Heart O' Chicago Hotel, comments anyone?
 

Will be in Chicago for 3 days and staying at the Heart O' Chicago Hotel. Has anyone stayed there? Good, bad. The price is right especially after the almost $20 tax is added. Going for blues music. <BR>Thanks, Maggie

I wouldn't want to stay that far north. The neighborhood is not the greatest either. If you are pressed for cash, I'd try bidding on downtown hotels on Priceline.

Dan, <BR>Thanks for the advice. I live in Europe and the friends I am traveling with think it is okay to ride the public transporation after the clubs close. They say they have never had a problem. Should I listen to them or listen to my paranoid instincts?<BR>What about the Cass Hotel on Wabash? Is this a better neighborhood? thanks.<BR>

Also try www.hotrooms.com

Maggies,<BR>I'm going in August and used Priceline.com and got The Westin at 909 No. Michigan Ave (great location) for $75/night. <BR>Will also be hitting Buddy Guy's, Blues Chicago, Checkerboard, House of Blues and a few other venues.<BR>Good luck and "Sweet Home, Chicagoooooo"<BR>Kal

I never heard of Heart O'Chicago hotel. Where is that? The Cass Hotel is in a good location but it a pretty old hotel. I live in the suburbs and I wouldn't take public transportation late at night. It really is best to take a cab. Blues Chicago is fun. You pay one cover and can go to both clubs. Also, you might want to check out the brunch at House of Blues. However, you should reserve early because they do sell out. The person that got the Westin for $75 a night got an excellent rate and that hotel is in a good location.

Not to be too nitpicky but I think people are referring to Blue Chicago (not Blues Chicago), which I happen to love. Are you going to be traveling alone? I have never felt uncomfortable taking public transportation at night with my husband or friends but I would probably not go by myself after it got dark. That hotel is very far north and not that far from the Loyola Campus. It is also not that far from the Green Mill which is a fabulous jazz club - it was one of the locations for the movie High Fidelity and one of Al Capone's hangouts.

Thank you everyone for your good advice. The common message I'm getting is that the hotel is very north and requires time on public transporation to reach Grant Park. Am planning to go to blues clubs in the night and I will be in a group that is planning to take public transporation back to the hotel. I know what to expect now. Thank you again.<BR>Maggie

The hotel is a block west of Clark Street, just south of Peterson Avenue (6000 north). The public transportation would be limited to the Clark Street bus. It's not a great neighborhood, but I wouldn't be afraid to walk it in a group. However, taking the Clark Street bus that far north will take about an hour from downtown. <BR>A good site for lots of tourist information is<BR>www.chicago.il.org/

alex, I guess you'd really hate it if a said Blues Chicago located in Chicago "Ill-a-noise"? ;^D<BR><BR>I should know better since we bought the framed print of the blues singer with the band in the background and "Blue Chicago" in big print!<BR><BR>105 mo' days until Chicago! <BR>Mahalo,<BR>Kal

Kal,<BR><BR>Sorry - I didn't mean to be a jerk but I wanted to make sure that Margarita could find the place if she tried to look it up online or whatever (www.bluechicago.com). Have a fun in Chicago!<BR><BR>Alex

My brother stayed at Heart O'Chicago last year when he took his son for a visit. He liked it just fine. He said it's just a motel and looked like it was built in the 1950's and hadn't changed since then, but that it was clean and well-maintained. He goes to Chicago often on business and stays in much more upscale hotels, but said he felt this place was good value. He chose it because it is near Wrigley Field.

Ed - <BR><BR>That hotel isn't any closer to Wrigley than the Michigan Ave hotels - in fact, Wrigley is pretty much equidistant between the two areas.