The Langham, Chicago with 320-rooms will continue a trend by the group to own or manage properties with historic value which match The Langham’s luxury profile. It currently owns The Langham, Boston, formerly a Federal Reserve Bank building and The Langham, Huntington Hotel in Pasadena -which was built by railroad magnates in 1907. It also owns The Langham, London which is renowned as Europe’s original grand hotel and was originally opened by the Prince of Wales in 1865.

The Langham, Chicago will be housed within the 52-story structure that was the last to be designed by Mies van der Rohe and is affectionately known by Chicago’s citizens as the IBM Building. Its cultural value was recognized when it was declared a Chicago Landmark in 2008 and entered into the National Register of Historic Places in March 2010.

Brett Butcher, Chief Executive Officer of Langham Hospitality Group said: “This much-loved and historic Chicago landmark is a perfect match for The Langham as we respectfully weave our heritage into the fabric of one of the world’s great cities. The Langham, Chicago will honour the iconic status of the Mies van der Rohe- designed building, capturing its original spirit of innovation, heralding a new era in luxury hospitality in the city.”

The Langham, Chicago will embrace the splendour and elegance of the original grand hotel when it opens in 2013. Its 320 rooms, from 525 sq ft, will be amongst the largest in the city and will feature magnificent views over Lake Michigan and the Chicago River. Views can also be had from the Palm Court restaurant - recreating the venue which served the world’s first afternoon tea in a grand hotel in 1865. A full service restaurant will follow in the footsteps of Langham’s other Michelin star winning restaurants and finally a summer time alfresco restaurant on the plaza will be perfect for relaxing by the River.

The Langham, Chicago will showcase around 20,000 sq ft of elegant and sophisticated meeting facilities as well as the group’s award-winning wellness retreat, Chuan Spa, based on the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Chuan Spa will be positioned as the very best spa in Chicago spanning almost 9,000 sq ft of holistic facilities. For leisure tourists and groups, the property also has direct doorstep access to the river jetty for alternative business transport or sublime leisure cruising.

City.Mobi

Also in US today, City.Mobi is celebrating the success of its new guide to Chicago.

City.Mobi offers the most comprehensive mobile travel guides available, with over 800 cities in 200 countries listed. Each is developed by the City.Mobi team to combine into a single global travel directory.

However, each city retains its own mobile identity via a dedicated domain. Already on offer are Brussels.Mobi, Paris.Mobi, Sanfrancisco.Mobi and Sydney.Mobi.

Chicago.mobi is the latest in this illustrious line up, offering click to call functionality – which means no scribbling down telephone numbers.

Most entries are also linked to websites where users can quickly access more detailed information if needed.

Other key features include information on accommodation, restaurants, attractions, entertainment, nightlife, shopping, and transport.

City.Mobi guides include user reviews and traveller utilities such as a translation guide, currency converter, news and local weather guide.