Intercontinental Chicago

Set behind landmark bronze doors on Chicago's Magnificent Mile, the InterContinental Chicago Magnificent Mile is one of the most characterful places to base a family in the heart of the city. The building opened in 1929 as the Medinah Athletic Club, and a quarter-billion-dollar restoration preserved its marble columns, hand-painted ceilings, and grand staircase, so children walk into something closer to a museum than a standard chain hotel. As a city stay, the location does a lot of the work: you step straight out onto a 13-block stretch of shops, restaurants, and theaters, with Navy Pier, Millennium Park, and the Chicago Riverwalk all within a short walk. Rooms in the newly renovated Grand Tower carry quiet nods to the building's history, and the larger suites, including the two-story Royal and Presidential Suites, give families room to spread out in one of the United States' most storied downtown hotels.

What makes it genuinely easy for parents is the famous indoor pool, set 14 floors above Michigan Avenue beneath original 1920s Spanish tiles and a terra cotta Neptune fountain. It is junior Olympic size with dedicated lanes, which means real swimming for older kids and a memorable splash for younger ones, all without leaving the building. A multi-level fitness center with Peloton bikes, a sauna, and an on-site spa give parents somewhere to decompress, and dining covers every mood: Michael Jordan's Steakhouse for a proper dinner out, the Nikkei lounge Casa Chi, relaxed brunch classics at Center Court, and a lobby Starbucks for the inevitable early start. The hotel is pet-friendly for families traveling with a dog or cat, and its central position means strollers, day trips, and spur-of-the-moment plans all stay simple. It is a polished, grown-up hotel that happens to hand children one of the best swimming stories in Chicago.