Rottet Studio Updates the Four Seasons Hotel Chicago

2022 Best of Year Winner for Domestic Chain Hotel

When Four Seasons Hotels opened a Chicago property in 1989, its chocolate-and-rosewood palette telegraphed luxury. But three decades later, the interiors were badly in need of a comprehensive revamp. Enter Rottet Studio, helmed by Interior Design Hall of Fame member Lauren Rottet. Having previously spearheaded Four Seasons projects in Bogotá and Houston, she, principal Richard Riveire, and team had a head start understanding the brand’s needs.

Here, the firm was charged with updating 23,000 square feet of public areas across the two lowest levels and a 2,700-square-foot suite on the 46th floor. In the lobby, walls were demolished to create a welcoming open space, existing flooring was replaced with more contemporary slabs of gray and white marble, and a shimmering installation of gold-tinted aluminum was hung from the ceiling. Nearby, event spaces and a restaurant were also made over, the latter incorporating a wall-spanning screen backlit by LEDs. One floor up, more walls were removed to create an expansive ballroom for over 1,100 guests, but an adjacent lounge with plush silvery sofas is more intimate. In the spacious presidential suite high above, pale woods and neutral tones ensure the opulence remains soft-spoken. Throughout the hotel, artwork sourced by local consultant Shashi Caudill is evocative but never upstages a setting that privileges comfort, which these days is a synonym for luxury.

Rottet Studio: richard riveire; lauren rottet; harout dedeyan; omid golzar; theresa lee

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