Data report · 23 October 2026
Chicago Hotel Renovation Index 2026
101 tracked Chicago hotels, each with a sourced build year and last completed renovation. 19% were renovated in the last five years; the median last renovation is 2017, and 11% of scored hotels are classified “tired” — a Chrono Score below 5.0.
101
hotels tracked
19%
renovated in the last 5 years
15
renovated 2024–2026
2017
median last renovation
11%
classified tired (score < 5.0)
21
built before 1960
Methodology
Every build and renovation year in this report links to a cited source (no quote, no data); announced or in-progress renovations are never counted as completed. The Chrono Score (v1.1) is a deterministic freshness metric: −3.5/year from the most recent sourced renovation, −1.5/year from the build year when no renovation is on record; 8.0+ is fresh, 5.0–7.9 ageing, below 5.0 tired. Hotels announced but not yet open are excluded (0 in Chicago). Sample-based: our tracked database of 101 Chicago hotels, not a census of the city. Data as of 23 October 2026.
Renovated in 2024–2026: the current wave
15 hotels completed a renovation in the last three years (15% of the tracked stock) — each row links to the source the year comes from.
| Hotel | Renovated | Built | Chrono Score | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hampton Inn Chicago North-Loyola StationHampton | 2026 | 2016 | 9.9 | source ↗ |
| ACME Hotel Company | 2025 | 1924 | 9.7 | source ↗ |
| Courtyard Chicago Downtown/River NorthCourtyard | 2025 | 2010 | 9.7 | source ↗ |
| Hampton Inn & Suites Chicago Downtown/Magnificent MileHampton | 2025 | 2014 | 9.7 | source ↗ |
| Hampton Inn Majestic Chicago Theatre DistrictHampton | 2025 | 2007 | 9.7 | source ↗ |
| Hyatt Centric Chicago Magnificent MileHyatt Centric | 2025 | 1999 | 9.7 | source ↗ |
| Loews Chicago Hotel (Loews Chicago Downtown) | 2025 | — | 9.7 | source ↗ |
| The Godfrey Hotel Chicago | 2025 | 2014 | 9.7 | source ↗ |
| The Talbott Hotel | 2025 | 1980 | 9.7 | source ↗ |
| Best Western Plus Hawthorne TerraceBest Western | 2024 | 1926 | 9.3 | source ↗ |
| Crowne Plaza Chicago West LoopCrowne Plaza | 2024 | 1967 | 9.3 | source ↗ |
| Hilton Chicago O'Hare AirportHilton | 2024 | 1973 | 9.3 | source ↗ |
| Hyatt Centric The Loop ChicagoHyatt Centric | 2024 | 2015 | 9.3 | source ↗ |
| Sonesta ES Chicago Downtown Magnificent MileSonesta | 2024 | 1990 | 9.3 | source ↗ |
| Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago | 2024 | 2009 | 9.3 | source ↗ |
The renovation wave, year by year
Completed renovations per year among tracked Chicago hotels. 15 in 2024–2026; 0 more are announced or under way and are not counted until they finish.
Fresh, ageing, tired
Of 94 scored hotels (hotels without a sourced year are not scored).
Fresh
44 · 47%
8.0 and above
Ageing
40 · 43%
5.0 – 7.9
Tired
10 · 11%
below 5.0 — overdue
47% fresh against 11% tired: for FF&E suppliers, contractors and energy-retrofit teams, the tired band is the pipeline. Renovation Radar lists these hotels with company-level contacts and the year each one is due.
Chains in Chicago, by freshness
Brands with at least three tracked hotels in the city.
| # | Brand | Tracked | Avg Chrono Score | Renovated last 5y |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hampton | 6 | 9.3 | 50% |
| 2 | Hilton Garden Inn | 4 | 8.9 | 25% |
| 3 | Homewood Suites | 3 | 8.8 | 0% |
| 4 | Hyatt Place | 4 | 8.0 | 0% |
| 5 | Sonesta | 3 | 7.3 | 33% |
Heritage hotels still operating
Tracked Chicago hotels in buildings completed by 1930, oldest first, with the last completed renovation on record.
| Hotel | Built | Last renovation on record | Chrono Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Selina Hotel Chicago | 1833 | 2021 | 8.3 |
| Ewing Annex Hotel | 1890 | none on record | 0.5 |
| Staypineapple, An Iconic Hotel, The Loop | 1895 | 2015 | 6.2 |
| Sonder Plymouth | 1899 | 1945 | 0.5 |
| Canopy by Hilton Chicago Central Loop | 1904 | 2021 | 8.3 |
| University Club of Chicago | 1909 | 2013 | 5.5 |
| The Blackstone, Autograph Collection | 1910 | 2017 | 6.9 |
| The Drake Hotel | 1920 | 2003 | 2.0 |
| ACME Hotel Company | 1924 | 2025 | 9.7 |
| Warwick Allerton Hotel Chicago | 1924 | 2014 | 5.8 |
| Ambassador Hotel (Ambassador Chicago) | 1926 | 2017 | 6.9 |
| Best Western Plus Hawthorne Terrace | 1926 | 2024 | 9.3 |
“None on record” means our cited sources document no completed renovation year — not that the hotel was never renovated. Know one? Every profile has a “Report an error” link.
How to cite this report
HotelChrono (2026). Chicago Hotel Renovation Index. Data as of 23 October 2026. hotelchrono.com/reports/chicago-hotel-renovation-index-2026 — free to cite with a link. Journalists: the full CSV (all 101 hotels with years, scores and source links) and methodology are open; for a custom cut (a neighbourhood, a chain, a star class) or comment write to hello@hotelchrono.com.
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