The Best Affordable Hotels in Chicago

"Taking up residence in Northwest Tower, The Robey jostles alongside artisanal coffee shops, independent boutiques, and pop-up restaurants in Chicago’s creative corner between the hipster neighborhoods of Bucktown and Wicker Park. Of the 89 rooms, the best are the corner suites, where wraparound windows shed natural light onto low-key, unfussy interiors by Belgium’s Nicolas Schuybroek and Marc Merckx. The real head-turners, though, are the collection of bars and restaurants, not least the curbside Café Robey, which hums from the first plate of eggs and hash browns in the morning. Clever Coyote, on the second floor, is a 90s-inspired hang (complete with vintage Nintendo consoles and grunge tracks) and the Up Room, the 13th-floor rooftop bar, serves as a sleek space with sprawling cityscape views. Come summer, the only place to be is on the sixth-floor outdoor pool terrace, the Cabana Club, with a basil gimlet in hand."