Midland Hotel (Chicago)
| Midland Hotel (Chicago) | |
|---|---|
Interior of the Midland Hotel (Chicago) | |
Location in Chicago Location in Illinois Location in the United States | |
| Hotel chain | Tribute Portfolio |
| General information | |
| Location | 172 West Adams Street, Chicago, Illinois, United States |
| Coordinates | 41°52′47″N 87°37′59″W / 41.87972°N 87.63306°W |
| Opening | 1938 (as Midland Hotel) |
| Owner | Park Hotels & Resorts |
| Management | Marriott International |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 22 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Karl M. Vitzthum |
| Other information | |
| Number of rooms | 403 |
| Website | |
| Official website | |
The Midland Hotel (officially branded as The Midland Hotel, Chicago) is a historic hotel at 172 West Adams Street in the Chicago Loop. The building opened in 1927 as the Midland Building, designed by Karl M. Vitzthum in the Italian Renaissance Revival style. Originally home to the Midland Club, a private businessmen’s club, it was converted into a hotel in 1938 by developer Philip Pekow.
For decades the Midland served as a centrally located Loop hotel, hosting banquets, business meetings, and civic events. It operated under its original name until 2000, when it was rebranded as the W Chicago – City Center. In 2025 the property returned to its historic name under Marriott’s Tribute Portfolio. The building is a contributing property to the West Loop–LaSalle Street Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
History
Early years (1927–1938)
The Midland Building was intended to rise 27 stories but topped out at 22.[1] The first six floors housed the Midland Club, while the upper floors were rented as office space.[1]
In 1932 the American Chemical Society’s Chicago Section made the club its headquarters, before relocating two years later to the Stevens Hotel (now Hilton Chicago).[2]
The Midland Club never gained the prominence of older clubs such as the Chicago Club, and it dissolved during the Great Depression.[1] Its legacy resurfaced decades later when the W Chicago named its 2018 restaurant the Midland Social Club in homage to the original club.[3]
The Midland Hotel (1938–1996)
In 1938 Chicago hotel executive Philip Pekow leased the former club space and opened the Midland Hotel.[1] Over time the hotel expanded to cover the first twelve floors. Pekow remained tied to the property throughout his life, and his obituary in the Chicago Tribune described him as a veteran hotel executive based on Adams Street.[4]
The Midland became a familiar Loop address for gatherings. A 1944 renovation updated guest rooms and restored the main entrance.[5] In 1959 a major banquet for the Chicago Police Digest was held here.[6]
Civic and cultural role
On July 27, 1965, the Midland hosted the first public meeting of Mattachine Midwest, one of the Midwest’s earliest LGBTQ rights groups. About 140 people attended, and the organization launched both a newsletter and a 24-hour helpline at the meeting.[7]
W Chicago – City Center (2000–2024)
In 1996 Starwood Hotels & Resorts acquired the building, converting it into a W property. It reopened in 2000 as the W Chicago – City Center.[1]
A major renovation in 2018 refreshed the lobby and public areas, and opened the Midland Social Club restaurant as a nod to the building’s past.[8]
Return to the Midland (2025–present)
In January 2025 the hotel was renamed The Midland Hotel, Chicago under Marriott’s Tribute Portfolio.[9] The rebrand came with a two-phase renovation: Phase I restored historic Beaux-Arts features in public areas, and Phase II modernized guestrooms and meeting spaces.[10]
Architecture
The Midland Building reflects the Italian Renaissance Revival style, with a limestone façade, five tall arched openings at street level, and a bracketed cornice at the fifth floor. Its U-shaped plan opens to a light well facing east.[1]
Architect Karl M. Vitzthum was active throughout Chicago, also designing One North LaSalle and the Steuben Club Building
Historic designation
The Midland Hotel is a contributing property to the West Loop–LaSalle Street Historic District, added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2013.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g "West Loop–LaSalle Street Historic District National Register Nomination" (PDF). City of Chicago. Retrieved 28 August 2025.
- ^ "History of the Chicago Section". American Chemical Society, Chicago Section. Retrieved 28 August 2025.
- ^ "W Chicago – City Center Debuts Glam New Look". TravelPulse. 2018-09-10. Retrieved 28 August 2025.
- ^ "Philip Pekow, Hotel Executive, Dies at 77". Chicago Tribune. 1966-12-12. p. 34.
- ^ "1944 Advertisement, Midland Hotel". Retrieved 28 August 2025.
- ^ "Chicago Police Digest (1959), Vol. 23, No. 3" (PDF). Retrieved 28 August 2025.
- ^ "Mattachine Midwest". Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame. Retrieved 28 August 2025.
- ^ "W Chicago – City Center Debuts Glam New Look". TravelPulse. 2018-09-10. Retrieved 28 August 2025.
- ^ "Tribute Portfolio Debuts in the Chicago Loop with the Opening of The Midland Hotel, Chicago" (Press release). PR Newswire. 2025-01-22. Retrieved 28 August 2025.
- ^ "Loop W Hotel turning back to its original Midland brand". Crain's Chicago Business. 2025-01-23. Retrieved 28 August 2025.