The Wheelhouse Hotel – Boutique Hotel
CHICAGO
The Wheelhouse Hotel is a modern boutique hotel located in Wrigleyville, an area adjacent to Wrigley Stadium–the iconic Major League Baseball park and home of the Chicago Cubs.
The 21-key hotel was converted from a 20th Century greystone building. Its award-winning, baseball-inspired interior design, was created by our partners from Curioso. Even if a baseball bat art installation flows from one end of the lobby to the other, we both wanted it to be appealing to guests from all walks of life, college kids that live in the neighborhood, people that come to the game, sports fans or not.
Atmosphere reigns supreme at the Wheelhouse Hotel. No detail has been left to chance, from the framed photos of baseball players, to the original Wrigley Field Stadium seats in the hallways, and the careful placing of a Wrigley’s gum on top of the bed after the turndown service. We supported this dedication with a series of playful and warm illustrations meant to reflect the distinct pulse of the city and its community. These illustrations, used throughout the hotel, are influenced by Western American motifs and baseball-themed elements.
If you are into baseball you’ll know “wheelhouse” is the part of a batter’s strike zone most likely to produce a home run, but it also means “ a place or situation in which one is advantageously at ease” and that is exactly what this place is.
One of the main sketches drawn for the project depicts a large W, which stands not only for Wheelhouse, but also for “Win”, a most accurate concept, well in line with the spirit of the great American game we come to know as Baseball.
Another of our many collaborations: LAT + Curioso.
