Ian Schrager Company
Ambassador East Hotel
Salas O’Brien delivered multi-faceted engineering services and a due diligence evaluation for a renovated restaurant in a Chicago, Illinois, hotel building.
Our client
The Ian Schrager Company is committed to bringing luxury and boutique design to travelers’ experiences, and they’re not afraid to shake things up in the design world. This company has successfully owned, developed, managed, and branded hotels and other mixed-use properties all around the world. Highlight projects for them include transforming the fabled Gramercy Park Hotel in New York City, launching PUBLIC Hotels, and partnering with Marriott International to create EDITION Hotels.
Project highlights
Their challenge
Located in the former Ambassador East Hotel, the iconic Pump Room restaurant required some major space renovations as well as mechanical, electrical, and plumbing updates. Our client wanted to restore the hotel to its former charm, but with a modern touch, rebranding it to be the Ambassador Hotel Chicago. To do so, they needed a partner who had the skills to handle the engineering design to accommodate the renovations.
Our solution
Salas O’Brien rose to the challenge, performing mechanical, electrical, and plumbing design work for the renovation. Our team’s work included a due diligence evaluation of the building’s current systems, as well as design for the complete refurbishing of those systems for the common areas of the hotel. Since the two commercial kitchens, dining areas, lounges, lobby areas, offices, and conference rooms were all renovated, the space was then reviewed for available capacity. Once that was finished, our team provided new equipment for the renovated spaces, including air handling equipment that utilized existing chilled water and steam systems. To top off the project, our team supported the refurbishment of plumbing, fire protection, and electrical systems to accommodate the new renovations.
The results
Our client had high expectations for this renovated and rebranded Ambassador Hotel Chicago. Thanks to our team’s eye for detail and high evaluation standards, the restored hotel has made a comeback and caught the eye of Chicago’s Gold Coast neighborhood travelers.


