Our Lobby is a wealth of history, all in one very cool place. Here, we’re sharing 10 things you probably don’t know about our coveted gathering place. Enjoy!

  1. Our lobby interiors capture the American Industrial era and feature modern antique décor – which we like to call Vintage Modern or Industrial Chic.
  2. Design concepts and finishes arose from focus groups of both business travelers and motorcycle riders. Floors are welcoming to high heels and riding boots. Furniture is chic yet durable, able to withstand heavy zippers and buckles yet cool and refined for business attire.
  3. The lobby features four custom chandeliers made for the space by Argossy Design in New York and feature motorcycle gears and throwing knives.
  4. All furniture was custom-made for the hotel or is an antique original piece. A mix of antique and contemporary accessories were hand-selected by owner Tim Dixon. The two large, gold communal tables were designed and fabricated right down the street at Scathain LLC. Scathain also designed the lounge chairs in our guest rooms and retail space.
  5. Two of the console tables came from the Packard Automobile Plant of Detroit.
  6. Antique leather chairs throughout the lobby came from London and vintage rugs from throughout the Middle East.
  7. The lobby features two custom apothecary cabinets holding antiques and memorabilia from the turn of the century. Antiques that are displayed throughout the lobby were purchased at antique dealers and galleries within a mile of the hotel. These include antique dress forms, a vintage leather railroad mailbag, antique toy trains and motorcycles, sewing spindles and railroad lights.
  8. Antique industrial gears, springs, screws and bolts on display all came from the building’s mechanicals.
  9. The light fixtures directly above the banquette tables are actually tin bean cans; the fixtures for the space appeared too modern and typical and were replaced.
  10. The Lobby-adjacent retail space features a 1920s two-piece cabinet that displays jewelry and other items for sale. The cabinet was removed from the old Reid Drug Store in Chicago. The pharmacy was famous for its soda fountain and its clientele — a popular “hang out” for the people of East Chicago during the 1930s. According to the pharmacist, John Dillinger enjoyed a cup of coffee there moments before he traveled across the street to shoot up and rob the First National Bank of East Chicago on January 15, 1934.