Chicago Shopping

A trip to a shopping destination as historic as Chicago deserves a stay in an historic downtown Chicago hotel. The Silversmith Hotel & Suites, located in the renowned shopping district of Jeweler's Row near the Magnificent Mile, exudes the class and stateliness of Chicago's bygone finest, meanwhile offering guests a modern Chicago hotel experience. For shoppers in the Windy City, here are the best bets:

Simply step outside and find yourself in one of Chicago's most important shopping districts, Jeweler's Row. Located along Wabash Drive between Wacker and Congress, Jeweler's row played an important part in the early-20th century history of Chicago as the center of local jewelry manufacturing and trade. Of course, the brightest gem in Jeweler's Row, then and now, is the home of our boutique Chicago hotel, the Silversmith Building. Just as it was a hundred years ago, Jeweler's Row is still the best place in the whole Midwest to find jewelry, silver, watches, diamonds and other precious stones. Let the soaring art deco facades of this gorgeous district keep you company as you peruse over 185 jewelry and watch retailers at the Jeweler's Row Mall.

Synonymous with upscale Chicago shopping, the Magnificent Mile is situated only a block away from our Magnificent Mile hotel on Michigan Avenue and is home to high-end stores including Bloomingdales, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Lord & Taylor, Marshall Field's, Nordstrom and many more. Click here to learn more.

State Street

If you were to head a single block in the opposite direction, you'd find yourself on State Street, another welcoming Chicago shopping district with a personality all its own. Like Michigan Avenue and the Magnificent Mile, State Street is dotted with local favorites, but it lacks the ultra-chic pomp and circumstance of its cousin two blocks to the east, a fact that many shoppers appreciate.

Anchor stores along State Street include a Macy's located in the vividly-restored Marshall Field's building and a vast multi-level Sears, the quintessential Chicago department store. For a great time and a great deal, Filene's Basement is a must-browse. Racks upon racks of designer products are offered at rock-bottom prices for anyone who's willing to look.

When Water Tower Place hit the Magnificent Mile in 1975, everything changed. For the first time, a more affordable selection of middle-class retailers had found a home in the Midwest's most illustrious shopping district, and while Michigan Avenue has lost none of its prestige over the years, it is finally a place that shoppers of all persuasion can come and be welcome.

Unlike the standalone shops of State Street and Michigan Avenue, Water Tower Place is one of the top Chicago area shopping malls, bursting with clothing and apparel stores, beauty product retailers, electronics, eyewear, specialty shops, dining, and entertainment. Up and down the eight floors of Water Tower Place you'll find shops as diverse as Abercrombie & Fitch, Bebe, Crabtree & Evelyn, Fossil, Godiva Chocolatier, Papyrus, Wet Seal and over a hundred more.

Officially the Chicago Merchandise Mart, this awe-striking structure on the split of the Chicago River was at one time the largest building in the world by usable floor space, and with 25 stories of sheer face, it still dominates the skyline of the south riverbank to this day.

While over half of the building is given over to a dedicated design center where interior designers, architects and wholesale buyers can view showroom floor displays, the first two floors play host to The Shops at the Mart™. This diverse Chicago shopping center, impressive in its own right, is another great place to find apparel, bookstores, telecommunications stores, travel services, and a combination of food court fare and upscale dining.

See all of this, and keep it reasonable, with the help of our Shop till you Drop Chicago vacation package. You can enjoy stylish accommodations at the Silversmith Chicago hotel, breakfast for two, an upscale gift and a shopping guide with discounts for all around the city.

For an historic choice of Chicago Loop hotels, you can't do better than the Silversmith.