During our time in Chicago for the Craftsman Experience Holiday Extravaganza, we had the pleasure to stay at the Hotel Felix in downtown Chicago. The Hotel Felix is Chicago’s first hotel designed to meet Silver LEED certification. During construction they focused on using organic materials and renewable resources.
Location Location Location
The boutique hotel is conveniently located at State and Clark which is in walking distance of all the attractions and shopping that the Loop and River North neighborhood provide. A big plus for us is the Whole Foods located a block away.
As an eco-friendly hotel that boldly states it’s LEED qualifications, we took a skeptic stance considering how trendy it’s become to claim LEED certification. But the Hotel Felix easily changed our mind. Without shoving it in your face, we were aware at every turn that the Hotel Felix was focused on saving energy and creating a sustainable environment.
Some “green” observations:
There are no unnecessary newspapers strewn across the lobby or conveniently provided for guests, although I’m sure you could request it.
Lights in common areas such as the gym were on motion sensors and only in use when someone was in the room.
CFL bulbs were used in most instances, possibly LEDs.
The thermostats we saw throughout the hotel were set at 68 instead of 73. This made common areas comfortable but not toasty which is tempting to do considering the temperature outside is 26F and only getting colder. This small change means a lot at the end of the month.
Bathrooms were outfitted with low-flow Kohler toilets and water-sense rain can showerheads.
Keeping Design in Mind
Being green doesn’t take a backseat to a modern design that permeates throughout the hotel. The lobby was luxurious but not pretentious and the rooms were appointed with LG flatscreen TV’s (which seemed a bit dark, another energy saving tip) and beautiful contemporary furnishings of which the marble side tables were our favorite.
Not only were the bathroom fixtures water-sense enabled, they chose design forward Kohler and Duravit brands. One drawback was the extremely shallow Duravit sink. It looks cool but you’ve got about 4 inches to put your hands under the faucet, so a tight squeeze when washing your hands.
Handyman
On check-in we had an issue with an air-duct making a strange rattling sound and the hotel sent someone from maintenance up immediately who remedied the situation quickly and with no fuss.
Service with a Smile
The standout interactions from staff also included restaurant recommendations from the front desk, very friendly greetings from the valet/doorman and pleasant interactions with housekeeping.
Final Word
There must be hundreds of other improvements and eco-friendly innovations that no one ever sees but at face value the Hotel Felix definitely seems to walk the talk. If you’re looking for a stylish boutique hotel in a great location then you can’t go wrong with the Hotel Felix, plus you’re doing good for the environment which is always a plus while on vacation.
More photos of Hotel Felix
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