The 31 Best Hotels in Chicago

"The University of Chicago, anchor of Hyde Park, serves as inspiration for the Sophy, a 98-room gem on the community’s lively commercial strip, walking distance to campus, the Museum of Science and Industry and, sometime in the next few years, the Obama Presidential Center, now being built in nearby Jackson Park. The 44th president was a community organizer and teacher in the university law school before ascending to the highest office, and his presence, along with the other renowned Nobel laureates and MacArthur geniuses nurtured at the UC, are celebrated at Sophy. The hotel is hugely popular with UC prospects and their families touring the campus. Sophy’s large, light-filled suites are there for them with generous bathrooms and separate living areas with sleeper sofas." - Elaine Glusac, Nicole Schnitzler