Fillmore Hospitality worked with ms consultants to rebrand and renovate the Mile North Hotel into the Cambria Hotel & Suites Chicago Magnificent Mile. ms performed an as-built conditions assessment to help with the implementation of a full-scale room-side and lobby renovation of the 28-story, 215 guestroom property.

Originally built in 1965 as a mixed use office and residential facility, the hotel was full of technical challenges. Many of these challenges were typical of a retrofit project, such as outdated mechanical systems and controls, envelope failures, and unforeseen conditions.

This project however, presented a unique challenge with finished floor elevation changes between circulation spaces and guestrooms. How to deal with the need for stairs within guestrooms and corridors was both an accessibility and logistics challenge for guests and hotel services alike. ms consultants worked closely with jurisdictional agencies and hotel management to ensure the design solutions were acceptable to all stakeholders.

The project included comprehensive interior and exterior renovations. Renovation areas in the hotel include:

• Building exterior envelope and glazing systems
• Signage
• Lobby and reception
• Restaurant and lounge
• Fitness area
• Interior wayfinding
• Guestrooms

Perhaps the most interesting feature of the project was the addition of a full-service rooftop bar with a retractable roof, overlooking the Chicago skyline.

The ms team worked on several iterations of design improvements and rebranding for Fillmore’s new urban hotel concept under the Cambria flag.

The team used Cambria Hotel & Suites brand standards to improve the layout and appearance of the facility’s interior, but Fillmore’s vision of the renovation also needed to be expressed on the exterior. The team provided multiple creative and unique design schemes to address the Cambria brand. These schemes added color to the exterior curtain wall, created a friendlier entry with outside seating at the street and sidewalk, and integrated signage and graphics into the facade.