Location:
The Wheeler Mansion is on South Calumet Avenue in Chicago, between East 21st and East Cullerton streets, in the Near South Side neighborhood. It is adjacent to the historic Prairie Avenue District and about a mile's walk from Soldier Field, where the Chicago Bears play football.
Guest Rooms:
Six rooms and four suites are available at this Chicago bed and breakfast. All accommodations have a queen-sized bed except Suite 22, which has a king-size sleigh bed. All are located on the second or third floor except for Room 11, which is on the first floor.
In-room features may include large windows, antique furniture, oak floors, Oriental rugs or coal-basket fireplaces. Among the special touches guests may find in their en-suite bathroom are a marble-topped antique vanity, a skylight, an oversized soaking tub or a claw-foot tub. Rooms 25 and 35 have a whirlpool tub.
Price Range:
Rates range from for $230 to $285 for rooms and $265 to $365 for suites.
Breakfast:
A full breakfast is served in The Wheeler Mansion's formal dining room.
Special Features:
Guests can relax in the first-floor living room or rear garden area of the Wheeler Mansion. High-speed Internet access and on-site parking are available.
Personal Recommendation:
I booked Room 25 for my husband, Erik, when he was traveling to Chicago for a Green Bay Packers game. Although a computer glitch caused some initial confusion about his reservation, the helpful innkeeper was quick to remedy the problem. The room and bathroom were spacious, and the bed was very comfortable.
The inn features some wonderful original architecture despite having been used as a warehouse for part of its life. Erik said the large breakfast (eggs, bacon, toast) was just right for a cold morning.
Web Site:
More About The Wheeler Mansion:
One of the last of the South Side mansions that survived the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, this Queen Anne, Second Empire-style home was built in 1870; the two-story window bay at the front of the building and the intricate front-porch canopy were added in the mid-1880s.
Historic Real Estate Inc. purchased the property, known as the Wheeler-Kohn House, in 1997 and after extensive restoration efforts opened it as a boutique hotel in 1999. The Wheeler Mansion has been designated a Chicago Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
