There’s classy, there’s trendy, and then there’s chic. The 32-floor glass prism of a hotel presiding over the corner of Oak and Chestnut Streets encompasses the latter. French architect Jean-Paul Viguier’s contemporary nod to Chicago’s architectural tradition dominates both the style and design of Sofitel Chicago Water Tower.

Le Bar enforces these ideals with a brief architectural library at its entrance, allowing you to sit on a couch, sip a Stella Artois, and peruse a book about Mies Van der Rohe. However, you’re probably better off finding a spot somewhere along the 20-foot zinc bar. Failing that, there are dozens of cocktail tables beneath the fiber optic ceiling. Massive windows span the sidewalks to the east and south sides, creating an ever-present opportunity for people watching, inside and out.

Centerstage Reviewer: Larry Majewski