As it sits at a US crossroads, Chicago has become an important hub for business conventions. As a result, hotels across the city are well equipped to handle business travellers and remain fiercely competitive. Tourists benefit from the competition as there are a disproportionately high number of five-star establishments with impeccable service. The downside is that the constant flow of business travellers inflates prices.

The best views and high-end hotels are found on the Magnificent Mile and boast high-rise views of the lake. North Avenue is equally posh and has its own share of first-rate restaurants and hotels. Travellers looking for historic atmosphere will appreciate River North or Lincoln Park, an area that also boasts a thriving night scene.

The Magnificent Mile is Chicago's premier strip. It follows North Michigan Avenue across the northern perimeter of the downtown district to Oak Street. The city's most luxurious hotels are found in this upscale district. Outstanding among the masses are the Ritz-Carlton, The Peninsula Chicago, The Drake Hotel and the Four Seasons.

Stretching from North Avenue to Oak Street, Lakeshore Drive, or the Gold Coast, is Chicago's finest strip of real estate. While there are a few well-known hotels here, lakeside apartments and luxury condominiums for affluent locals are much more common. Mid-range options like Hotel Indigo, Ambassador East and the Flemish House of Chicago are all found here.

West of the Magnificent Mile, River North district is a former industrial area undergoing a cultural renaissance. One-time warehouses have been refurbished and converted into hip restaurants and nightclubs. Chains like Hampton Inn, Embassy Suites and Westin have hotels in this area.

The downtown district is Chicago's dense, cosmopolitan core bound on every side by the El Train. The city centre actually exceeds these boundaries, though the atmosphere changes. The finest establishment inside the El Train loop is the Hotel Monaco.

Lincoln Park is a residential area home to a hip and young demographic. Ironically, this is an older neighbourhood so the architecture harkens back as far as the 19th century while the restaurant, bar and entertainment scene remains modern and relevant. Area establishments like the Millennium Knickerbocker Hotel, the Windy City Urban Inn and the Majestic Hotel are less expensive than those on Lake Shore Drive.

Prairie Avenue, at the core of a posh, 19th century neighbourhood, is another important residential area with its own share of hotels. In the old days, this was a glamorous district. Today, Prairie Avenue is on the rise again, with Wheeler Mansion and the Hilton headlining the hotel scene here.