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When Good Things Come in Small Packages

The Talbott Hotel


If time is an indicator of an endeavor’s success, The Talbott has a solid four decades—and no small measure of changes—to its credit. It certainly doesn’t hurt that president/owner Basil Kromelow is an avowed Chicago-ist, loves hotels, and is keen on how details like phone systems impact the quality of guest life.

The Talbott is the only hotel in town to have its entire concierge staff earn membership to the international concierge association, Les Clefs d’Or. Additionally, the four-diamond establishment is the largest consumer of renewable energy in the state. Talbott’s purchase of 20,000 kilowatt hours of renewable energy per year prevents over 1.9 million pounds of carbon dioxide pollution, or the equivalent of taking 2.1 million cars off the road or planting 8,000 mature trees.

“Things like that I didn’t foresee—five or 10 years ago I would have asked ‘Why would you do that?’ but those are the kind of things that come up and you should act on very quickly,” says Kromelow, who also has plans to install a green roof on the building to absorb the sun’s heat and prevent it from “bouncing back into the atmosphere.” The change should also make less air conditioning necessary.

Kromelow, who lives a block from the hotel and whose children attended grammar school nearby, draws inspiration from hotels the world over and says “if you have to go to work everyday you should go somewhere you love. Every time I walk into this lobby I get excited.” Despite the sagging economy, he says “we’re getting more and more people from Europe shopping Chicago, which is a good thing,” and hopes the city will succeed in its bid to host the 2016 Olympics. “That would be great for the city. I would personally want to have all my ducks lined up in a row.”

What's Inside

  • 149 rooms, 29 of which are deluxe suites and all with LCD televisions
  • Nearly 2,000 square feet of meeting and special event space
  • Marble and granite bathrooms of 130’ sq ft with his and her vanities
  • The Tuscany and Lombari-inspired Bice Bistro, serving regional northern and southern Italian fare. In-room menu selections also available

The Talbott Hotel
20 E. Delaware Place
Chicago. IL 60611
312.944.4970
www.talbotthotel.com

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