The Hampton's amenities include complimentary breakfast buffets of French toast, hot and cold cereals, and fresh fruit. The hotel also features a business center, indoor pool, whirlpool, sauna, sundeck and a fitness center. Guests can stroll along a second- floor skywalk to the neighboring Ruth's Chris Steak House, generally regarded by local food critics as one of the best steak dinners in town. The Chicago version of the national company dishes up aged, corn-fed prime beef, fresh lobster, stuffed chicken breast, lamb chops and its signature dessert, whiskey-spiked bread pudding. For added fun, guests will find a lively sing-along piano bar, Howl at the Moon (what a name]), next door to the Hampton.

Guestrooms awashed with muted color schemes feature oak furnishings, framed vintage Chicago postcards, high- speed Internet access, and cable TV with free movies.

This Hampton Inn, one of several in Chicagoland, attracts both families and business travelers. A common scene is families toting shopping bags from Michigan Avenue and the Magnificent Mile, and business types hammering out deals on cell phones or reading the Trib or Wall Street Journal over complimentary coffee in the hospitality suite.