More photosLocated in the trendy River North neighborhood, The Godfrey Hotel Chicago stands out with a striking, gravity-defying Cubist exterior. Designed by local architecture firm Valerio Dewalt Train, the building utilizes a unique staggered steel truss system. Construction actually halted during the 2008 recession, leaving the raw skeleton wrapped in tarps for years—earning it the nickname “The Mummy”—before it was rescued and opened in 2014.
The crown jewel of the property is I|O Godfrey, a massive 15,000-square-foot fourth-floor lounge. It ranks as Chicago’s largest indoor/outdoor rooftop space and features a retractable roof system, meaning guests can sip cocktails and enjoy the city skyline year-round, regardless of the erratic midwestern weather.
Inside, the geometric design continues with a marble-clad elliptical lobby and minimalist, tech-forward rooms. The hotel also prioritizes sustainability in unexpected ways; for example, the kitchen implements a zero-waste menu policy where bartenders repurpose fruit and vegetable kitchen scraps into crafted cocktails.
If you want to explore, the hotel is perfectly positioned just a short walk from iconic landmarks. The upscale shops of the Magnificent Mile, the historic Richard H. Driehaus Museum, and the famous 360 Chicago observation deck are all right in your backyard.
Expert reviews
“The Godfrey boasts a Cubist-inspired facade and a marble-clad elliptical lobby. The modern design aesthetic extends to the 221 rooms and suites, many of which have skyline views. A youthful atmosphere pervades the stylish hotel, as evidenced by the high-energy music playing in the lobby day and night.”
“The Godfrey pops eyeballs with its super-cool, Cubist-inspired architecture. Big, industrial-chic rooms and a sparkling, glass-encased bar add to the allure for the young and fashionable, as does the setting in a buzzy district of galleries, designers and nightlife.”
What guests liked
- Rooftop bar
- Comfortable beds
- Excellent location
- Clean rooms
- Excellent Wifi
- Boutique style
Location
Recent guest reviews
15 October 2025
Nice hotel, good location,
The room was spacious, clean and had all the facilities we needed. The bed was comfortable.
There was a lot of noise in our room due to the lift mechanisms. Every lift journey was audible in our room. Also, simple touches like a proper Tea/Coffee cups and Glasses for drinking water rather than plastic and paper cups. Given the cost of the hotel, this seemed like a poor effort.
8 October 2025
Beautiful facility and very helpful staff
Very spacious rooms and bathroom
Would have liked a microwave in our room
23 September 2025
Enjoyable- would return
Modern, clean- great location
Poor service at bar. The bar on ground floor not the roof scape bar
9 September 2025
Perfect except we didn’t have a fridge
Location
Our fridge was out of order, called for a replacement but didn’t get one
8 August 2025
The stay was okay. Not excellent, but not bad either.
The staff was professional and very accommodating!
The cleanliness of the room could have been better. Additionally, the bedding was not very comfortable. They used a triple-sheet method, placing a thin pad between two sheets, which didn’t provide much comfort.
24 July 2025
It was a pleasant trip.
We loved the location! Just a few blocks away from Michigan Avenue, but tucked away enough to stay away from the traffic.
Facilities could definitely use a major upgrade, considering this is a 4 star hotel. Walls are also paper thin, and our neighbors were loud and disruptive.
17 July 2025
Great hotel, good location, would book again.
Large comfortable rooms and reception were attentive and changed our room allocation swiftly and easily.
Avoid having a room near elevator it is too noisy. Motor in elevator shaft will disturb sleep.
17 June 2025
Great location and Facilities
The location was great and the restaurant and rooftop bar were both top-notch in terms of the food and service. All the staff were very accommodating. The Daily
housekeeping service was nice.
It would have been nice to have a vending machine on the floor and offer room service. TV Channels were also a bit underwhelming.
17 May 2025
Great location and comfortable room
Location was excellent and within 15 mins walking of downtown Chicago.
Extremely comfortable bed and a good sized bathroom.
Free bottles of water whenever requested.
The overbearing stench of strong marijuana permeating throughout the hotel.
