What to expect: Travelers hustle through the spacious marble, wood, and mirrored lobby to events and meetings. The lobby contains colorfully checked armchairs, bench couches, and a long black table bordered by sand-colored columns. Wood-trimmed skylights brighten a sitting area that features a couch and low-slung armchairs. Beyond the lobby is a six-story office atrium, a hotel restaurant, and a gift shop.

Amenity highlights: This hotel completed a $12 million renovation May 2007. At the 17,000-square-foot fitness center, the main club level overlooks the indoor pool and spa tub in a two-story atrium. Guests can use weight machines, free weights, therapy balls, weight benches, and stretching mats. In the fitness center lobby, a handful of video games are on hand, along with a small pro shop and a water cooler. The hotel provides complimentary parking and shuttle service to businesses and other locations within five miles.

Insider Tip: The Morton Arboretum, two miles east of the hotel, is 1,700 acres of gardens, plant collections, natural areas, and trails. Visitors can explore by driving along the nine miles of paved roads, walking through the 14 miles of paths, or taking an overview tour on an open-air tram.