Chicago-North Loop Hotel
 

Okay, so I have read all the posts about staying in the mag mile area or the loop. Still need help. We are coming in to town on the Friday & Sat after Tgiving. AHH! are we crazy? Anyway,it will be 2 moms and 3 teenagers. We are going to take the southshore in from Indiana and plan on walking to a hotel. We want to hit Marshall Fields, Filenes etc, kids ice skate on Michigan, etc but will probably want to go to Water Tower also. We will share a room and would like some place close to the train station but on the north side towards Water Tower. Is there such a place that can accomodate 5 people and not have to walk too far with luggage, safe for night time walking and near teenager "approved" restaurants under $150?

Two moms and three teens in ONE room for under $150/night? In Chicago? On annual shopping weekend?

You might be crazy.

I think the only places you'll find that can accomodate the 5 of you will be a suite hotel, but getting one for under $150 for that weekend might be pushing it. I looked up several of them. These hotels are all showing no availability at all:

* Embassy Suites Downtown and Downtown Lakefront
* Doubletree Downtown
* Hampton Inn & Suites
* Homewood Suites
* Fairfield Inn & Suites
* Comfort Inn & Suites
* Hotel Indigo
* Omni Chicago
* Radisson Hotel & Suites
* Residence Inn

Some of the Hiltons and the Marriott showed rooms in the vicinity of $250 per night, but that's a single room that will not hold all of you. And the Marriott shows that room going up to $500 for the night of the 26th. Hotwire is showing the only availability they have as a 3.5* in the south and west of the loop zone for $236/night, and you'd also require two rooms.

Basically, you have 3 choices:

* Significantly increase your hotel budget.
* Come at a different time (this would be my recommendation)
* Stay outside the city and take the train in each day for shopping.

Oh - also - if those teens are girls, do you really want two moms and three teen girls sharing one bathroom? Will you even get out of the hotel room before noon that way? ;)

There is a HUGE convention in town that weekend every year (Radiologic Society of North America) and hotels are very hard to come by. Try O'Hare hotels and train into the city, or Evanston and do the same. Also, there are some smaller hotels in Linclon Park/Lakeview (Days Inn, Comfort Inn, Best Western Hawthorne) that might have availability.

There used to be a privately owned hotel on Surf Street called the Surf Hotel, and friends of mine stayed there in connected rooms--does anyone know what it's called now and if it's still OK? That might be an option as well.

HTH,
Racy

I don't know that hotel, but did want to second Evanston as an option. The kids may find it fun because it is a college town, so it's got lots of stuff that young people enjoy, even though the teens can't hit any bars and clubs. You can take the purple line el from there all the way into Chicago for shopping for $1.75 per person each way, or get an el pass.

The Surf Hotel is now called The Willows. It's sister property is The Majestic. Check Cityinns.com. The chain has a third hotel called City Suites. It can be ok, but is next to the L tracks. I've known several people who stayed there and some didn't mind, others had problems sleeping.

All the hotels are close together and are about 3-4 miles north of the loop and easily accessible to buses and trains.