New in Chicago: Hotel Julian, Inside the Converted Atlantic Bank Building

Both 2015 and 2016 were big years for the Chicago hotel scene. The Windy City has seen some chic new arrivals (Conrad, Loews, and the fabulous Chicago Athletic Association Hotel) and major spruce-ups for legends (the likes of The Waldorf Astoria and The Peninsula Chicago). Of late, the hotel boom continues with a number of new properties in the pipeline for 2017: a hip new Ace Hotel, Viceroy Chicago, ECM2 (part of the Marriott Autograph Collection), a new Nobu (read our account here), and the big daddy of them all: the 1,200-room Marriott Marquis at McCormick Place.

In the latest news from Chicago: We’ve learned of an exciting new project to convert the historic Atlantic Bank Building across from Millennium Park into a luxury hotel. As reported by REJournals.com, developers Oxford Capital Group and Quadrum Global recently made the announcement about the $75 million project, choosing the name Hotel Julian “in honor of St. Julian Hospitaller, the patron saint of hospitality and travelers.” Note that Oxford Capital Group is also behind LondonHouse, a riverfront hotel which made a splash when it opened last year boasting “Chicago’s only tri-level rooftop venue.”

Scheduled to open at the end of 2018, Hotel Julian will feature the building’s original terracotta façade, carefully preserved by the architectural firm Marshall & Fox, responsible for the new hotel's look. Atop the original building, a five-story addition was designed by Hirsch Associates. Cool design features include a “glass curtain wall” on the terracotta face and a “folding glass wall” opening up into the lobby.