Am heading to Chicago 10-13Jun (midweek) and want to be well located so I can get the most out of my short stay. The Raphael Hotel is at 201 E Delaware and The Tremont is at 100 E Chestnut. Any feedback on these 2 would be great, or any other suggestions are welcome too. Loooking for a room rate of around $70-$100 per night. Also how do I get Oprah tickets, which day of the week are show tapings ? Any other suggestions for a single 32 yr old female travelling alone ?
What does Chicago have to offer ?

Cheers,
Roula.

The Raphael is terrible. Look at some of the comments in the rants and raves section. I stayed there 2 years ago and was very disappointed. Worn out and dirty place.

I stayed at the Tremont not too long ago. GREAT location. Can't beat it.

We asked to move rooms because our first room was extremely hot and would not cool down. After that incident, we were thrilled with the 2nd room and will gladly return to the Tremont.

Location-wise, there is not that much difference; both are excellently situated....Raphael is about a block east of Michigan among ritzier, high-rise co ops and apartments; Tremont is about two blocks west of Michigan, so that it is also near Rush Street shops, restaurants, etc. Raphael used to be a good deal, apparently it's slipped a lot.

Roula
Go to Oprah.com and check on her web site regarding taping days and how to obtain tickets. Start ASAP as I believe they are hard to come by. Have fun in Chicago!

Thanks guys,
The feedback is great!! Does anyone recommend any other hotels in the same area that are budget priced but clean and comfortable ?

Roula.

I stayed at the Millenium Knickerbocker for $99 in December, but might cost more in June. It was great. I was only 2 blocks from the 900 block of Michigan Avenue. Everything was walking distance or an inexpensive cab ride. (BTW, I booked through Expedia to get that great deal.) I enjoyed breakfast at the Oak Tree every morning which has a wonderful view of Michigan avenue and a good eggs benedict florentine. Also, the Institute of Art is free on Tuesdays so that's a good time to go. Down the street on Adams is the Berghoff, a restaurant established in Chicago over a hundred years ago.

Have a great time in Chicago. It is a very friendly city, at least that was my experience.

I could be wrong about the free museum day being on Tuesday so check that out before you go.

Both Tremont and Raphael are equally well-located. Your trip is during a great month, and mid-week is ideal for seeing the Michigan Avenue area.
Check out hotrooms.com for good deals. Anything posters have told you about room prices in October through April have no relevance for June. That is a big tourist and convention time. On the other hand, the hotel market is overbuilt here and you may score a good room rate, although a goal of under $100 a night is optimistic. There are dozens of places to stay that would be convenient to shopping and tourist sites.
Noth Michigan Avenue is a short stroll to Oak Street Beach (and North Avenue Beach, further north) for great people-watching. There are free concerts at the Daley Center (Dearborn and Washington) Cultural Center (at Randolph and Michigan), the Main Library (Van Buren and State St.) and the DePaul Jazz Mart (Jackson and State). Every museum has a free or reduced price day during the week. Here are some additional links
Chicago Visitors Bureau:
http://www.chicago.il.org/
Chicago Architecture Foundation (walking and boat tours of landmark buildings)
www.architecture.org
Hot Tix, half price tickets to Chicago theatres
www.hottix.org
Metromix entertainment guide
www.metromix.com
There is an art fair on Walton Street during your stay, but otherwise you are between major festivals. Still, there is plenty to keep you occupied. Have fun!