Just off Michigan Avenue, the Four Seasons Chicago offers the luxury you want

Hotel Site

Dr. House, anyone?

Celebs Spotted: Demi Moore, Madonna, John Cusack, Nicole Kidman, Gary Busey, Diana Ross, Elton John, Hugh Laurie, Victoria Beckham, Drew Barrymore

Chicago is in the news lately, a hopeful for the 2012 Olympics. (This just in: they didn’t make the bid.) Even President Obama has been there. And he’s not the only celebrity spotted in the Windy City. Lots of stars spend time in Chi-Town, and the Four Seasons is one of their favorite places to stay.

Come on up, the opulence is fine

Located right off Michigan Avenue (shopping, anyone?), the Four Seasons Chicago has over 300 rooms with amazing views of Lake Michigan and that spectacular Chicago skyline. You’ll find French decor all over the place. Oh, style, thy name is Four Seasons!

The Conservatory for a nice cup of tea

Demi Moore stays at the Four Seasons, as does Nicole Kidman (who reportedly sends 800-thread-count sheets ahead so they’re there when she arrives, ooh la la!) and Elton John. In fact, there are a couple of ex-Four Seasons concierges who wrote a book about the famous people at the Four Seasons, complete with tantrums and outrageous demands. The book was pulled by the publisher before it went on sale, but still. Juicy stuff.

Check out that view

Chicago skyline looks lovely

Every room has LCD flat screen TVs, wifi, DVD players, and in-room safes. Mix that up with refrigerated private bars, luxurious terrycloth bathrobes, twice-daily housekeeping service, and even a Bedtime Stories Butler for the kiddos. No kidding, the Four Seasons has a special butler that comes to your room to read bedtime stories to the kids! I kind of want one of those myself.

The Spa offers everything from manicures to massages and wraps

There’s also a fantastic spa – you can have a massage in your own room if you prefer – and a fitness room, including locker rooms, sauna, and an indoor 50-foot pool.

Glass dome ceiling, 50-foot pool

A bit sunny for my taste, but you just know that bed is comfy

A Moderate Room starts at $395 a night. The Four Seasons Executive Suite is $560/night. But if you think that’s where Hugh Laurie and Drew Barrymore stay in the Moderate Room, you’re insane.

It’s all about the Presidential Suite, baby. Oh yeah! 2,315 square feet of glamor and opulence, the Presidential Suite sits at the corner of the 46th floor of the Four Seasons. Enough room to seat nine guests in the living room, a dining room that’ll handle eight people.

Have 9 or 10 friends over for dinner

Two private bars, surround-sound stereo, four-poster bed in the master bedroom. Two – yes, TWO - marble bathrooms. Deep pink marble soaking tub, shower enclosed in glass, and a flat-screen TV…in the BATHROOM. If they deliver room service in the tub, I might never have to leave the water.

Presidential Suite

And that, my friends, will set you back $4,300 a night. But hey, if you want to pretend you’re Madonna or Victoria Beckham, that stuff costs.

Drew Barrymore

Fine dining, too, of course. The Seasons Restaurant is beautiful and offers a hybrid French-North American cuisine. A grand marble fountain and a wonderful comfy lounge on the 7th floor ensures that you’ll not only enjoy the food, but the ambiance, too. You may have to provide your own company, though.

And every Thursday through the end of this month, you can enjoy Dine Without Whine. For grownups and kiddies both, there are seasonal food items that will delight your tastebuds. For the children, there’s a special buffet near the adults, where they’ll love the movies, activities, and video games…all with a licensed babysitter. Did I mention the babysitter is free for parents? Yeah. Just in the restaurant, mind you…there are babysitters available in your room, too, but that’ll cost you.

Or spend time at the Chef’s Table for an incredible culinary experience. You and up to five others sit in the kitchen with the Executive Chef and watch your courses fixed right in front of you. A four-course meal starts at $85 a person, $125 with wine.

Chicago is magnificent, particularly this time of year. Loads of restaurants nearby, the Navy Pier, Lincoln Park Zoo. Enjoy it all while bathing yourself in luxurious comfort at the Four Seasons Chicago. And bring me along, eh? I’m tons of fun and will be a gracious accepter of your hospitality. Seriously, I will. I’m the graciousest.

What? That’s totally a word.

I’m always interested in hotels that might fit into the Celebrity Hotel of the Week feature. If you know of any, please email me. southernyank01 at gmail dot com. Thanks.

Photo Credits

Hotel Photos: Four Seasons web site

Hugh Laurie: Celebutopia.net

Drew Barrymore: Zimbio.com

Petit Soleil in San Luis Obispo

***Guest written by Beth Wenbourne***

As a self-described Francophile, all a hotel needs do to gain my attention is market itself as French anything.  When it also tosses in authentic Provencal decor, free evening wine tasting, home-cooked breakfasts, and proximity to one of the most charming small beach towns in California, I am as they say, en amour.  Meet Petit Soleil – California’s answer to French-style B&Bs.

To begin, let me just say that if you haven’t visited San Luis Obispo, California, you absolutely, positively must.  California’s central coast is made up of hundreds of miles of rugged, beautiful coastline.  The sharp cliffs and pristine beaches are nothing short of spectacular.  And SLO is the perfect town to use as your home base.  It is home to world-class restaurants and old-money millionaires, but manages to remain true to its agricultural roots in its own unpretentious way.

That being said, it makes sense why the owners of Petit Soleil would choose to open their hotel in SLO.  From the moment you walk into the small, red-tiled lobby until the moment you cross the cobblestone courtyard for the last time, the owners will surprise and impress you with their effortless blend of taste and “aw shucks” humility.  They will personally cook your breakfast (think crème brulee French toast and berries with cream), pour your wine during the complimentary evening wine tasting hour, and point you in the direction of the best restaurants in town.  They can even tell you the best items on the menu and suggest wine pairings.

Their unique personalities are also evident in their loving restoration and decoration of the hotel.  Whimsical accessories such as a red bicycle with a basket and dried lavender bunches are evidence of the time and love the proprietors have invested in the property.  By American standards, the rooms are small.  By French standards they are huge.  My queen room was painted lime green, and contained authentic French furniture and linens that the owners brought back from their many travels.  The bathroom was spotless, smelled of lavender, and was stocked with L’Occitane soaps and shampoos.

I suppose I could continue to write an even more glowing review, but I believe I can sum it all up by saying that I didn’t want to leave, and that I will be back.  Le Petit Soleil has, what the French call, un grand coeur.

Beth Wenbourne is a Special Education teacher and writer and currently lives in Sacramento, California.

Photo Credits: La Petit Soleil website