Three Chicago Hotels Ranked In Top Ten In U.S. News & World Report's 2019 Best Hotels

CHICAGO, Feb. 5, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Chicago has three hotels ranked in the top ten of U.S. News & World Report's listing of the 2019 Best Hotels in the USA announced today: The Peninsula Chicago, Four Seasons Hotel Chicago and The Langham, Chicago. The annual U.S. News & World Report hotel rankings evaluate more than 30,000 luxury hotels and resorts in the U.S., Europe, Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and the Caribbean.    

"This acknowledgment is just another vivid example of the momentum Chicago has been experiencing as a must-visit destination. Yesterday, it was announced that 2018 was another record-breaking year for O'Hare and Midway International Airports combined with the most passengers served and the FAA confirmed O'Hare was the busiest airport in the nation," said David Whitaker, President & CEO of Choose Chicago. "This comes on the heels of announcing another record tourism year as Chicago welcomed over 57 million visitors in 2018. The key to a destination's appeal and success is the experience. Success translates into top hotels, easy access and a city that is home to the great experiences that matter most to you.  It's no coincidence that Chicago and its best are being celebrated – and of course no better opportunity to join in."

Chicago's high-ranking hotels are known for outstanding service, ample on-site amenities and elegant accommodations. U.S. News awards the top 10 percent of ranked hotels with a Gold badge. Chicago is home to 12 Gold badge-winning hotels for 2019.

"Chicago is welcoming a record number of tourists to our city, creating a record number of jobs in the hospitality industry, and earning national and global acclaim for all we have to offer. The fact that two of the top five hotels in America, and three of the top ten, are here in Chicago is another shot in the arm for Chicago tourism," said Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel.  "We congratulate the teams at the hotels and look forward to continuing to welcome visitors from across the country and around the world to experience what Chicago has to offer."

The overall impact of Chicago's visitor industry continues to be demonstrated by a variety of key barometers.  Chicago tourism-related employment is estimated to have reached 150,616 jobs in 2018, an increase of 1.2%.  More than 22,000 new tourism-related jobs have been added since 2011.   

Nine hotels opened in Chicago in 2018 and seven are expected for this year. Hotel room demand (rooms consumed) by visitors last year grew 4.3%.  The overall annual occupancy rate increased to 75.4% for the year.  The growth in demand helped fuel an increase in the average daily room rate of 4.6%, resulting in a reported 9.1% rise in hotel revenues.  With this success and growth, Chicago hotels generated a record $140 million in city hotel tax revenues, resulting in an additional $11.7 million in tax collections to support city services.  An additional $12.9 million in state hotel taxes was generated by hotel room sales to support state services.

About Choose Chicago
Choose Chicago is the official sales and marketing organization responsible for promoting Chicago as a global visitor and meetings destination, leveraging the city's unmatched assets to ensure the economic vitality of the city and its member business community. For more information, visit choosechicago.com. Follow @ChooseChicago on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

SOURCE Choose Chicago