Chicago Hotel Tips by Dabs

The hostel in Chicago is a bargain compared with hotel rates at $30 per night (an extra $3 is tacked on if you don't have a Hostelling membership)

Rooms range in size from 6 beds to 12 beds, separated by gender, most with a shower and restroom in the room. Bed linens, towel and pillow are provided. The hostel has 24 hour access, laundry, self service kitchen, internet access and air conditioning.

The website says there are family rooms available but should reserve about a month in advance.

The hostel is well located on the south end of the loop, close to the museum campus and the Art Institute.


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Theme: Hostel
Comparison: less expensive than average
Prices: US$20-40  » Currency Converter
Phone: 800-909-4776 code 244
Address: 24 East Congress Parkway
Website: http://www.hichicago.org

Don't overlook Priceline as a way of getting a great hotel in Chicago for not a lot of money. Hotwire is also a decent option, usually a little more than Priceline but you have a better idea of which hotel you'll be getting.

On Priceline, you can bid on the various areas of Chicago, most travelers opt to stay in the North Michigan Avenue/River North area but the Millennium Park, Loop & Grant Park Area is also fine. The Greater Chicago category appears to contain hotels near McCormick Place, over by Little Italy, near Greektown and near the Greyhound Station all of which will require some traveling to get to and from. Be careful bidding this category.

You don't want to stay near O'Hare or Midway unless you have business out there or have early flights. Travel time from O'Hare to downtown via el is 45 minutes and Midway is 30 minutes, not including getting from the hotel to the el station. Skokie/Evanston/Niles are northern suburbs, some hotels might be convenient to public transport back into the city, some are not. Travel times into downtown will probably be in excess of 45 minutes.

Check out Bidding for Travel or Better Bidding before bidding to get an idea of what hotels come up for what price, what hotels are in what areas and also for reviews of the hotels.

If you don't like the idea of blind bidding, there are a couple of other websites you might have a look at, Hot Rooms and Travel Zoo which often has hotel rooms for Chicago at a discounted price.


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Website: http://www.priceline.com/
Other Contact: http://www.hotwire.com/

I haven't stayed at any of these hotels but I think they all look like nice alternatives to the larger hotels, hotels with a little history and rooms with some character.

Hotel Burnham, 1 West Washington Street, is in a beautiful National Historic Landmark building (Reliance Building) that was restored and opened in 1999 as a hotel. There is a good restaurant in the hotel, Atwood Cafe which is named after Charles Atwood, the principal architect of the building. It is located in the loop and is close to the flagship Marshall Field's (Macy's) on State Street and to Daley Plaza.

Hotel Allegro, 171 West Randolph Street, used to be the Bismarck Hotel, it was renovated and reopened as the Hotel Allegro in 1998 after a $31 million renovation to the art deco hotel . It's right next door to the Palace Theatre, in the loop theatre district.

Hotel Monaco, 225 N. Wabash, was opened in 1998 and is decorated in French deco style from the 1920s and 1930s. One of their special touches is providing you with a goldfish for your stay upon request. It's located at Wabash and Wacker, just a few blocks away from the start of Michigan Avenue shopping known as the Magnificent Mile.


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Recently a friend of mine stayed here and when she mentioned where she was staying I had no idea it existed. If you are having trouble finding a hotel downtown, you might give this one a try. She got quite a bargain by booking through www.hotrooms.com.

Unique Qualities: It is a landmark building, built in 1897, designed by DH Burnham & Co. It's part of what is known as Jewelers Row.

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Address: 10 S Wabash Ave, Chicago, IL 60603
Directions: Loop, near Jeweler's Row

5/19/07 update-I walked past today and there are still picketers outside this hotel

This isn't a statement for or against unions, the workers at the Congress Hotel or the hotel management since I'm not all that familiar with the issues, just a warning to anyone considering staying there.

Workers at the Congress Plaza Hotel have been striking since June 2003 and from what I understand the protesters are out there every day although not in great numbers and low on enthusiasm now that the strike is nearing it's 4th anniversary. Just my opinion, a hotel with striking employees would not be my first choice for accomodations.


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Address: 520 S. Michigan, , CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 60605

Parking fees can add quite a bit to your hotel stay in Chicago, usually in excess of $30 per day.

The two hotels that offer free parking that are most convenient to the sights are the Best Western River North (Ohio and LaSalle) and the Howard Johnson at 720 N. LaSalle. Both are located in the River North area, convenient to public transportation, many restaurants and shopping on Michigan Avenue.


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If you are having a hard time finding a room because of a convention or the Chicago Marathon, here are a few ideas.

Evanston I think this is the best suburban location because of it's location next to Chicago and the access to Chicago's public transporation system (CTA, buses and Metra commuter trains). There are also many fine restaurants in Evanston.

Oak Park the closest suburb to the west, you can take either the el or Metra to get into Chicago

O' Hare airport hotels most of the airport hotels will have shuttles that go back to the airport where you can pick up the blue line CTA to the city, it takes about 45 minutes. O'Hare hotels are cheaper than downtown hotels and excellent rates can usually be found on Priceline or Hotwire

Midway Airport hotels about 30 minutes from the center via the Orange line CTA, check to see if the hotel offers shuttles back to the airport

Lincoln Park Belden Stratford and Windy City Inn are two are the options located in this safe fun neighborhood of Chicago
B&Bs

Vacation rental by owner Private apartments rented out by owner, lists them by neighborhood VRBO


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The Loop, Chicago's business district, also has quite a few hotels and is closer to the museum campus (Shedd Aquarium, Adler Planetarium and Field Museum), the Art Institute, the theater district, Grant Park where many of the summer food/music festivals are held and Millennium Park. There aren't as many restaurants in the Loop as there are in the Magnificent Mile/River North area but both areas are a short cab ride (or bus or el) away from each other.

Grand Dame hotel: Palmer House Hilton

Boutique hotels: Hotel Burnham, Hotel Monaco, Hotel Allegro, Crowne Plaza Silversmith, Hampton Majestic

More contemporary hotels: W City Center, Hard Rock Hotel, Hotel 71

Large hotels: Hilton on S. Michigan, Hyatt Regency, Renaissance on Wacker, Swissotel

Budget hotels: Travelodge, Best Western Grant Park, Essex, Congress (see my other tip)


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Most visitors to Chicago will want to stay near the Magnificent Mile/River North area in Chicago. First, this is where most of the tourist oriented hotels are located. Second, this is where visitors head to shop. Third, lots and lots of restaurants within walking distance or a short cab ride away.

Top end luxury hotels, big bucks: Peninsula, Four Seasons, Park Hyatt, Ritz Carlton

Other highly ranked hotels: Sutton Place, Sofitel, Amalfi, Conrad, Sheraton, Intercontinental, Westin, James (formerly Le Meridian), W Chicago Lakeshore

Classic "grand dame" hotel: The Drake

Family friendly: Hampton Inn and Suites, Homewood Suites, Embassy Suites

Budget hotels: Red Roof Inn, Best Western, Howard Johnson

If there's not a convention in town and you don't have your heart set on a particular hotel, give some thought to using Priceline or Hotwire.


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