The Hotel Chicago

CHICAGO-Thompson Hotels, a collection of luxury, urban hotels, will now manage the Hotel Sax Chicago.

Hotel Sax, owned by LaSalle Hotel Properties, features 353 guestrooms, meeting and event spaces, as well as the Crimson Lounge.

Located at 333 N. Dearborn St. Hotel Sax is part of a complex that offers an array of dining and entertainment venues.

Thompson Hotels includes 60 Thompson, 6 Columbus, and Gild Hall in New York City, and the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, and Thompson Beverly Hills in Los Angeles. .

Lodging REIT LaSalle Hotel Properties owns 31 upscale full-service hotels and resorts, totaling approximately 8,500 guestrooms in 14 markets in 11 states and the District of Columbia.

CHICAGO, Jan. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- In 2008, guests at the new Hotel Sax Chicago will find a new level of excitement that will stimulate their minds and amplify their hotel experience. "The Studio - experience by Microsoft" is a new entertainment lounge that offers guests the chance to experience the newest and most exciting entertainment and guest service technologies from Microsoft.

As part of its $25+ million renovation into one of the city's top luxury destinations, the Hotel Sax Chicago has joined forces with Microsoft's experiential branding team to provide unique technological amenities throughout the hotel. Providing a new level of value-added services, the most recent addition, The Studio - experience by Microsoft, is located on the hotel's sixth floor and is only accessible to hotel guests. It is open between 4pm and Midnight, seven days a week at no charge. This one-of-a-kind lounge features high-end laptop computers, Microsoft Zune MP3 players, Xbox gaming consoles, HD television screens, surround sound, movies and more.

Though the hotel first opened its doors in June 2007, management continues to unveil state-of-the-art entertainment amenities and unparalleled service. To create The Studio - experience by Microsoft, Hotel Sax Chicago's marketing and operations team worked with Microsoft's experiential branding team to provide an interactive environment that showcases the best in entertainment technologies. The Studio - experience by Microsoft offers patrons a private oasis where guests can play Xbox games, connect with other gamers around the world via the Xbox Live service, work in a social setting, download and listen to music from the hotel's music library via Microsoft's Zune music player or kick back and watch HDTV content and select movies in the home theater environment managed by Windows Media Center technology. Guests may also access local maps with suggestions for dining and entertainment via Windows Live services and hotel provided laptop computers.

Guests looking for an alternative entertainment experience will revel in all The Studio - experience by Microsoft has to offer. It showcases the latest in technological gaming such as Madden '08, Halo 3 and many socially-oriented and community games such as Activision's Guitar Hero, Rock Band, Scene It and Dance Dance Revolution. Tying the gaming experience together with movies, music and television is Windows Vista Media Center running on a home theater PC, interconnecting all the entertainment systems and allowing guests to interact and compete against one another.
Once in The Studio - experience by Microsoft, a Hotel Sax Chicago technology butler will be on service to help solve any problem, answer any questions or simply help guests relax as they order food or beverage selections off the menu of the Hotel's Crimson Lounge. White cushions and dark wood paneled walls line this gamer's heaven creating a space that feels intimate and modern. Suede couches and leather chairs, along with a plethora of pillows, offer a comfortable, classic lounge look. Specially designed LED lighting infuses the room with energy and intrigue. Five flat panel HD television screens and futuristic looking window seats add the final touch of comfort and tech flare.

"We are excited to offer guests a new source of entertainment within the comfort of the hotel," explained Mario Mazzini, General Manager of the Hotel Sax Chicago. "We hope to grow our relationship with Microsoft and continue to surprise our guests with these types of unexpected luxury and technological amenities."
The Studio - experience by Microsoft entertainment lounge is the perfect way for hotel guests to find entertainment outside of their rooms and interact with other guests, all within the comfort of the hotel. The space is perfect for business travelers, gamers or anyone who just wants to relax and watch a movie or the latest sporting event. For the socially-minded, the hotel will host regular movie nights, as well as competitive Guitar Hero, Rock Band and Scene It events. Kanye West, Samantha Ronson and Eddie Van Halen have already experienced the lounge during their stay at the Hotel Sax Chicago since its opening. Each has offered rave reviews in support of the concept. With the unveiling of The Studio - experience by Microsoft, the Hotel Sax Chicago with Microsoft has introduced the latest in guest service and hotel entertainment.

