Best hotel in the Loop
 

A friend and I are taking the train into chicago from out of state for a 3 day stay. Does anyone have any great suggestions as to where to stay within the Loop and within walking distance to main attractions? And does Chicago have any kind to trolley system that goes around to the various museums, etc.? (wE DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO RENT A CAR.)

Why do you want to stay in the loop?<BR>The best hotels are on North Michigan Ave nearer all the shopping and more restaurants. The loop gets very quiet at night.<BR>No reason to rent a car in Chicago.<BR>Most people use cabs.

I love the Hotel Burnham. It is on State and washington, theatre district.<BR> Beautiful historic hotel, yes there are trolleys all over downtown Chicago. PJ

I also love the Hotel Burnham and the Atwood Cafe (its restaurant). Other good choices include the Palmer House Hilton, the Hotel Monaco, and the W City Center. Slightly outside the Loop area are the Fairmont, Renaissance, Hyatt, and Swissotel.

You don't need to have a car to get around Chicago, nor would you want one. There are buses, the el, taxis and the free trolleys. Here's a link for the trolleys<BR>http://www.ci.chi.il.us/transportation/trolleys/<BR><BR>Most people stay on Michigan Avenue which is closer to the shopping and to restaurants. The museums are a short cab ride away. You might give Priceline a try, I've seen some great bargains on Chicago hotels. Check out www.biddingfortravel.com first so you have an idea of what you will get.<BR><BR>If you really want a hotel in the Loop, the Palmer House, Hotel Burnham, Hotel Monaco have good locations. The Palmer House would be the closest to the museums.

I visited there recently and stayed at the Hilton Towers near the south end of the Loop. The other respondents are correct - it's pretty much dead at night and also on weekends. Stay on N. Michigan and take public transport and cabs to get to your destinations - no need for a rental car.

Can recommend Palmer House. Got it for $70 a night through Priceline but often comes up for $56. Good food at Ada's Deli a block away (S.Wabash). Loop area is fairly quite at night but is not that far from more active area to the North. Found Chicago very walkable. In addition, free trolleys cover most areas. Otherwise metro or bus. Have fun.

We adored the Hotel Burnham and got a fabulous room (1508 I think)when we stayed there last Christmas. I felt like the queen of Chicago. It is located in the Reliance Buiding, one of Chicago's first sky scapers and kitty corner from the State Street Marshall Fields Dept Store. The public areas are small but beautifully done. I really LOVED this hotel. They do have a website. The rooms are done in a romantic angels and music, midnight blue and gold theme. We could see up State Street and over to the lake from our corner mini-suite. I think it was one of the nicest rooms I have ever stayed in. You don't mention if your friend is a romantic involvement or not, but all the rooms I saw in our block of 12 were one bed only. The regular rooms are small, and be certain to to ask for one on the upper "historic" floors.