The Drake Hotel hosts corporate meetings, conferences, banquets and weddings in Chicago. It offers more than 30,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, and its largest room, the Gold Coast Room, takes 500 guests in theatre style and 900 at a standing reception. The hotel stands at 140 East Walton Place, on the Magnificent Mile, with direct access to Oak Street Beach.
Seminars and company events
The meetings offer is organized around two ballrooms, a mezzanine level and three larger special rooms. The two ballrooms cover almost 21,000 square feet together. The Gold Coast Room measures 6,838 square feet and is listed at 324 guests in classroom style, 500 in theatre style and 900 at a reception. The Grand Ballroom adds 5,214 square feet.
Smaller groups use the mezzanine, which holds 11 meeting rooms. The Parkside Room (1,378 square feet) takes 106 in theatre style, 100 at round tables and 66 in classroom style. The Superior Room (722 square feet) takes 60 in theatre style and 39 in classroom style. The Benjamin Marshall Boardroom (504 square feet) seats 18 in conference style, and the hotel notes that it is not ADA accessible.
The hotel publishes floor plans, banquet menus and a fact sheet, so a planner can check layouts before a site visit. It also lists group value dates, which are reduced rates on selected dates for groups that book several rooms. A team of planners follows each event.
Weddings and receptions
The Drake has a dedicated weddings section, with its own planning team, menus, floor plans and photo gallery. Ceremonies and receptions can use the ballrooms for large guest lists. Three further rooms suit dinners and receptions of a middle size. The Camellia Room (3,959 square feet) holds up to 240 guests, the Palm Court (3,744 square feet) holds up to 280 and Club International (2,850 square feet) holds up to 150.
Rooms and capacities
The published figures are: Gold Coast Room, 500 theatre and 900 reception; Parkside Room, 106 theatre; Superior Room, 60 theatre; Benjamin Marshall Boardroom, 18 conference; Camellia Room, 240 maximum; Palm Court, 280 maximum; Club International, 150 maximum. Capacities for the Grand Ballroom are not readable in the pages we reviewed. Ask the hotel for the floor plans for the layout you have in mind.
Accommodation
The Drake is a hotel, with guest rooms and suites listed on its accommodations page. The number of bedrooms is not stated in the pages we reviewed. A park-and-stay package with self-parking is also listed. Group room blocks are linked to the group value dates.
Catering
The hotel publishes a banquet menu with banquet packages, and the site has a dining section. The pages we reviewed do not say whether an outside caterer can be used, so confirm this with the sales team.
History and setting
The hotel presents itself as open since 1920, with nearly a century of stories. It is part of the Hilton Honors program. The address on the Magnificent Mile puts guests close to the shopping and dining of the Gold Coast area, and the beach is reachable directly from the property.
Getting there
The address is 140 East Walton Place, Chicago, IL 60611. The hotel offers self-parking through its Park and Stay package.
