The biggest hotel in the downtown Chicago pipeline this year is now open for business. The Marriott Marquis Chicago opened this week near McCormick Place. There were 2,400 hotel rooms expected to be added to the downtown inventory in 2017; the Marriott Marquis' delivery accounted for 1,205 rooms. It will also serve as a foundation for rebranding the immediate area as McCormick Square.

The Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority broke ground on the $390M hotel in July 2015. MPEA CEO Lori Healey said the hotel would be a linchpin in the authority's McCormick Collection that would expand McCormick Place's portfolio of convention and trade show offerings to attract new business and build on the city's efforts to grow its convention business. McCormick Place hosted 31 conventions last year, but was scheduled to host 35 major events in 2017, which would generate over 1 million hotel bookings, a 6.4% increase over 2016. The McCormick Place Green Line 'L' station gives conventioneers easy access to the Marriott Marquis, as well as South Loop and Motor Row nightlife.

The Marriott Marquis includes 93K SF of high-tech meeting and event space, including two 25K SF ballrooms with unparalleled views of the city skyline and 43K SF of breakout meeting rooms. Additional hotel amenities include fiber optic high-speed internet connectivity, a 24/7 state-of-the-art fitness facility and the M Club Lounge, an elevated space available as an optional amenity to hotel guests.