CillaY

Driving from Lafayette, IN to Chicago for a 3-day stay (11/27/10-11/30/10), then driving back.
Wanting to visit Shedd Aquarium, Navy Pier, Museum of Science & Industry and a SkyDeck.
Any ideas on lodging for three for around $150/night?
Should we stay outside of Chicago (where?), then drive in to see the attractions?
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

musicfan

There are others on here with lots more knowledge and experience with Chicago than I have, so I will just say not to stay outside the city and drive in...you'd waste a lot of time doing that, not to mention the hassle (and expense!) of driving and parking your car at all those places. Chicago is an expensive place to have a car anyway. In three trips there, I never had a car and was glad not to when I saw how much it was to park...I think at the Museum of Science and Industry it was over $20 and this was at least 8-10 years ago.

I would recommend Priceline for a room, but that isn't feasible for 3 people so instead look at Quikbook as I had good luck with them in Chicago. Also, if you are a AAA member, sometimes you can get good rates with your membership.

For two of our three trips we stayed at the Homewood Suites not far off Michigan Avenue and it was a great location...it's a Hilton property so you could get lots of Hhonors points!

Good luck and have fun.

HappyTrvlr

The Seneca often has special rates.

Citylghts

I agree that it's best to stay in the city as you'll probably spend around an hour commuting each way. That being said, you're looking at one of the busiest weekends of the year only days before.

Parking at most downtown hotels is around $50 per night. Check www.chicagoparkingmap.com or chicago.bestparking.com for less expensive options. Simply enter the address of your hotel.

If you stay downtown, park your car when you arrive and let it stay there until you leave. I would not advise driving in the city during the week.

If you can't find anything downtown, there are a few hotels in the Lincoln Park or Lakeview neighborhoods about 3-4 miles north. Check the Belden-Stratford, Best Western Hawthorne Terrace, www.cityinns.com or the Days Inn on Diversey.

There are several hotels near Midway. The drawbacks are that there's little else nearby in terms of restaurants or activities that are within walking distance. The other disadvantage is that to reach downtown, you'd have to take a shuttle to the airport, then the Orange Line to The Loop.

A third option would be the Evanston/Skokie area just north of the city. You can reach the city from Skokie via the Yellow and Red Lines or the Number 147 bus from the Howard Station. Check www.transitchicago.com. There are lots of restaurants and shopping in Evanston and many of the Skokie hotels are near the Old Orchard shopping center.

Transit passes would be a wise investment. A 3-day pass allows unlimited rides on all CTA trains and buses for $14. You can purchase them at most CVS or Walgreens stores. ON the CTA site, you can also find maps, schedules and a trip planner.

japw82

Hotels downtown are pricey for your dates. The Springhill Suites on Dearborn in the River North area is an option at $195 per night and includes breakfast. It gets great reviews. Otherwise as others have stated look in the Evanston or Lincoln Park-Lakeview areas. We stayed at the Renaissance Suites at O'Hare and took the train downtown. It took about 45 minutes. Hotel rates were less than 1/2 and parking and breakfast were included in the room rate. Although it's not as desirable as staying downtown it is a more economical option if you don't mind spending approximately 2 hours a day commuting.

hawksbill

The largest annual medical convention in the world is taking place in Chicago during those dates. The conference will run from 11/27-12/2, but 11/27-11/30 are the busiest days. Based on my experience, it will be virtually impossible to find a room at any hotel in the city if you haven't booked one already.

CillaY

Wow! Thanks for the great replies, all of you! I'll let you know what happened when we return. I appreciate all of you taking the time to reply to my post!

gardendiva

I just returned from Chicago. I stayed at The River Hotel/Club Quarters on Wacker just south of Michigan Ave. The rooms are small but nice and the location is great and the price was very reasonable. I used public transportation to see all of the sites you listed. I would not even think of driving in that town.

kimmos

I am now getting confused. The last post from gardendiva tells me that The River Hotel and Club Quarters are the same hotel? But they have different addresses? However, the Central Loop Hotel and Club Quarters have the same address. So, which ones are in a good location for a first visit to Chicago? Thanks.

Citylghts

The River Hotel and Club Quarters are in the same building. I think at one time they were using separate addresses, but are integrating their operation.

If this is your first visit to the city, I'd recommend the one on Wacker or any hotel in the River North/Michigan Avenue area. The Central Loop Hotel is fine, but the surrounding neighborhood is mostly banks, courts and offices, so it tends to be a tad more quiet in the evenings.

logandog

We stayed at The James Hotel over the holidays and we were very pleased.Booked it through this site as a matter of fact,it was only $129.00 per night but parking was $35.00 a day.
Great location.