Suggestions for a hotel in Chicago

[Dizknee_Phreek]

I'm taking a little trip to Chicago for Labor Day weekend. I haven't been to the city since I was about....3ish, I guess. My boyfriend has stayed at least twice at the Howard Johnson, so that's probably where we'll stay. But it got a couple of bad reviews, and I just wanted to look for some other places for the heck of it.
So, anyone have any suggestions on where to stay that's less than $150 a night, but that's nice and in a safe area?

 

[DisneyJill]

I'm taking a little trip to Chicago for Labor Day weekend. I haven't been to the city since I was about....3ish, I guess. My boyfriend has stayed at least twice at the Howard Johnson, so that's probably where we'll stay. But it got a couple of bad reviews, and I just wanted to look for some other places for the heck of it.
So, anyone have any suggestions on where to stay that's less than $150 a night, but that's nice and in a safe area?

You probably can't book it for less than $150 (maybe on Expedia but probably not) but the Hilton Chicago & Towers on S. Michigan Ave. is AMAZING. You might also try some limited service properties, especially on Expedia or Orbitz or something. There are several Hampton Inn's, Hilton Garden Inn's, Courtyard by Marriott's, etc...downtown that wouldn't be as expensive as a full service property. Just remember to always book online when you can, most hotels offer their BAR (best available rate) online. :wave:

 

[mpoppins76]

Whenever we get a hotel in Chicago, we use Hotwire.com. You can choose the area of the city you want, and see how many stars and what amenties it has. The only thing you don't know ahead of time is the actual name of the hotel, which you find out after you book. We've never paid over $130 a night and have stayed at the REALLY nice hotels right down off of Michigan Ave. (ex. Hyatt Regency/Swissotel).

 

[coasterphil]

If you are thinking about using Hotwire or priceline for your booking check out www.betterbidding.com . Their forums keep lists of which property you'll get and the recent prices. I've used it twice and got exactly what was listed each time.


The problem you're going to have though is that its one of the busiest times for places downtown. You may have trouble staying in your budget.

 

[BRER STITCH]

I highly recommend the HOMEWOOD SUITES in downtown Chicago.

http://www.homewoodsuiteschicago.com/

Awesome place, near to the "EL" for arriving from the airport, and within walking distance of anyplace you could want to go.

Great breakfast included, with separate sleeping and living areas, with kitchenettes.

I stay ther every time I go to Chicago.

ENJOY!

:wave:

 

[Dizknee_Phreek]

Thanks so much, everyone, for your suggestions! The Howard Johnson is apparently booked, so I guess it's good that I've been looking at other options. Course, it's so close to the date, now, that I'm getting a bit nervous. I'm a AAA member, so I might call them tomorrow and see what they can do.
We're looking for a place downtown, preferably close to, or in, the Magnificent Mile area. I found the Marriott in that area, and it looks AMAZING...then I found the price. *sigh* Seems this is going to be a much harder thing than I thought.
But, please, keep the suggestions rolling! Even on stuff to do in the area we're looking at. We're of course hitting up the major museums and the aquarium and all that. And my boyfriend is dieing to take me to Medieval Times, so we're doing that, too, lol.

 

[mousermerf]

Give me a few secs and i'll find you the place I stayed at...

It's an older places with an ornate lobby and tons of art deco and other such inspired decor. Wonderful location just south of the magnificent mile and in the theater district.

Ah - the Palmer House Hilton.

http://www1.hilton.com/en_US/hi/hotel/CHIPHHH-The-Palmer-House-Hilton-Illinois/index.do?WT.srch=1

Right now for checking in on Labor Day it' like $179 for a net-direct rate. AAA mightbe cheaper. Just scour the web and see if it comes up cheaper. If anything, those extra few bucks are well worth it.

It's jsut south of the Miracle Mile, in the heart of the theater district, and very a stone's throw from Millenium park.

According to Better Bidding it is one of the priceline options for a 4* hotel in Chicago at Grant Park, the Loop, Millenium Park area.

4* Hard Rock Hotel tripadvisor review
4* Hilton Chicago and Towers REVIEW / tripadvisor review
4* Hotel Burnham
4* Hotel Monaco
4* Hyatt Regency Chicago REVIEW / tripadvisor review
4* Palmer House Hilton REVIEW / tripadvisor review
4* Renaissance tripadvisor review
4* Swissotel Chicago REVIEW / tripadvisor review
4* W Hotel Chicago City Center

 

[Dizknee_Phreek]

Thanks merf!

