This gargantuan hotel-on-the-river boasts 1,209 guest rooms, 40 of which are pretty sweet suites. Like any hotel, rates vary depending on the season, but a room for single or double occupancy starts at about $219 a night. A deluxe room (oversize and featuring a view of the lake) starts at $259 a night. A room on the club floor, allowing access to a bi-level club that serves up a complimentary continental breakfast and hors d'oeuvres and cocktails in the evening, starts at $279 a night.

A popular choice for business travelers, the understatedly elegant Sheraton provides accommodations that, unfortunately, eliminate any possibility of missing a call from your boss: Expect high-speed internet access, two-line phones, voicemail and a full-service business center. Those with clients to impress can throw a glitzy cocktail bash in one of six Hospitality Suites or wine and dine 'em at Shula's Steakhouse or the swanky Chi Bar.

When it comes time to unwind, overworked out-of-towners work out tension at the Sheraton's health club; Features include an indoor pool, a sauna and in-house masseuses. There's even a sundeck that's open seasonally. Of course, visitors on a pure enjoy-Chicago mission are as welcome as briefcase-toting folk; the hotel is within walking distance of major tourist attractions like Navy Pier, Millennium Park and the Art Institute.

Centerstage Reviewer: Jennifer Berg