March 9, 2010 – Hotel Palomar has announced its 260-room hotel on North State Street, two blocks from Marina City, will open on March 24. An adjacent restaurant, run by the same company that is managing the hotel, will open on the same day.

A spokesperson for Hotel Palomar says the announcement was made Monday.

According to the hotel’s Facebook page, Palomar moved into its space at 505 North State Street over the weekend. “Furniture is being placed, art work is getting hung, and floors are getting polished.”

The hotel describes itself as “four-star-caliber” and “art themed.” Interior décor will include images depicting the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition, also known as the Chicago World’s Fair.

(Left) The west tower of Marina City can be seen in the background of this image of a model room at Hotel Palomar. The image, supplied by the new hotel, which is opening on March 24, may be reversed horizontally.

Construction of the 36-floor, 420,000 square foot building started in early 2008. There had been plans to build a smaller companion to the AMA Building going back to 1990. The project was revived in 2001 and won approval from the Chicago Plan Commission in July 2001. The estimated value of the project is $80 million.

Hotel rooms will be located on floors 7-16. Above them will be two levels of meeting rooms, pool, fitness facility, dog run, sun deck, and ecologically friendly “green” roof. Elsewhere in the building are 124 corporate-owned rental units and 119 parking spaces.

505 North State Street is the first high-rise design in Chicago by GREC Architects, LLC. The firm also designed Amalfi Hotel Chicago nearby on West Kinzie Street.

Palomar will be operated by Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants. The San Francisco-based company runs three other hotels in Chicago – Hotel Allegro, Hotel Burnham, and Hotel Monaco. Founded in 1981, the company says it was the first to bring the “boutique” hotel concept to the United States.

Opening on the same day will be Sable Kitchen & Bar, which describes itself as “a gastro-lounge where glamour of the 1940s mingles effortlessly with old Hollywood charm, modern industrial touches, and classic Chicago hospitality.”