic River North neighborhood, also known as the gallery district, with its large concentration of local artists and a burgeoning scene of local restaurants, nightclubs, and residential buildings. With The Godfrey’s tagline of “Discover Your Element” in mind, the hotel’s modern interior décor pays homage to the elements with natural woods and stone portals contrasted against brushed metals, textured walls, bold lighting fixtures and strong geometries.
The sleek white marble, recessed ceiling and spherical, central lighting fixture creates an uplifting effect in the minimalist oval lobby, while the alcove and structural seating areas and floor-to-ceiling windows allow the space to feel open and inviting. The name Godfrey is of European origin with the meaning peace and welcome to travelers, which is translated into the warm wooden tones and transition circles leading to the hotel’s elevators.
One of the top design features of the hotel will be found at I|O Urban Roofscape, a dramatic 15,000-square-foot fourth-floor indoor/outdoor urban roofscape. The facility offers 10,000 square feet of lounge and event space with sweeping south-facing skyline views which are unobstructed due to the streamlined design of the hotel’s retractable roof.
The Godfrey Hotel Chicago’s play on the elements is inherently evident at I|O Urban Roofscape’s outdoor space with design features including bold fire and water components, and stingray-inspired canopies shading lounge seats for approximately 320 guests. The indoor bar will offer plush, crimson banquettes with modern spherical lighting, and an eight-person bar.
The 221 private accommodations consist of 182 guest rooms, 12 executive king rooms, and 27 one-bedroom suites. Each guest room features a sleek, minimalist look with a purple and grey color palate, and white linens accent a textured tan leather bench at the end of each bed. Along with the bedroom, the sitting chair pulls out into a sleeper, and custom lamps are a prominent design feature.
Managed by Oxford Hotels & Resorts, LLC, The Godfrey represents the beginning of a new brand “as a new concept in the upper-upscale hotel market,” says Gettys Principal Michael Maurer. The Godfrey is now taking reservations for its first guests starting February 1, 2014 at a rate of $159 a night.
