The Langham, Chicago
by the TopOfHotel team
The Langham is a stay inside landmark riverside architecture, with service warm enough to land it among the best hotels in America — strong on big rooms, river views, Chuan Spa, and art throughout.
The Langham is a stay inside landmark riverside architecture, with service warm enough to land it among the best hotels in America — strong on big rooms, river views, Chuan Spa, and art throughout.
In-Depth Review
Rooms and decor
Picture a sharp, squared-off black-glass tower on the Chicago River — the building Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, the master of modern architecture, designed as IBM Plaza. The Langham, Chicago moved into this landmark and opened in 2013. Inside, the roughly 268 rooms and suites are what people fall for from the moment they step in: clearly larger than the typical downtown hotel, in a warm contemporary-modern style with the light Asian touches the Langham brand is known for. Floor-to-ceiling glass opens onto panoramic views of the winding river and the Chicago skyline, and many rooms look down on tour boats gliding past below the window. Beds are soft, the marble bathrooms are roomy with a separate tub and shower, and there is a sofa nook by the window made for morning coffee over the water. Plenty of reviews agree the view from the room is the highlight that makes it feel worth every dollar.
Food and amenities
The heart of a stay here is Chuan Spa, a Chinese-style spa whose mood and treatments follow the five-elements philosophy of Chinese medicine — step in and it feels like another, quieter world in the middle of a big city. Next to it is a roughly 20-metre indoor pool with glass opening to a city view, good for serious laps or an easy float, plus a full fitness center. On the food side, Travelle sits riverside serving contemporary Mediterranean dishes with a fine view, while the bright, airy Pavilion lounge is known for its afternoon tea — pretty pastries and well-chosen teas that many guests come specifically to try. What sets this hotel apart is the collection of more than a hundred contemporary artworks through the lobby, corridors, and shared spaces, like walking through a gallery you can sleep in; wander all day and you still find something new.
Location and getting there
The Langham sits on the Chicago River in River North, a spot that balances river calm with downtown convenience. Step out the door and you are on the Chicago Riverwalk, a leafy path good for a morning or evening stroll and the boarding point for the city's well-known architecture river cruise, just steps away. It is about a 4-minute walk to the Magnificent Mile shopping strip on Michigan Avenue, lined with department stores and name-brand boutiques, and roughly 8 minutes to Millennium Park and the iconic Bean sculpture everyone photographs. For transit, the CTA Loop's State/Lake station is a few minutes' walk and takes you across the city, including onward to O'Hare and Midway airports. In short, you can wake up and walk to most of downtown Chicago without a car, with a calmer riverside feel than a hotel in the busy core.
Things to know before booking
Straight talk to help you decide. The first thing to weigh is price — The Langham is fully luxury-level, and in high season or when a big event or convention is in town, room rates climb steeply enough that some reviews think twice; book ahead and compare several dates. Second, the riverside setting is fairly quiet, which is a plus if you like calm, but if you want bars and nightlife right outside the door, River North's entertainment streets are a walk away rather than at the hotel door. Third, expect the small extras of a big-city luxury hotel: in-hotel food and drinks priced to standard, and downtown valet parking that runs high. If you are driving in, budget for it, or lean on the public transit that is already convenient here.
Our take
After reading through hundreds of real guest reviews, The Langham, Chicago does so much well that it is easy to see why it was voted #3 in the US for 2026 — landmark riverside architecture, big rooms with good views, warm service praised almost unanimously, the relaxing Chuan Spa and indoor pool, and art throughout the building that gives the stay a character of its own. If your trip looks like waking up to the Chicago River, shopping the Magnificent Mile, then coming back for the spa and a riverside dinner at Travelle, this is about as well-matched as it gets. The only catch is the luxury pricing that can spike in peak periods. Overall we give it 9.4/10, best for couples, luxury travelers, and business guests who value big rooms, good views, and service attentive to every detail.
Score Breakdown
Assessed by our editorial team from data and real guest reviews
The Honest Verdict — pros & what to know
- The building itself is landmark Mies van der Rohe architecture on the Chicago River, so you are staying inside a piece of modern-design history — the whole tower.
- Rooms run larger than the typical downtown hotel, with big glass walls opening onto the river and the Chicago skyline; plenty of reviews say waking up to that view is worth every dollar.
- Service is the thing reviews agree on most — warm, name-remembering, attentive to small details, and helpful beyond expectations, which is why people come back to stay again.
- Chuan Spa follows a Chinese five-elements philosophy and pairs with a roughly 20-metre indoor pool with city views; reviews rate it among the best hotel spas in Chicago.
- More than 100 contemporary artworks hang through the building, alongside the Travelle restaurant and Pavilion, where the afternoon tea is well known — you can spend the whole day inside without getting bored.
- Pricing sits squarely in luxury territory, and during high season or when a big event or convention is in town, room rates climb sharply — book ahead and compare dates carefully.
- The riverside setting is fairly quiet, which is a plus if you want calm, but River North's livelier bar scene is a walk away rather than right outside the door.
- Some reviews find the in-hotel food and drink expensive by luxury-hotel standards, and downtown valet parking runs high — budget for it if you are driving in.
Who It’s For
Match Score by travel style
Amenities
Location & Nearby Spots
Things to do near Chicago
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Insider Tips
- Ask for a high floor on the river-view side for the best skyline and river outlook, especially at sunset and when the city lights come on.
- Book a sitting of afternoon tea at the Pavilion — it is a signature here and weekend seats fill fast, so reserve ahead.
- If you like architecture, walk the Chicago Riverwalk in front of the hotel to catch an architecture river cruise; the boarding point is very close.