Capturing a seductive, yet vibrant ambiance, the Hotel Sax Chicago is the ultimate downtown Chicago luxury hotel destination. Located just steps away from the Chicago River in the city's celebrated Marina City, the 353-room hotel offers high-tech room amenities and meeting areas in a unique, urban resort setting, with access to six celebrated restaurants, a 25,000 square foot fitness facility, the 10 Pin upscale bowling lounge, and the world-renowned House of Blues music venue.

For room reservations, please call (877) 569-3742 or for more information visit the web site at http://www.hotelsaxchicago.com/.

Luxury Hotel Announces the Latest Product of its Multi-Million Dollar Renovation

CHICAGO, Nov. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Think of the setting of your last professional group meeting. Neutral colors, vast blank walls and ballpoint pens probably come to mind. These tools hardly promote the creativity and innovation that are the expected results of off-site meetings. Companies today -- from design firms to law firms -- demand productive and memorable meetings and events. Thus, this December, the Hotel Sax Chicago, managed by Gemstone Hotels and Resorts International, LLC and design firm VOA Associates (www.voa.com) will unveil the latest result of a multi-million dollar hotel renovation, a state-of-the-art meeting and ballroom space -- an event space with a point of view.

Hotel Sax Chicago is excited to introduce an alternative to the traditional hotel meeting room experience. They have created a dynamic space where guests can be inspired -- to strategize, synthesize, brainstorm and plan. With a meeting capacity of 350 people, and equipped with state of the art productivity and communication technologies -- from Microsoft and other partners -- the Hotel Sax facilities will set a new standard for meeting and event accommodations. The 10,000 square foot space was designed to cater to "whole brain" business thinkers -- people who need to synthesize both the logical/rational and creative sides of today's business opportunities. The goal: provide an inspirational, creative environment, where guests can strategize, innovate and create the solutions that productive meetings should generate. The project is unlike anything currently available in the city of Chicago and is scheduled for completion by December 5, 2007.

The Hotel Sax Chicago and VOA Associates worked closely with Microsoft and other partners to employ technology and communication solutions that blend cutting edge productivity and networking with video and audio options. Focus groups with meeting professionals from an array of industries stressed the need for an alternative to a stagnant market of meeting space options. Concurrently, ease of use and "function with form" were important in a technologically sophisticated meeting environment. To address these needs, technology at Hotel Sax has been seamlessly integrated into the space and its function, a welcome alternative to the intimidating environment presented by many of today's technology hubs.

"Most hotels take a convention room, with conventional design and technology, throw some trinkets on the table and call it a "creative meeting,"' says Hotel Sax Chicago General Manager Mario Mazzini. "Our understanding of the market -- and our opportunity -- told us to start from a clean slate, and use architecture, interior design and technology to create an environment that would inspire real creativity. Thus far, the space has piqued the interest of many clients who demand creative, memorable and productive meetings or events."

There are no right angles here. Every detail was specifically chosen to discourage conventionalism and invite imagination. Elevator doors open on the fourth floor of the Hotel Sax Chicago to a 36-foot, semi-circular video wall with unlimited projection capabilities. Just off of this arrival area is a central rotunda where guests will find a blue, dream-like polycarbonate sculpture that stretches to the ceiling. Intertwined within the sculpture is a sail-like lighting feature that pierces the length of the space. To further create an artistic, individualistic ambiance, meeting and breakout rooms are accented by details such as charged-glass (to change a space from public to private at the flip of a switch), fireplaces, geometrically designed couches and a calming water installation. Every meeting space offers wired and wireless HSIA, and customizable A/V, environmental and lighting; variable LED lighting is used throughout the space. In addition, many rooms feature concealed, drop-down projection systems, to allow for presentations at a moments notice.

All meeting rooms at the Hotel Sax Chicago are designed to provoke the utmost creativity and willingness to participate from professionals of all industries. From a striking red wall to flat panels and video conferencing capabilities, the meeting space offers surprising features and intriguing technologies at every turn. Even the ballroom space is designed to separate into two equally stimulating spaces, depending on the size of the party. The Hotel Sax offers endless opportunities for creative expression that have the power to turn any meeting into a successful event. Hotel management will soon introduce the first of what will be the future of meetings and events. The Hotel Sax Chicago, VOA Associates, and other partners have created the ultimate oasis for meetings -- where stepping out of the office means stepping outside of the box.

For more information on the Hotel Sax Chicago (333 N. Dearborn) meetings and events space, visit www.hotelsaxchicago.com. Reservations can be made at (312) 923-2473.