Sherman's Travel

According to the Elysian hotel in Chicago, hotel bike rentals are so last year. So how do guests of this elegant hotel in the Gold Coast neighborhood get around? A complimentary pedi-cab service of course!

The hotel-branded service is available in the afternoon and evenings. The dedicated peddler awaits guests in the hotel courtyard and will take them anywhere in an designated area whose borders are Michigan Avenue to Chicago Avenue and Division Street to Clark Street. Hotel guests who are out wandering the neighborhood can also arrange for the peddler to come pick them up. One can imagine that this would be particularly useful after a day of shopping the nearby stores, which include Jil Sander, Prada, and Barneys New York.

How this amenity will hold up once the Windy City’s notoriously tough cold weather sets in remains to be seen. For chillier days and longer journeys (like to the airport), the hotel also has a fleet of BMWs with personal drivers on-hand. Short trips throughout the city are free, while the charge for an airport ride is comparable to the cost in a taxi.

Another cool amenity comes courtesy of the hotel’s cozy partnership with Marc Jacobs (the only Chicago store is located within the Elysian): Upon check-in, guests will receive a limited edition Marc Jacobs tote bag and towel–the ideal accessories for a trip to North Avenue Beach.

The exquisite Elysian was opened by three Chicago residents in December, 2009, with 188 rooms. The hotel has been garning loads of good press since then, earning praise for its elegant Art Deco-influenced design and plush rooms that average 890-square-feet in size; its two ambitious restaurants (the French brasserie-style Balsan serves the likes of housemade headcheese and veal heart salad); and its sprawling 14,000 foot spa.

Rooms at the Elysian currently start at $395/night for a King Classic, which includes a fireplace and a soaking tub.