My boyfriend and I have decided to postpone the trip a bit for several reasons:
1) Pretty much everything was booked up on the Saturday we were going to arrive. Which would've meant we'd have to wake up early Sunday morning and go then. That idea didn't appeal to me much.
2) He's starting a master's program, so he'll be in the middle of that when we planned to go in Sept. However, the weekend we're looking at going now (either Oct. 12-15 or Oct. 11-14) will be his only weekend break between modules...so at least he won't have to worry about class and homework.
3) The Museum of Science and Industry is going to have a Star Wars exhibit starting Oct. 5. Since he (and I) is a SW geek, that was very appealing...so, that was the clincher.

Again, thanks to everyone for your help! I'm going to start searching what's available to us with our date change

(btw, we're not looking for something really fancy or anything...even a place like the Fairfield Inn or something would do. We're going to be so busy with other stuff, I doubt we'll be spending a lot of time in the room. He just wants something in downtown, and I want something nice and safe)

 

[dopey]

You can try Pacific Garden Mission. It's on State Street and I hear the soup is pretty good.

HoJo's is maybe just a step up, but well worth the price for the Friday Night Fishfry!

Chicago has a great public transportation system, so try a hotel near one of the airports if you can't find anything downtown. You can ride the L.

 

[mpoppins76]

Are you planning on driving or flying? I agree w/ dopey about the great public transportation system, but you will need a car to get to Medieval Times, as it's about 30 miles outside the city. Very fun, though!

 

[dopey]

But, please, keep the suggestions rolling! Even on stuff to do in the area we're looking at. We're of course hitting up the major museums and the aquarium and all that. And my boyfriend is dieing to take me to Medieval Times, so we're doing that, too, lol.

If you're looking to save a few bucks, you can get a City Pass.

http://www.citypass.com/city/chicago.html

If you're into dinner theatre, another place you could check out is Tommy Gun's Garage. There are lots of other places where you can eat and listen to music.

If you like jazz, Andy's Jazz Club serves a decent meal and there's a place on Navy Pier (big, schlocky tourist trap) that claims to serve Louisiana cuisine (I wasn't impressed, but I like REALLY hot food). There's an awesome rib joint on the North Side called Bone Daddy; the night I was there the band played jazz, blues and rock tunes.

If you're more adventerous, there are several offbeat places that might interest you. On Saturday nights, for example, the Twisted Spoke has something called "Smut and Eggs." It involves dining and a certain genre of 70s film. Here's an article that lists some other places like that (but not quite like that!):

http://centerstagechicago.com/bars/articles/brauhaus_cinema.html

Hope you have fun when you visit Chicago. If you need any other recommendations, such as dining or entertainment options or whatever, feel free to PM me.

 

[mpoppins76]

If you're looking to save a few bucks, you can get a City Pass.

http://www.citypass.com/city/chicago.html

If you're into dinner theatre, another place you could check out is Tommy Gun's Garage. There are lots of other places where you can eat and listen to music.

If you like jazz, Andy's Jazz Club serves a decent meal and there's a place on Navy Pier (big, schlocky tourist trap) that claims to serve Louisiana cuisine (I wasn't impressed, but I like REALLY hot food). There's an awesome rib joint on the North Side called Bone Daddy; the night I was there the band played jazz, blues and rock tunes.

If you're more adventerous, there are several offbeat places that might interest you. On Saturday nights, for example, the Twisted Spoke has something called "Smut and Eggs." It involves dining and a certain genre of 70s film. Here's an article that lists some other places like that (but not quite like that!):

http://centerstagechicago.com/bars/articles/brauhaus_cinema.html

Hope you have fun when you visit Chicago. If you need any other recommendations, such as dining or entertainment options or whatever, feel free to PM me.

OMG, I LOVE the "Smut & Eggs"!! Ok, maybe not "love", but went once and it was...fun. :lookaroun Although, I got the orange liquer french toast. Have you had that there?? SOOOO good :slurp: :slurp:

 

[dopey]

OMG, I LOVE the "Smut & Eggs"!! Ok, maybe not "love", but went once and it was...fun. :lookaroun Although, I got the orange liquer french toast. Have you had that there?? SOOOO good :slurp: :slurp:

Uh... no. :lookaroun

:lol:

Delilah's is a cool place. I don't think they have food, but I know they have the best selection of premium rums in the city! And great old soul music with blaxploitation films!

Mmmmm... orange liquer french toast. :slurp: How 'bout the Elvis Toast? French toast stuffed with peanut butter and bananas, thankyouverymuch!

 

[Dizknee_Phreek]

Are you planning on driving or flying? I agree w/ dopey about the great public transportation system, but you will need a car to get to Medieval Times, as it's about 30 miles outside the city. Very fun, though!

