McHugh Construction, the Chicago-based full-service construction company, has completed the multi-million-dollar refurbishment of the L7 Chicago hotel.
The 191-key, 14-story hotel at Wacker and Wabash avenues opened earlier this month, marking the North American debut of Lotte Hotels & Resorts’ L7-brand. McHugh also built Perilla Korean American Steakhouse, the hotel’s anchor restaurant on the ground floor, along with a new lobby.
In August 2023, McHugh began the demolition of the restaurant and lobby and erected temporary walls so that the hotel could remain operational during the renovation process. Using a “waterfall approach,” McHugh began renovating the top floors in November 2023, working its way down one floor at a time to the lower floors.
“We leaned into our extensive adaptive reuse experience to transform this 112-year-old building into Chicago’s first hotel dedicated to Korean culture and hospitality,” said Kathleen Arnold, McHugh project manager.
The hotel’s unusual crawlspaces and basement level were maximized to add ductwork and exhaust systems for the Korean BBQ grill tables which have been used throughout the Perilla steakhouse.
For the hotel’s refreshed interiors, McHugh partnered with New York-based interior designer AvroKO and Chicago-headquartered project architect Grec Architects. The interiors sport a sage green and crème color palette. Targeting its millennial clients, the lobby has been designed to reflect a relaxed living room environment. The existing marble tiles have been replaced with a wood floor, which have been placed in a block pattern and surrounding the lobby fireplace with aqua-green glazed tiles from floor to ceiling. The new reception desk has been made of carved wood to complement the space.
Sitting opposite the lobby, the Perilla Korean American Steakhouse has been updated with custom grill tables surrounded by banquette seating, a bar and a chef’s counter that offers a tasting menu. Since the building is enveloped by high-rises, McHugh installed the 25,000-pound air unit on the roof via helicopter.
The hotel earlier operated as Kimpton Hotel Monaco. Situated close to the Chicago Riverwalk and the Magnificent Mile, the 14-story hotel was originally built in 1912. The building housed a former hat factory and served as the headquarters of D.B. Fisk Co., the largest wholesale millinery in the country until 1932. The building, which is among the 50 landmarks featured in Living Landmarks of Chicago, was converted to the Oxford House Hotel in the 1950s.
Interestingly, when Kimpton acquired the building in 1999, McHugh served as the general contractor of its conversion to Hotel Monaco. Around 2011, the construction company completed a refresh of the guestrooms. In January 2022, Seoul-based Lotte Hotels & Resorts acquired the building for $36 million, according to a news report. McHugh was roped in to convert the hotel into the South Korean hospitality company’s first L7 hotel in the U.S.
“Like many cities where we work, Chicago’s hospitality business is making a strong comeback. It’s this perfect blend of lifestyle and experiential travel, business travel, and recreational and political events that are all happening right now and have shined a spotlight on our growing hospitality division,” said Kate Ivanova, McHugh’s executive vice president.
McHugh’s hospitality portfolio includes more than 100 completed projects, including new construction and renovations for luxury hotels such as Four Seasons Hotel Chicago, Ritz-Carlton and Peninsula Chicago. The fourth generation, privately-owned company offers a full range of core competencies and capabilities including general contracting, construction management, design-build, pre-construction services, program management, concrete construction and structural engineering services.
