More than $20 million in renovations are planned for the ChicagoCity Center Hotel, 300 E. Ohio St., which was recently purchased byOxford Lodging for more than $80 million. "The property willundergo a $20-million-plus renovation addressing every facet of thehotel including the lobby, restaurants, all meeting space,guestrooms, guest bathrooms, corridors, outdoor pool deck and otherpublic areas," says Maki Bara, managing partner and co-founder ofOxford Lodging. The hotel restaurants will also be "revamped," shesays. The hotel will remain open during the renovations, whichshould be complete early next year.

The 25-story Allerton Hotel, 701 N. Michigan Ave., will undergoa renovation estimated at more than $10 million. Oxford Lodgingpurchased the 443-room Allerton Hotel, which is a Chicago historiclandmark, in November 2006. Retail on the first floor of thebuilding was not included in the sale. As part of the renovations,all of the guest rooms will be refurbished with new beds, bedding,furniture, carpets and drapes, Bara says.

The lobby of the Allerton Hotel will be moved to the secondfloor from its current third floor location and will be renovatedinto a "lobby lounge" where guests can surf the internet from theirlaptops, enjoy tea in the afternoon and enjoy a drink in theevening in a "relaxed and hip" atmosphere, Bara says. The thirdfloor will be converted to a ballroom and meeting space.