"What do Zooey Deschanel, Meghan Markle, and Eddie Vedder have in common? Besides fame, they all attended Northwestern University in Evanston and are enshrined in caricature among 16 well-known alumni in the gallery at the Graduate. Occupying the 1928 Colonial Revival apartment-hotel The Homestead, the 119-room newcomer nods to the Wildcats throughout in flashes of purple (purple and white are the school’s colors) but keeps the tone professorial-friendly, with tweedy couches, groupings of flea market art, Persian-inspired rugs, and chess tables. Expect mobs of families and well-heeled alums on Big Ten football days. The hotel is also home to The Graduate Homestead Room, a cozy lounge and restaurant offering seasonal dishes and hand-crafted cocktails inspired by Chicago’s beloved John Hughes." - Elaine Glusac, Nicole Schnitzler