HOTELS Hotel EMC2 - Science And Art Fusion At A Luxury Hotel In Downtown Chicago

Hotel EMC2 - Science And Art Fusion At A Luxury Hotel In Downtown Chicago

Location:

Chicago USA North America
Design

You might have guessed it from the name: this hotel is for all the geeks out there. Referring to Albert Einstein's famous equation, EMC2 is an art-and-science-themed hotel “geared toward both left- and right-brained guests” for a unique experience.

The concept behind EMC2 was inspired by Northwestern Chicago, where the hotel is located. As the hotel’s creator and project developer Scott D. Greenberg explained, “I thought about this area, next to Northwestern, the research labs and medical school, and all this technology. I wanted a concept that would speak to that.”

The public spaces resemble a crossover of an Art Deco interior and a science lab. There’s a Felix Guyon’s zoetrope in the reception that guests can set in motion, lights suspended by cords attached to weights and pulleys, and an impressive collection of jars and tubes in the restaurant. But with all the science-inspired décor, the interiors don’t feel cold or sterile. Quite the opposite, EMC2 is a welcoming and playful space, inviting guests to explore.

The turn-of-the-century décor in the rooms is stylish and goes well with stunning downtown Chicago views out your window. But don’t be mistaken: you’re still firmly in the 21st century here. The phonograph speakers are powered by smartphones, every room is equipped with Alexa, and the room service is performed by two robots, Cleo and Leo. This is a truly past-meets-future space.

Book Online

PRICE FROM $298

Hotel EMC2 building
Hotel EMC2 facade and entrance
Hotel EMC2 Art

Scott Greenberg, a Chicago hotelier, and science nerd, decided to pay homage in Hotel EMC2 to the untold story of Emmy Noether, who helped Einstein with his Theory of Relativity. The artworks featured throughout the property highlight Noether’s work.

Hotel EMC2 Lounge
Hotel EMC2 Library and Restaurant

The Albert Restaurant pays homage to one of the greatest mind's ever lived on Earth, Albert Einstein. It offers an innovative fusion of classic and progressive dishes from morning till dinner time among thousands of books decorating its interiors.

Hotel EMC2 Restaurant
Hotel EMC2 Bar
Hotel EMC2 Room with Open Shower

The Queen, Double Queen, and King rooms ensuite bathroom's glass walls can be enclosed by thick curtains unless you are more than comfortable with your partner.

Hotel EMC2 Room
Hotel EMC2 Bedroom with Night Chicago View

All rooms have stylish fusion décor of vintage and modern elements, and some have a scenic view of Chicago's Streeterville.

Hotel EMC2 Bathroom
Hotel EMC2 Terrace

Book Online

PRICE FROM $298


228 E Ontario St, Chicago, IL 60611, USA


Related hotels

The Lindis - A Lodge Built to Masquerade as 10,000-Year-Old Glacial Debris

The Lindis - A Lodge Built to Masquerade as 10,000-Year-Old Glacial Debris

You won't see The Lindis until you're practically standing on it. That's exactly the point. This eight-room lodge sits so low and still in New Zealand's Ahuriri Valley that it might as well be part of the moraine itself – the geological rubble left behind when glaciers retreated 10,000 years …

Babel Tulum - The Pink Revolution in Mexican Architecture

Babel Tulum - The Pink Revolution in Mexican Architecture

In a region where jungle-chic dominates the landscape, Babel Tulum rises from the streets of Tulum Pueblo like something out of a 1960s Palm Springs fever dream. This blush-pink architectural marvel, completed in 2024, challenges everything you thought you knew about Mexican resort design – and somehow makes it work …

The Netty - The Loo That Became a Room: Oxford's Underground Hotel

The Netty - The Loo That Became a Room: Oxford's Underground Hotel

In a city already famous for turning unlikely buildings into accommodations – from former jails to converted banks – Oxford has outdone itself. The Netty, which opened in June 2025, takes the concept of unconventional lodging to its logical extreme: a boutique hotel carved out of a Victorian-era underground public …

lyf one-north Singapore - Origami in Concrete: Singapore's Folded Architecture Experiment

lyf one-north Singapore - Origami in Concrete: Singapore's Folded Architecture Experiment

Singapore's one-north district has long been the city-state's answer to Silicon Valley, a sprawling tech hub where glass towers house startups and multinational R&D labs. Now it has a place to match: lyf one-north Singapore, a 324-unit experience-led social living serviced residence that's less hotel, more urban village with room …

House of Gods Glasgow - A Hedonistic Haven in Merchant City

House of Gods Glasgow - A Hedonistic Haven in Merchant City

Glasgow's latest boutique hotel doesn't just embrace excess - it practically wallows in it. House of Gods, which opened in April 2024 after a three-year renovation, has transformed a corner building in Merchant City into something that feels less like heaven and more like a very stylish purgatory. This is …

Neema Maison Finikia - Santorini's Quietest Village Goes Fashion-Forward

Neema Maison Finikia - Santorini's Quietest Village Goes Fashion-Forward

Forget everything you think you know about Santorini hotels. Neema Maison Finikia isn't trying to be another whitewashed cave dwelling with predictable blue accents and donkey photos. Instead, this 16-room adults-only retreat feels like stumbling into a high-fashion backstage area that somehow materialized on a Greek cliff. The brainchild of …

Hotel Saint Cecilia - Austin's Rock 'n' Roll Refuge

Hotel Saint Cecilia - Austin's Rock 'n' Roll Refuge

Hidden behind ivy-covered walls in Austin's Travis Heights neighborhood, Hotel Saint Cecilia feels more like stumbling upon a rock star's private estate than checking into a hotel. This isn't some corporate luxury property - it's a carefully curated sanctuary where turntables come standard and the minibar stocks incense alongside the …

Kivotos Santorini - A Bold Black Beauty on the Caldera

Kivotos Santorini - A Bold Black Beauty on the Caldera

When most people picture Santorini hotels, they imagine pristine white buildings cascading down cliffsides like sugar cubes. Kivotos Santorini throws that postcard image out the window with a dramatic flourish. Painted entirely in volcanic black and charcoal gray, this boutique retreat in Imerovigli looks like Batman's vacation home - and …

The Thousand Kyoto - A Modern Oasis in Japan's Ancient Capital

The Thousand Kyoto - A Modern Oasis in Japan's Ancient Capital

Step off a Shinkansen bullet train in Kyoto and you can find yourself, two minutes later, in a lobby that feels like a meditation retreat designed by a modernist architect. The Thousand Kyoto, which opened in 2019, sits practically next door to the city's main railway station (Kyoto Station), yet …

HOTEL TAVINOS Kyoto - Where Manga Meets Futuristic Tea Rooms

HOTEL TAVINOS Kyoto - Where Manga Meets Futuristic Tea Rooms

Walking into HOTEL TAVINOS Kyoto feels like stepping through the pages of a manga. The walls explode with illustrations of sumo wrestlers, traditional bathhouses, and moon-viewing scenes - all rendered in the bold, playful style that has made Japanese comics a global phenomenon. This isn't your typical business hotel. Since …