Shower/bath towels could be larger
13 May 2025
The Godfrey covered my 3 c’s, comfortable, clean, and central!
On site rooftop bar, attached restaurant, location was central for activities I had planned and walkable to L stations.
No visible instructions on how to get up to the rooftop bar and attached restaurant isn’t directly affiliated with the hotel so if you wanted to get a drink to take back to your room you had to get it from the rooftop bar.
7 May 2025
Overall, decided to move somewhere else. Not likely to be at loud places.
Very nice hotel. Great location
Parking is way too expensive. There was a private unexpected party at the roof top that made it loud and very busy and unavailable for guest.
29 April 2025
Nice play to stay in Chicago.
Nice view on skyline.
Good amenities in the bathroom.
Calm.
No beer on tap on the rooftop, and bottle are expensive.
10 April 2025
I would stay here again and recommend it to others
everything was good
n/a
28 February 2025
Would stay again if I’m working in the area
Location
Quiet and felt safe as a solo traveller
No room service
Not clear what the options for breakfast were if any
26 February 2025
Perfect Location for an extended Weekend
We had the executive suite on the top floor with beautiful view over Chicago
24 January 2025
An affordable room with a stunning view on the Chicago skyline
I enjoyed very much my stay in The Godfrey Hotel during my citytrip to Chicago. Friendly staff, modern and new interior. I was especially pleased with my room with a stunning view on the Chicago skyline. Good to have free coffee in the room. Also nice to have a gym comprising an elliptical, which I used daily. The restaurant serves nice mediterranean dishes. Will be back here whenever I visit Chicago again.
no spa, although I had the impression there was one while booking
5 January 2025
Good. We enjoyed our stay
Location and clean and comfortable
NA
23 November 2024
Overall it was good!
I like the location of the hotel
No make up mirrow, no shower cap,no cotton swabs available.
No microwave in the room
13 November 2024
Staying at The Godfrey was enjoyable and I would definitely come back.
The view from my room was amazing. The room was spacious. The staff was friendly and attentive. The lobby was inviting. The rooftop restaurant's ambiance I enjoyed.
I didn't like that they didn't have a business center.
21 October 2024
Amazing and calm
Internet
It’s amazing and lovely but coffee machine in the room didn’t work
14 October 2024
Simple hotel in a good location
The room was clean and spacious
The restaurant was closed so there was no option for morning coffee or refreshments. The rooftop is great, but kids are not really allowed up there so the food options in the hotel are very limited.
27 September 2024
Overall a very nice stay, I will be back.
Hotel staff were great, a really nice spacious and comfortable room, and fantastic terrace bar.
There wasn't a coffee shop in the hotel or room service available.
3 September 2024
Great place to stay for a few days sightseeing in Chicago
Great location and fantastic roof bar
The city noise
29 August 2024
All round good place to stay in Chicago.
Fantastic location and nice bar area.
Nothing
Hotel facilities
Food & Drink
- - Restaurant
- - Bar
Business facilities
- - Meeting/banquet facilities
Reception services
- - 24-hour front desk
- - Express check-in/check-out
- - Luggage storage
- - Concierge service
Activities
- - Fitness centre
- - Spa & wellness centre
- - Nightclub/DJ
- - Evening entertainment (additional charge)
- - Fitness
- - Happy hour (additional charge)
General
- - Non-smoking rooms
- - Facilities for disabled guests
- - Family rooms
- - Lift
- - Heating
- - Non-smoking throughout
- - Air conditioning
Cleaning services
- - Dry cleaning (additional charge)
- - Ironing service (additional charge)
- - Trouser press (additional charge)
- - Daily housekeeping
Parking
- - Parking garage
- - Accessible parking
Accessibility
- - Wheelchair accessible
- - Toilet with grab rails
Outdoors
- - Outdoor furniture
Miscellaneous
- - Key access
- - Key card access
- - Smoke alarms
- - CCTV in common areas
- - CCTV outside property
- - Fire extinguishers
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Overall, very good and the rooftop bar was excellent