Make No Little Plans
The Reliance building – home of Staypineapple’s The Alise Chicago hotel – has history. The kind of history that earns a building status as a National Historic Landmark. The kind that is mentioned in stories of Chicago and on tours of the city. The kind that makes you take an extra minute to appreciate the detail and significance behind the building.
Staypineapple, on the other hand, is unapologetically modern. We are forward thinking, constantly evolving, funky, and fabulous. You might think it’s strange we bought a hotel in a 122-year-old building, but, like dipping french fries in ice-cream, it’s a combination that can’t be beat.
The Reliance building is the work of one of America’s greatest architects, Daniel Burnham, along with John Wellborn Root and Charles B. Atwood. Burnham famously said, "Make no little plans, they have no magic to stir men's blood,” and we couldn’t agree more.
Take a look at this video for more about the history of the Reliance building and Daniel Burnham.
Despite being separated by centuries, we share more in common with Burnham than a building. The Reliance was named for its functionality, which combines the beautiful and the practical, and was the driving force in Burnham’s career. In his words, “Let your watchword be order and your beacon beauty.” This desire – to create an experience that is as functional as it is beautiful – is also the driving force behind Staypineapple.
For Burnham, when construction on the Reliance began in 1890, practical meant having electricity and phone service in all of the offices in the building. It meant having huge glass windows to allow for maximum natural light. But Burnham isn’t known as one of the fathers of Chicago because he stuck to what was practical; he pushed boundaries to make the practical beautiful. Those windows were bigger than anyone had seen, taking up two-thirds of the building’s walls, and the white terracotta tiles that line the rest of the walls are lightweight but astonishingly beautiful.
For Staypineapple, practical means choosing locations that are exactly where you want to be – in the center of everything each unique city we’re in has to offer. It also means free wireless internet, complimentary cruiser bikes and shuttles, and Keurig coffee makers in each room. But, we also take every practical decision as an opportunity to go above and beyond. Beds, blankets, and towels are practical and necessary, but our Naked Experience® is extra special. Complimentary coffee is practical; complimentary afternoon cupcakes make the practical better. Choosing a location that isn’t just central, but is in one of Chicago’s most celebrated buildings is, like we said, a combination that can’t be beat.
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