Luxe Meets Eco at Hotel Felix: A Charming Chicago Stay for the Conscious Traveller
Earlier this year, my (now) fiance Bryan and I traveled to Chicago for a fun weekend wedding and had the pleasure of staying at the most charming boutique hotel Chicago has to offer, Hotel Felix. Chicago’s first Silver LEED certified hotel, I found Hotel Felix to be equal parts luxurious and environmentally innovative. I appreciated the small details at Hotel Felix during my stay such as its use of gorgeous reclaimed materials throughout the hotel, smart lighting and energy conservation in my room, the abundance of natural sun exposure, and even some ethical art. Upon entering the hotel, a a 7-foot-tall doorman sculpture greets you which is made out of recycled pipes, an umbrella stand, a drill bit, and topped with a milk bucket head. This sculpture is called “Loren the Doorman,”and artist Allen Christian created him completely from found and reclaimed materials.
Hotel Felix opened in April 2009 after an extensive redevelopment of a 1926 building using organic materials and renewable resources. While welcoming guests from all over the world, the Hotel is deeply involved in enhancing its local community through environmental initiatives year-long. Hotel Felix also takes Earth Month pretty seriously, which we love, and commits to sharing its projects and inspiring guests and followers to make small changes that will make a big impact in the long run.
We found Hotel Felix to also be incredibly convenient, as we were close to the wedding as well as some must-see Chicago stops like the Magnificent Mile and The Loop. We also enjoyed walking outside the hotel and being surrounded by so many incredible Chicago restaurants. Be sure to find some time for Spa Boutique Felix, which makes use of ethical beauty products and delicious spa treatments that will support your total wellbeing.
Lindsay E. Brown
Lindsay has spent her career at the intersection of media and social change. In her role at Eco-Chick, Lindsay has established partnerships and campaigns with some of the world’s most-recognized companies committed to sustainability and CSR. She co-created the popular interview series “Heroines for the Planet” that features groundbreaking women who share courage and a deep passion for protecting people and the Earth. Lindsay is the Marketing and Sustainability Manager at Health-Ade Kombucha and previously served as Director of Communications at the social enterprise CBS EcoMedia. There she directed corporate advertising dollars to the nation’s most effective non-profits tackling urgent social issues in local communities and was awarded CBS Corporation’s prestigious Share-the-Vision award. She has written for Whole Living Magazine, Edible, Cottages & Gardens, From The Grapevine, EarthHour.org, Eco-Age.com, and for environmentalists Laura Turner Seydel and Susan Rockefeller. Lindsay holds a BS in Global Business Studies and Marketing from Manhattan College, and received the 2012 Honors Award at Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
