How far is Fairmont Hotel Chicago from the Metra and is it a good hotel?
Apr 6th, 2005, 03:16 PM
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How far is Fairmont Hotel Chicago from the Metra and is it a good hotel?
My husband has a conference in Chicago in late November, and we were considering the Fairmont. His conference is at McCormick place, so presumably the Metra is the best transport to get there.
We are also looking at an apartment in Printers Row, but transport looks tricky from there.
The Fairmont has a mixed bag of reviews from 2004, so I wondered what it was like?
We are also looking at an apartment in Printers Row, but transport looks tricky from there.
The Fairmont has a mixed bag of reviews from 2004, so I wondered what it was like?
Apr 6th, 2005, 04:06 PM
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You won't use Metra. It's for hauls between the city and the suburbs. A taxi ride from the Fairmont to the convention center will be about $7.
The Fairmont is fine. Nothing to write home about, but fine.
The Fairmont is fine. Nothing to write home about, but fine.
Apr 6th, 2005, 04:32 PM
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The Fairmont is a good hotel but I'm curious why you have limited yourself to those two choices. There are better hotels in the same price range.
Expect to take a cab from every hotel in the city to McCormick place - there are minimal train options.
Expect to take a cab from every hotel in the city to McCormick place - there are minimal train options.
Apr 8th, 2005, 09:49 PM
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I thought there was a metra stop right in McCormick Place! That's what it looks like on the Metra map.
We thought the Fairmont (which was cheaper than Palmer house, but has one more star) was close to the Metra station and therefore a faster option of travelling to McCormick place in peak hour.
Why wouldn't we take the Metra? Is it unsafe at peak hour - I guess it's crowded but that's ok.
We thought the Fairmont (which was cheaper than Palmer house, but has one more star) was close to the Metra station and therefore a faster option of travelling to McCormick place in peak hour.
Why wouldn't we take the Metra? Is it unsafe at peak hour - I guess it's crowded but that's ok.
Apr 9th, 2005, 06:03 AM
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I think the hesitation is that Metra is a commuter system, which means it only runs in the morning and evening, and then only a few times. It is designed to bring workers from the suburbs into the city and vice versa. It is not designed, or scheduled, for tourists or general travelling because its trips are so limited.
You are not that far from the El, which is the main subway/mass transit system. That will get you around much easier, although probably not to McCormick place given its unfortunate location.
You are not that far from the El, which is the main subway/mass transit system. That will get you around much easier, although probably not to McCormick place given its unfortunate location.
Apr 9th, 2005, 07:52 AM
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I think you may need a CTA map. That's the bus system in Chicago proper. Google it and I think you can print them out online. But there are many other hotels in the Loop that might probably be better located. Maybe a downtown Grant Park area location to bus it?
Apr 9th, 2005, 12:40 PM
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If you use the trip planner on
http://www.transitchicago.com/maps/tripplanner.html, you can either take the
# 3 King Drive Bus or the # 4 Cottage Grove Bus to McCormick Place. McCormick Place is not well served by the el.
Metra Electric Trains also stop at 23rd Street and King Drive, very close to McCormick Place. You can see the schedule here, the trains as mentioned before are not that frequent but I have seen convention goers using them, they may even add trains if it's a big convention. http://www.metrarail.com/schedule.html
The stations are at Randolph/Michigan & Van Buren/Michigan, other hotels that would be within walking distance of those two stations include the Crowne Plaza Silversmith, the Hotel Burnham, Hard Rock Hotel, Renaissance, Palmer House, Hotel Monaco. Metra is totally safe to use and you'd be going against the flow so they wouldn't be packed.
http://www.transitchicago.com/maps/tripplanner.html, you can either take the
# 3 King Drive Bus or the # 4 Cottage Grove Bus to McCormick Place. McCormick Place is not well served by the el.
Metra Electric Trains also stop at 23rd Street and King Drive, very close to McCormick Place. You can see the schedule here, the trains as mentioned before are not that frequent but I have seen convention goers using them, they may even add trains if it's a big convention. http://www.metrarail.com/schedule.html
The stations are at Randolph/Michigan & Van Buren/Michigan, other hotels that would be within walking distance of those two stations include the Crowne Plaza Silversmith, the Hotel Burnham, Hard Rock Hotel, Renaissance, Palmer House, Hotel Monaco. Metra is totally safe to use and you'd be going against the flow so they wouldn't be packed.
Apr 9th, 2005, 02:11 PM
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Are you sure the convention management isn't running shuttle buses between certain hotels and McCormick Place?
Taxi fares have gone up. Last fall, it cost closer to $9 with tip from the Fairmont area.
Taxi fares have gone up. Last fall, it cost closer to $9 with tip from the Fairmont area.
Apr 10th, 2005, 01:49 PM
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Thank you all so much - especially Kristi. Yes there are shuttle buses from the hotels and it's a HUGE convention - 60,000 or so delegates. My husband was there 8 years ago and stayed on the other side of the river, and said it took 45 minutes for the bus to get there, so we thought a train would be a lot faster in Peak hour.
I have looked at the Meta timetable and it looks pretty good for peak hour, so I guess we'll have the option of shuttle or train.
I have looked at the Meta timetable and it looks pretty good for peak hour, so I guess we'll have the option of shuttle or train.
Apr 10th, 2005, 04:33 PM
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Train is definitely faster than 45 minutes! Howard might be right about shuttle buses with a convention that size, I'm sure they will give you transportation directions when the conference gets closer.
60,000 is one of the larger conventions for Chicago, if you want dinner reservations somewhere special, make sure to make them well in advance, the really high end places like Trotter's and Tru book months in advance, the others you can probably get away with a few weeks. www.opentable.com is a great way to check for/make reservations, a lot of the best places in Chicago are included.
Printer's Row is not very lively at night, there are a couple of restaurants but not much else. Try to stay closer to downtown.
60,000 is one of the larger conventions for Chicago, if you want dinner reservations somewhere special, make sure to make them well in advance, the really high end places like Trotter's and Tru book months in advance, the others you can probably get away with a few weeks. www.opentable.com is a great way to check for/make reservations, a lot of the best places in Chicago are included.
Printer's Row is not very lively at night, there are a couple of restaurants but not much else. Try to stay closer to downtown.
