It’s been a long time coming but the North Shore suburb of Lake Forest (pop. 20,000) has its 2nd hotel in nearly a century. The Forester, A Hyatt Place Hotel, which celebrated its grand opening last night, officially opened its doors in April 2021 and has been doing just fine with a 70% occupancy rate in spite of the pandemic.

Located in the bustling Conway Farms business park at 200 N. Field Drive along with some of America’s biggest named tenants including: Abbott, Chicago Bears, Black Diamond, Pfizer, Tennaco, Trustmark and many others, the hotel has a captive audience.

The Restaurant

The hotel’s chef-driven, full-service restaurant, Oaken Bistro + Bar (open breakfast, lunch and dinner), has become a hotspot for both locals and visitors alike.

Executive Chef Kristen Burman, formerly of Limelight Catering and Anthology San Diego,is known for her seasonal American dishes flavored with adventurous twists.

The restaurant features an eclectic variety of wine and spirits including signature infused cocktails with local flowers and herbs.

Seating is available indoors at tables or the bar and outdoors on a spacious patio featuring tables as well as comfortable seating areas.

The Hotel

 The property features 156 guest rooms, including 10 suites, each with 55-inch flat-screen Smart HDTVs, complimentary WiFi, mini-fridges, individually-controlled heating and air conditioning, blackout curtains, hair dryers, in-room safes and more.

The hotel is pet-friendly with complimentary parking available for guests in a lot adjacent to the premises.   

The hotel features three event rooms and a pre-function space featuring the latest technology:

• The Lupine Room will offer exterior access to an outdoor patio and 1,676-square-feet of space, accommodating up to 186 guests,
• The Aster Room, the hotel’s largest event space, will be able to host up to 250 guests in its 2,232-square-foot space. Best suited for groups of up to 45 guests,
• The Blue Stem Room–an intimate 378-square-foot space.

The inspiration

The Forester Hotel concept is inspired by the city of Lake Forest’s motto “Naturae et Scientiae Amor” which translates to “Love of Science and Nature.”  The theme is reflected in the decor with earth-toned features throughout including the artwork, the meeting rooms (named after native plants and flowers) and the front desk itself that is constructed of a solid single white oak tree trunk.

A word from the GM

“We are honored to be opening the first boutique-inspired Hyatt Place hotel in the world in the picturesque city of Lake Forest,” said Marlena Karwowski, General Manager, The Forester Hotel. “Since Lake Forest has not welcomed a new hotel in nearly 100 years, we are excited for the opportunity to bring new offerings and become part of the community. Lake Forest has long been at a unique crossroads of preservation and progress by way of open lands backing up to modern office parks and the cobblestone streets of historic Market Square leading to Starbucks and Williams Sonoma, and this hotel is conceptualized at a similar juncture.”

For more information visit www.TheForesterHotel.com,