Located on the scenic Chicago River in the heart of downtown Chicago, this polished, contemporary urban hotel is a great starting point for families visiting the Windy City.

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The hotel has 424 generous guestrooms, including 17 suites, some of which offer views of the Chicago River and downtown. Each guestroom comes with the famous Westin heavenly bed, layered with Egyptian cotton sheets and soft fluffy down. Rooms also include high speed Internet access, a coffee maker with starbucks coffee, LCD televisions, bathrobes, daily newspaper, in-room movies and Sony playstation games. If you choose to upgrade to a club level guestroom you'll receive a complimentary continental breakfast, afternoon hors d'oeuvres, and complimentary use of an iMac computer.

One of the main reasons families choose the Westin is its great location. You can walk to many nearby attractions, or take the free trolley for a tour around the city. It's a short hike to Millennium Park, where kids can try out the ice-skating rink in winter, or take in a live show or concert during warmer months. Directly across the street from the hotel is the House of Blues. For more on kid-friendly Chicago attractions, see link to destination piece.

Before you arrive, give the hotel the names and ages of your kids so they can be prepared to give each child a Westin Kids' Club back pack upon check in. If you're planning on traveling with your baby in tow- you can also request that the hotel reserve a crib, bed rails, diapers and wipes, bottle warmer, high chair, booster seat, potty seat, step stool, strollers and a safety kit.
There is no children's program.

The hotel has two distinctive restaurants on site: The Ember Grille and the Kamehachi Sushi Bar. The Ember Grille's floor to ceiling windows offer great views of the Chicago River. Lunch and dinner offer a variety of chicken, steak and fish from the grill for mom and dad; and kids 12 and under can choose favorites from the Westin Kids Club menu, like strawberry banana smoothies, pancakes with bananas, grilled cheese sandwiches, peanut butter and jelly and a complimentary homemade chocolate chip cookie with every meal. Einstein Bagels is block north and a great place to grab a quick breakfast.

Those with a sweet spot for raw fish will certainly want to check out the Kamehachi Sushi Bar located in the Hana Lounge lobby bar, which not only serves cocktails and authentic Japanese delicacies at a beautiful six-seat sushi bar but also features cozy plush couches ,overstuffed chairs and wireless high-speed internet access.

In-room dining won't disappoint and is available 24-hours a day, with a limited menu from 11 p.m. until 5:30 a.m. Kid favorites like hot fudge sundaes and Chicago deep dish pizza are always on the menu.