The neon sign is back on at the Victor Hotel, 311 N. Sangamon.
Restaurateur Jerry Kleiner -- co-owner of Red Light, Marche, Gioco and Opera -- has been out of the nightclub business since closing Shelter in 1998. Back then, a "Victor Hotel" sign, taken from a transient hotel on North Avenue, was the only marker for the space. Now it's the inspiration behind his new West Loop nightclub.
The fortysomething entrepreneur says he wanted to create a nightspot for people over 30. "For years people have said to me, 'Get back into the business, I've got nowhere to go,' " he says. "This is an adult place."
The 8,000-square-foot lounge, formerly a turn-of-the-century freezer building, is set up to look like a cross between a contemporary art gallery and a modern hotel lobby. Grownup guests will appreciate the music ("not as loud as a nightclub," says Kleiner), bright walls, colorful mod furniture ("because people like to see each other") and proper attire requirements ("so people can dress up").
Better yet: If you've held onto your Shelter VIP coin, you can use it to get into a members-only space that will open upstairs later this year. Newbie VIPs can hope for a Victor Hotel room key.