Most Chicagoans would probably like to give the soon-to-be elected mayor of Chicago a bit of advice, and I`m certainly one of them. As the city organizes itself around another campaign, here is something for all the candidates to think about.
The hotel industry in Chicago is one of the most vigorous of any marketplace in the nation. Millions to billions of dollars are brought to Chicago through jobs, restaurant meals, cab fares and tax revenues because of the highly competitive hotel presence here. From the luxury level to the moderate mode, competition for rooms and service is abundant in Chicago.
When the candidates for mayor are making pronouncements regarding revenues and jobs and the public relations imaging of this magnificent city, I hope they understand the power of the innkeepers of Chicago. Further, now that solid professional management is handling McCormick Place, I propose that a well-conceived annex to that facility is an investment of equal merit to that of the sports complexes now under public and private discussion. In fact, increased exhibition and convention space might just help provide some of the badly needed dollars to help support their development.
As a hotelier, I so often hear our business travelers express their pleasure in arriving in Chicago for the first time, their interest in whatever convention, seminar or exhibition they have come to attend, and their absolute recognition of what a handsome, livable, entertaining and inspiring city-by-the-lake this is. Dear Mr. Mayor-to-be, please encourage more of these visitors to enjoy the vital centers for business, culture, entertainment, education, architecture, finance, fashion, food and law which flourish here for international audiences. An annex to McCormick Place is well worth your consideration.
