Warwick International Hotels (WIH) acquires the Allerton Hotel, a Chicago historic landmark

Built in 1924, the Allerton Hotel is arguably the best located hotel in the entire city of Chicago.

Situated in the heart of the Magnificent Mile, Michigan Avenue, this historic landmark is located in the downtown area and along the preeminent and the most luxurious shopping avenue of America’s third largest city.

It is also within close walking distance of the Millennium Park, the Chicago River and the Lake Michigan beaches.

The Allerton Hotel will shortly be renamed the Warwick Allerton Hotel, Chicago. In the 50’s and the 60’s, the hotel gained nationwide recognition for a radio program which was hosted from the “Tip Top Tap” lounge bar on top of the building.

Even though the lounge bar has since been moved to the lobby level, the well-known exterior sign remains on the façade and it is a Chicago legend. Tip Top Tap was frequented by Hollywood and local celebrities like Bob Hope, Ginger Rogers and James Stewart.

With its distinctive Renaissance influenced architecture, the hotel has 443 keys, including 59 suites. The original Tip Top Tap bar lounge has now been converted to a ballroom, which is known for its panoramic view of the City and is one of the most popular venues for weddings and private parties.

Various proposals for a Tip Top Tap bar lounge renaissance are currently under study.

There are now six hotels in the WIH Collection in North America. The Group was founded by Richard Chiu in 1980 with the purchase of the Warwick New York Hotel on 6th Avenue and 54th Street. In the intervening years, the Group has expanded into Europe, Asia, the South Pacific, the Middle East and Africa.

WIH now consists of 59 hotels with approximately 8,600 rooms.