(Above) 2013 image of the lobby of The Langham hotel in River North. (Click on images to view larger versions.)

2-Feb-16 – Nine of the top ten best hotels in Chicago, according to U.S. News & World Report, are located in River North, Streeterville, Gold Coast, or in-between those north-of-the-Loop neighborhoods.

The 2016 list was published on Monday. The rankings, says U.S. News, are “based on an unbiased analysis of awards, expert recommendations, and user ratings.”

The Langham, the 316-room hotel on floors 2-13 of the 52-story AMA Plaza, was ranked first, noted for its “attentive service, quiet location, and river views.”

Said one reviewer, “If Downton Abbey was transported in time and place to Chicago, it would be The Langham.”

Across Wabash Avenue, the 339-room Trump International Hotel & Tower, with its “minimalist-design rooms” and “picturesque view of the Wrigley Building,” was ranked fifth.

“The towering, light blue concrete and glass structure, all 92 floors of it, sits on prime Chicago real estate, overlooking the river, lake, and downtown,” said a reviewer.

Top ten hotels in Chicago, according to U.S. News & World Report…

1. The Langham, 330 North Wabash Avenue
2. Waldorf Astoria, 11 East Walton Street
3. Four Seasons, 120 East Delaware Place
4. The Peninsula, 108 East Superior Street
5. Trump International Hotel & Tower, 401 North Wabash Avenue
6. Park Hyatt, 800 North Michigan Avenue
7. The Ritz-Carlton, 160 East Pearson Street
8. Thompson, 21 East Bellevue Place
9. The Talbott, 20 East Delaware Place
10. Radisson Blu Aqua, 221 North Columbus Drive

Hotels ranked 11-20 include three in River North…

• The James, 55 East Ontario Street
• The Gwen, 521 North Rush Street
• Hotel Palomar, 505 North State Street

(Above) Hotel Palomar from the northwest. In background at upper right is Trump Tower and AMA Plaza, where The Langham is located.

One hotel, Sofitel Chicago Water Tower at 20 East Chestnut Street, is north of River North but not quite in the Gold Coast neighborhood.

And three are in the Loop…

• Renaissance Chicago Downtown Hotel, 1 West Wacker Drive
• Hotel Monaco, 225 North Wabash Avenue
• Hotel Burnham, 1 West Washington Street

The 560-room Renaissance on Wacker Drive is ranked fourth by U.S. News and World Report among all 166 Renaissance Hotels worldwide.