ElCheapo

We have a group of 4 who are staying for a night in Chicago just so we can be at the Oprah taping by 7am. If anyone is familiar with Priceline and Chicago, what might be the best zone to bid to make the morning trip to the studio easiest on us? 7 am is pretty early for those of us unfamiliar with Chicago.

Outside of Priceline, does anyone have any tips for arriving at Harpo Studios or enjoying the show? We were told to eat something before we enter the studio and to not wear white or beige. Is there anything else we should know?

patg

The closest Priceline area is called Greater Chicago - but this encompasses quite a lot of territory, and has some pretty bad hotels in the bunch. The next closest would be the Loop/Downtown.

Downtown is quiet before 7 a.m. Getting to the studios in a cab shouldn't be any problem.

Kristi

The only hotel that comes up on biddingfortravel for the greater Chicago area is the Hyatt McCormick Place which is not close to Harpo Studios. There might be more hotels that people haven't posted.

Instead I think I would bid for the loop-Grant Park and plan on taking a taxi over to the studios. The boutique class on BFT lists Hotel Monaco, Hotel Burnham and Hotel Allegro, all of which will be fine for one night and seem to get good reviews.

There's a restaurant near Harpo Studios that people recommend called Wishbone. I didn't think it was that great personally but other people seem to love it. It would not be open in time for you to have breakfast but you could go there after the taping for lunch.

There are several places in the downtown area that you could grab muffins/donuts the night before, I don't know if any would be open early enough for you to grab it in the morning. Look for a Corner Bakery or Au Bon Pain, they are all over the city.

hipster70

In response to getting something to eat...Le Peep MIGHT be open very early..its right next to Flat top grill which is directly across from the studio..Le Peep is a great breakfast spot.

There is also a starbucks on Madison which is about a block and half south of Washington, Im very sure they open around 5:30-6:00 in the morning to grab a quick muffin and coffee..

ElCheapo

Thanks for the suggestions everyone, I appreciate it.

I'm intrigued by bidding for a boutique hotel. I had also noticed that only the Hyatt McCormick Place has come up in the Greater Chicago area (I'm a longtime BFT poster/user). If it's not convenient to the studio we may as well stay somewhere quirky so as to make our stay memorable.

Anonymous

In Boston and New York, "boutique" usually means "sparse furnishings and tiny rooms".

Kristi

I've seen posts on the three boutique hotels in Chicago that say they are nice places to stay. Hotel Burnham is in a beautiful National Landmark building (Reliance), it was restored and opened in 1999 as a hotel. There is a good restaurant in the hotel, Atwood Cafe. It's also close to the flagship Marshall Field's on State if you have time after the taping.

Hotel Allegro used to be the Bismarck Hotel, it was renovated and reopened as the Hotel Allegro in 1998. It's right next door to the Palace Theatre.

I don't know much about Hotel Monaco but it looks nice on their website.

ElCheapo

I did bid on a boutique category hotel and received the Hotel Allegro. Looks great for $71 per room!

patg

That's a great hotel price for downtown. Regarding breakfast, the only place I can think of that opens early enough is Lou Mitchell's, 565 W. Jackson. It isn't super convenient to your hotel - it's about 3/4 of a mile away, but they do have great breakfasts and they open at 5:30 a.m.! Or, you might be content to buy bagels or muffins the night before, and have room service deliver coffee. Go to metromix.com and use their "what's nearby" feature to find more information on places to eat near Harpo and the Allegro.

swalter518

The Allegro is a great hotel and that's a great price. I second Lou Mitchells for breakfast-it got me through law school!

jende

Regarding tips for the show, I've been there twice for the early taping and once inside, they provided a HUGE breakfast buffet. I was shocked! Maybe they stopped doing this if they told you to eat first.

Just be prepared for a lot of waiting ? in line outside before they let you in, inside the building before they let you in the studio, and in the studio before Oprah enters. But, it's a great experience. If you're an Oprah fan, you won't be disappointed.