Panoramic view of a Golf Course

Celebrate a Swinging Season

The House that Hugh Hefner Built, a.k.a. Lake Geneva’s Grand Geneva Resort, is celebrating its inclusion in the June issue of Condé Nast Traveler as one of the magazine’s 100 top golf spots in the U.S. Grand Geneva’s courses ranked in the top five courses in Northern United States: The resort, which Hefner conceived as a posh Playboy hutch in the 1960s and sold to hoteliers in the early 1980s, has two 18-hole links—the Jack Nicklaus/Pete Dye-designed Highlands course and the Brute, a par-72 layout spanning 7,000 yards designed by Robert Bruce Harris. Use this link or mention the promo code CHICAGOGLF when you book an overnight stay (starting at $229) and you’ll get two free rounds of golf; a 30 percent discount at the Well Spa and Salon (we’re extremely partial to Vital Elements Anti-Aging facial); and a $25 credit for food and drink.
GO Grand Geneva Resort and Spa, 7036 Grand Geneva Way, Lake Geneva, Wisconsin; 800-558-3417, grandgeneva.com

Top Deals This Week

The Magnificent Mile begins the vacation season in a big way this weekend: Visitors will find the annual Gardens of the Magnificent Mile in bloom from Oak Street to Wacker Drive, and the first of this summer’s free Mag Mile concerts kicks off at noon on Friday, June 25th when Michael Franti & Spearhead sound off in the John Hancock Plaza. In conjunction with the festivities, several nearby hotels are offering specials. Among them:

  • The Dana Hotel and Spa’s Summer Fun Package includes a $25 gas card, free valet parking at the hotel, and a $25 gift card for Aja restaurant. Book a room over the weekend (rates start at $275) and you’ll also receive breakfast at Aja for only $10.
    GODana Hotel and Spa, 660 N. State St.; 312-202-6000, danahotelandspa.com
  • BBQ Bootcamp at the Affinia. Book a room from Saturday, June 26th to Monday, June 28th (weekend rates start at $339) and get two tickets to the hotel’s annual barbeque blowout, which includes a cocktail reception, food tasting, and an autographed copy of the New American Table cookbook by Marcus Samuelsson, the executive chef of the Affinia’s C-House restaurant. The package also includes a 20 percent discount at C-House. Call 866-246-2203 and mention the code BBQOFF.
    GOAffinia Chicago Hotel, 166 E. Superior St.; 312-787-6000; affinia.com
  • The Elysian—within walking distance of Oak Street Beach—offers overnight guests lakeside essentials in the form of a free Marc Jacobs tote bag and beach towel. To collect the designer goods, book a room between June 21st and September 6th. Rates start at $415.
    GOThe Elysian, 11 E. Walton St; 312-646-1300; elysianhotels.com
  • The Comfort Inn and Suites is also getting beachy. Book a suite between June 21st and September 6th (rates start at $150) and you’ll get a bucket of sand-castle-making tools, two bottles of water, and a supply of sunscreen.
    GOComfort Inn and Suites, 15 E. Ohio St.; 312-894-0900; www.chicagocomfortinn.com

To contact The Escape Artist, e-mail csullivan@chicagomag.com