Best Pet-Friendly Hotels in Chicago

Before you go

What happens when you get there

Winter

From December to March the lake wind makes any walk to grass feel long, and downtown Chicago has almost no on-site relief areas. The Royal Sonesta River North has one. The Fairmont, St. Regis, Swissôtel and Radisson Blu Aqua sit beside Lakeshore East Dog Park, Hilton Chicago and the Blackstone face Grant Park, Arlo and the Athletic Association face Millennium Park, and the Sheraton Grand has Ogden Plaza Park across the street. Streeterville and Fulton Market stays mean several blocks in the cold.

Off-leash and on-leash

Montrose Dog Beach in Uptown is the only legal off-leash beach, about five miles north of the Loop. The fenced dog-friendly areas downtown are Lake Shore East Dog Park, Grant Bark Park at the south end of Grant Park, Mary Bartelme Park in the West Loop, Fred Anderson Dog Park in the South Loop and Wiggly Field in Lincoln Park, and they ask for a city permit tag. The Lakefront Trail, the Riverwalk, Millennium Park and Grant Park are on-leash, and Oak Street Beach bans dogs from the sand.

Getting around

CTA trains and buses take small dogs in a carrier only. Metra allows small dogs in a carrier off-peak. Uber Pet runs across the city. For Montrose Dog Beach from downtown, a rideshare is the practical option.

Patios and bars

The Four Seasons seats dogs in Adorn bar and restaurant and on the terrace. The Kimpton Gray welcomes dogs at the wine hour and on the Boleo rooftop patio. The Allegro seats dogs on the 312 Chicago patio with a seasonal dog brunch. The Viceroy's Somerset patio hosts dog events. The Emily's Fora patio, the Sofitel's Café des Architectes terrace and the Waldorf Astoria's outdoor seating take dogs. The Talbott serves dog meals from its restaurant. Illinois food law keeps dogs out of indoor dining rooms, so the Athletic Association, Pendry, the Langham, Loews, Nobu, InterContinental, the Drake and the Hoxton keep dogs to the room and lobby.

Leaving the dog in the room

The Kimpton Gray, the Four Seasons, Pendry, the Waldorf Astoria, the Gwen, the Omni, the Hoxton, L7, the Emily, Hotel EMC2, the Viceroy, the Whitehall and the Warwick Allerton allow a well-behaved dog alone in the room, usually with a door sign and no housekeeping. The Athletic Association, Hilton Chicago, Palmer House, the Blackstone and Radisson Blu Aqua allow it crated. Loews charges USD 10 an hour to collect a dog that disturbs guests. The Peninsula, Park Hyatt, Ritz-Carlton, Fairmont, Langham, Thompson, Sofitel, Westin Michigan Avenue, Westin River North, Sheraton Grand, InterContinental, the Drake, Arlo, Nobu, the Talbott, Swissôtel and the Midland don't.

Weight limits

No published limit at the Kimpton Gray, the Athletic Association, the Thompson, L7, Pendry, Loews, the Allegro, the LaSalle, the Emily, both Royal Sonestas and the Radisson Blu Aqua. 75 lb at the Blackstone, Hilton Chicago, Palmer House, the Drake, Arlo, the Sheraton Grand and the Warwick Allerton. 60 lb at the Sofitel. 50 lb at the Peninsula, Park Hyatt (combined), Hotel EMC2, Renaissance, the Talbott, Westin Michigan Avenue, the St. Regis and Hyatt Centric. 40 lb at the Fairmont, InterContinental, the Gwen, the Wade, the Westin River North, the Hoxton and the Midland. 35 lb at the Langham. 30 lb at the Waldorf Astoria and the Whitehall. 25 lb at the Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton, Viceroy, Nobu, Omni and Swissôtel.

Fees

Free at the Kimpton Gray, the Athletic Association, the Thompson, the Hoxton, L7, the Sheraton Grand and the Westin River North. USD 50 a stay at Palmer House and the Drake. USD 75 at the Blackstone, the Allegro, the Waldorf Astoria, the Royal Sonesta River North, Radisson Blu Aqua and the Warwick Allerton. USD 100 at Hilton Chicago, the Four Seasons, the Sofitel, Loews, the Talbott, the Emily, the Royal Sonesta Downtown, Hyatt Centric and the Midland. USD 125 at Pendry, Hotel EMC2, the Viceroy and the Omni. USD 150 at the Langham, the Fairmont, Park Hyatt, the St. Regis, InterContinental, Westin Michigan Avenue, the LaSalle and Nobu. USD 250 at the Ritz-Carlton. USD 350 to 500 a dog at the Peninsula. Nightly fees at Arlo (USD 20), the Wade (USD 25 plus 100 cleaning), the Whitehall (USD 30 plus deposit), Swissôtel (USD 50 plus 250 deposit), Renaissance (USD 50 plus 150 cleaning) and the Gwen (USD 25 a day plus 120 cleaning).

Still to confirm

Nobu's weight cap shows as 25 lb on the hotel FAQ and 50 lb on booking sites. The Emily publishes no weight limit but some channels say 25 lb. The Waldorf Astoria's fee runs USD 75 to 150 depending on the channel. Hilton Chicago shows USD 75 or 100. The Sheraton Grand shows one or two dogs. Radisson Blu Aqua's cap ranges from none to 60 lb. The Warwick Allerton still shows as no-pets on some booking sites though its own Paws and Stay offer confirms dogs. Ask before booking.

Best walks

The Lakefront Trail from Oak Street Beach to Navy Pier at sunrise, the Riverwalk from Lake Street to the lake, Millennium Park into Maggie Daley Park and down Grant Park to Grant Bark Park, the Gold Coast's tree-lined side streets, Washington Square Park, the Fulton Market grid to Mary Bartelme Park, and the drive north to Montrose Dog Beach for the one run on sand.

When to go

May to October. June and September are the best months for the lakefront, and summer patios are when the dog brunches run. Winter works if you pick a hotel beside a park and keep the walks short.