Warwick International Hotels has completed the purchase of the Allerton Hotel. The hotel was designated as a Chicago landmark in 1998 by the city.
Built in 1924, the Allerton Hotel will shortly be renamed the Warwick Allerton Hotel, Chicago.
In the 1950s and the 60s, the hotel gained nationwide recognition for a radio program that was hosted from the “Tip Top Tap” lounge bar on top of the building. Even though the lounge bar has since been moved to the lobby level, the well-known exterior sign remains on the façade.
With its distinctive Renaissance influenced architecture, the hotel has 443 keys, including 59 suites. The original Tip Top Tap bar lounge has now been converted to a ballroom, which is known for its panoramic view of the city. Various proposals for a Tip Top Tap bar lounge renaissance are currently under study, according to Warwick International Hotels.
“The Allerton is close to being a perfect acquisition for WIH, she nicely complements its collection of landmark hotels, each one of which has her own particular history and story to tell,” said Richard Chiu, president of WIH. “This hotel is truly a sister hotel to the Warwick New York, which was built in 1926, the Warwick Melrose Hotel, Dallas built in 1924 and the Warwick San Francisco, built in 1913.”
There are now six hotels in the WIH collection in North America. The group was founded by Chiu in 1980 with the purchase of the Warwick New York Hotel on 6th Avenue and 54th Street. In the intervening years, the group has expanded into Europe, Asia, the South Pacific, the Middle East and Africa. WIH now consists of 59 hotels with approximately 8,600 rooms.
