Where to stay in Chicago: the best neighbourhoods and hotels

The Loop is Chicago's historic heart, named for the elevated 'L' tracks that circle it and rattle overhead. Millennium Park is its playground, with the mirrored Cloud Gate sculpture (everyone calls it the Bean), the Pritzker Pavilion's free summer concerts and the Art Institute next door. The Theater District glows at night, and the Riverwalk and architecture cruises are a short stroll north.

The hotels are some of the most beautiful in the country. The Chicago Athletic Association, in a converted Venetian Gothic gentlemen's club, sits right opposite Millennium Park. The Palmer House is a 19th-century institution with a ceiling of painted frescoes, and the Kimpton Gray turns a marble-clad office building into a stylish hotel with a bar styled like a law library. The Midland, in a Beaux Arts building, is close to the theatres.

North Michigan Avenue, the Magnificent Mile, is Chicago's grand shopping boulevard, running from the river past the department stores and flagship shops to the castle-like Water Tower, one of the few buildings to survive the Great Fire of 1871. East of it, Streeterville stretches to the lake and Navy Pier, with its Ferris wheel, boat trips and summer fireworks.

Luxury hotels cluster here. The Peninsula is steps from the Water Tower with a spa and indoor pool, the Park Hyatt is an Art Deco beauty with an indoor pool and NoMI restaurant, and the InterContinental channels the glamour of the Roaring Twenties. For something different, the Sable sits right on Navy Pier with views of the lake and skyline, a hit with families.

River North sits between the Chicago River and the Magnificent Mile, and it's where the city goes out. Old warehouses hold art galleries, steakhouses and deep-dish pizza joints, and the bars range from rooftop terraces to speakeasies. Below, the Riverwalk lines the water with cafés and wine bars, and the architecture cruises depart from here.

It's perfectly placed between the Loop and the Mag Mile. The Royal Sonesta River North has a heated indoor pool and a rooftop sundeck, the Westin River North is a ten-minute walk from the Chicago Theatre, and L7 is a boutique hotel steps from the Riverwalk. The all-glass Swissôtel, designed by Chicago architect Harry Weese, has wrap-around views from Navy Pier to Millennium Park.

At the northern end of the Magnificent Mile, the Gold Coast is Chicago's most elegant neighbourhood: tree-lined streets of brownstones and mansions, designer boutiques on Oak Street, and the bars and steakhouses of Rush Street. Oak Street Beach, where the city's sand meets Lake Michigan, is a few blocks away.

The Drake has been the grande dame where the Magnificent Mile begins since 1920. The Waldorf Astoria brings Parisian style, with fireplaces or private terraces and a lap pool in its spa. The Whitehall is a charming historic hotel half a block from Michigan Avenue, and the Viceroy is a sleek option near the Oak Street shops. Romantic, refined and a little calmer than downtown proper.

Rosemont sits right beside O'Hare, one of the world's busiest airports, and it's packed with airport hotels. It has its own entertainment district, the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center and Allstate Arena nearby, and the Blue Line 'L' runs straight into downtown.

The DoubleTree and the Embassy Suites face the convention centre, and both are just minutes from the airport; the Embassy Suites runs its shuttle from 4am to midnight. The Rose is a pet-friendly boutique hotel with triple-glazed windows to keep the planes out, and the Sheraton is a reliable choice. Stay here for flights and events; stay downtown for the city.

About an hour north of downtown, on the road to Wisconsin, Gurnee is Chicagoland's family playground. Six Flags Great America has the region's biggest rollercoasters, and Great Wolf Lodge is a huge resort with an indoor water park that works whatever the weather, a real bonus in a Chicago winter.

The Hampton Inn is right across the road from Six Flags, and WoodSpring Suites is a budget-friendly option for longer stays. It's not a base for exploring the city, but for a few days of thrills tacked onto a Chicago break, it's ideal.