2 of us are going to Chicago for a taping of Oprah...just 2 weeks from now. We'd like to stay ONE night in Chicago, and almost every hotel requires 2-nite minimum stay. Looking for 3 to 4 star hotel in central loop area, just a taxi ride away from Harpo. Any suggestions?

Are you planning to fly or drive? If you're flying, you could stay near Midway or ORD and take the train into town in about an hour.

There are three large conventions in town the week of October 15 with combined attendance of around 25,000 people.

You may try the Crowne Plaza Metro which is outside the loop, but only a couple blocks from Harpo Studios and Greektown. Other options could be the Best Western Hawthorne Terrace, Majestic or Willows hotels in the Lakeview neighborhood near Wrigley Field.

Have you tried any of the Kimpton Hotels? As far as I know they don't require a 2 night minimum. Hotel Allegro & Hotel Burnham are right in the heart of the Loop.

Found a few places with 1-night availability (wasn't sure of your exact date, so I chose 10/17).

http://www.resideo.com/us/illinois/chicago/

Click the "Check Availability" button, choose your dates, submit the form. When the results appear, choose the "distance" dropdown and select "Oprah Winfrey Show -- the results will re-order, putting the closest places first. You'll be able to see how far away each place is from the studio and what rooms are available (and for how much).

Whew, sorry for the step-by-step there, but I wanted to make sure you are able to do the same search and find what you're looking for.

Hope that helps!

This late, and for a weekend like that I always go to these:
www.hotwire.com
www.hotels.com
www.quikbook.com

I've had luck with all three at different times.