We're driving.
I think we've decided on the Travelodge downtown. He's stayed there before. I'm a bit nervous about it, really. I'm just not sure if I'll like it. But it's the cheapest thing we can find downtown for when we're going. And it's right where we need to be. And it has a parking lot for $20 a day. So...we'll see.
He loves bit cities, but, growing up in a VERY small town, with the nearest big city being 2 hours away, they make me extremely nervous. So I'm always scared of going to restaurants and stuff that aren't "name brand". And we're not drinking people, really, so we won't be going to any bars. We do like jazz, though, so we might go to someplace that plays jazz. That'd be cool.

 

[mousermerf]

Lots of places to eat in Chicago that are good. They love beets for some reason. Lots and lots of beets in dishes. Well, i went in the winter, so i'm sure it will be less beet-filled for you.

Anywho, the Garden Restaurant at the Art Institute of Chicago was awesome. I really enjoyed it, classy, a little upscale, but not too pricey.

Not to mention you'll hit the museum, which is a definate place to see on your trip Oh! Being a Disney World fan, the museum houses a chunk of the temple-artwork that the Mexico pavilion is based on. This thingy at the bottom of the steps..

 

[Dizknee_Phreek]

Sweet! Thanks merf!
I'm an art major, so the art museum is a must. And I love science museums, so any art or science museum we're definitely doing.

 

[dopey]

He loves bit cities, but, growing up in a VERY small town, with the nearest big city being 2 hours away, they make me extremely nervous. So I'm always scared of going to restaurants and stuff that aren't "name brand". And we're not drinking people, really, so we won't be going to any bars. We do like jazz, though, so we might go to someplace that plays jazz. That'd be cool.

You're crazy to come to Chicago and NOT try non-chain restaurants. What's the point? You might as well go to Des Moines. I was just reading about a new location for this restaurant called Wishbone. It's Cajun-Creole with Yankee influences; it's next to a bar that has big band swing every Sunday evening. The place is called FitzGerald's and it's in Berwyn, once the home of the Chicago Outfit. But I guess if you prefer Olive Garden... :shrug: (Sorry, I'm a bit of a big-city snob.) There's a restaurant for just about every taste in Chicago. Try www.metromix.com. You can find restaurants of all kinds. If you're looking for Disney stuff in Chicago, Walt's boyhood home is still standing, and it's not too far from downtown.

Lots of places to eat in Chicago that are good. They love beets for some reason. Lots and lots of beets in dishes. Well, i went in the winter, so i'm sure it will be less beet-filled for you.

That's a Polish thing mostly. Chicago has the highest population of Poles outside of Warsaw. Personally, I hate beets. :hurl: But I do like pierogis!

 

[Erika]

That's a Polish thing mostly. Chicago has the highest population of Poles outside of Warsaw. Personally, I hate beets. :hurl: But I do like pierogis!

I'm a Chicagoland Polak (polka?) but I don't remember seeing a whole lot of beets :lol:
I must have blocked them from memory, or maybe all my relatives hate them too!! :hurl:

Why'd you have to start with the pierogi talk? 6:55 am and I'm already hungry for Milwaukee Ave :slurp:

DP, DEFINITELY try the non-chains! Or at the very least, if you're nervous, the local chains.

OH! And, the Art Institute and the Museum of S&I are two of my favorite places. Great choices-- you will love them both

Don't let the "big city" make you too nervous. You'll have a great time.

 

[dopey]

I'm a Chicagoland Polak (polka?) but I don't remember seeing a whole lot of beets :lol:
I must have blocked them from memory, or maybe all my relatives hate them too!! :hurl:

Why'd you have to start with the pierogi talk? 6:55 am and I'm already hungry for Milwaukee Ave :slurp:

DP, DEFINITELY try the non-chains! Or at the very least, if you're nervous, the local chains.

OH! And, the Art Institute and the Museum of S&I are two of my favorite places. Great choices-- you will love them both

Don't let the "big city" make you too nervous. You'll have a great time.

Don't be such a dupa, Erika! :lol: I'll cure you of the pierogi talk... ready? Pierogis go great with czarnina! :hurl:

My favorite local chain is Morton's of Chicago. Mmmmm... porterhouse steak. :slurp:

 

[Erika]

Don't be such a dupa, Erika! :lol: I'll cure you of the pierogi talk... ready? Pierogis go great with czarnina! :hurl:

My favorite local chain is Morton's of Chicago. Mmmmm... porterhouse steak. :slurp:

Czarnina, I refuse to try it, I just can't bring myself to do it :ROFLOL:

I gave up on the pierogis and settled for a big bowl of ice cream :slurp:

I don't think I ever did make it to Morton's but I always hear good things.