Hotwire Hotel: 4.5* Chicago (Downtown - Millennium Park - Grant Park) Swissotel Chicago

[KrisKC]

We are traveling 4/8-4/10 there are 2 hotels coming up on Hotwire that I'm interested in:

My son will be doing a couple overnights at the Univ of Chicago and we are going along to check out the city.

Any help would be appreciated!

 

4 1/2 star for $88 Boutique - 90% recommended

Indoor pool

Fitness

Pool

Restaurant

Business

Self laundry

Internet

Tennis nearby

 

4 star for $103 - 95% recommended

Free internet

Smoke free rooms

Fitness

Restaurant

Business

 

There is also a PRICELINE EXPRESS Deal from Priceline for 4 star for $96, Guest rating 8+ (Mill. park, Loop, Grant Park)

Pool

Fitness

Business

 

[AaronJB]

I believe there are more amenities then what you have posted above as HOT.WIRE has a new interface that does not show the complete set of amenities unless you click thru a few extra links.

 

If you repeat your search using our Bidding.Helper.com tool... use the HOTWIRE EASY VIEW tab and then click the GREEN BUTTON next to this listing, do you see more amenities then what you have listed above?

 

I'm seeing a 4.5* Downtown-Mp-GP w/Boutique, Restaurant, Pool, Indoor Pool, Fitness, Hi-Speed Internet, Business, Laundry, Tennis, Spa, Blind Accessible, Deaf Accessible, Travel Accessible, Room Accessible, Bathroom Accessible, Roll-in Shower

-- Likely Swiss

 

4* Downtown-MP-GP Restaurant, Fitness, Smoke Free, Free Internet, Hi-Speed Internet, Business, Travel Accessible, Room Accessible, Bathroom Accessible, Wheelchair Accessible, Roll-in Shower

-- Likely Hyatt on Wacker.

 

4* MP-Loop-GP PRICELINE EXPRESS. A few different hotels in the zone have these amenities, but the Swiss has been seen with this amenity set previously so that would be my guess.

 

I'm very familiar with the Chicago area - please let me know if you have any questions at all about the city or surrounding area.

 

Thank you for using the board's HOT.WIRE or PRICE.LINE links to start your purchases and searches.

[KrisKC]

Thank you so much for your response!

Which hotel would you suggest?

We are both 45 and have been to Chicago a couple times.

This trip we'll be spending a day at U of Chicago and then we'd like to go to the aquarium and the Bean on our off day.

A place to get drinks at night would be a plus! Something with a view would be preferred.

I've been checking out the aquarium and it seems you either get the cheap $8 ticket and can possibly wait in line for an hour to get this or buy online and spend $35/ticket. 

Are these really the only options?

One last question - what is going to be the fastest way to get to U of C?

I've been told the bus or the metra - and to be honest I live in a city that doesn't do public transportation (Kansas City) so I'm not familiar with either.

 

[AaronJB]

Personally, I'd take the potential Swiss on Hot.wire.

 

The Shedd cheap tickets don't get you much, unfortunately. Tickets can be bought in advance rather than having to wait in line.  The Bean will really take minutes, there's not much to it. I'd suggest the  Lincoln Park Zoo - which is a great zoo and free. 

 

Are you going to the South Side Campus for U of C? If so, I think the best option would really be the Metra (which you can get at the Millennium Park station) and then getting off at the 59th St/UOC stop.

 

If you're looking for drinks and a view, you can't beat the Signature Room on the 95th at the Hancock. Let me know more about what you are looking for (atmosphere, etc) and I'd be happy to offer more suggestions.

 

If your son is coming here for college I'd look around Lincoln Park and Lakeview a little further North, which are more reasonable areas vs living downtown.

 

Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases... or thru our sister site MAPS and HOTELS.com for your regular rate purchases.

 

 

[KrisKC]

I went with your suggestion and did the Hotwire 4.5 star and it was indeed the Swissotel! (I hope I posted the win correctly and I did go through your Hotwire link to purchase)

Bars/restaurants for having drinks at night - something fun but casual.  I like the idea of the Signature Room for one night though.

Is there anything by the water?

If it's nicer weather in a couple weeks, we'll check out the zoo.

My son will be living on campus so I'll only need hotels for visiting ... for the next 4 years :)

[thereuare]

Congratulations on your success!

Glad to see you received the hotel you were hoping for and that you're pleased with the results.

Thank you for sharing your win and using the HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your purchase.

I'll leave it to AaronJB to comment on bars/restaurants as he knows this area best.

Enjoy your stay.

[AaronJB]

I think you got a very, very nice deal. While views/upgrades are not guaranteed, given the location of this hotel there is a pretty decent chance you may get a nice at least partial view of the river or some other aspect of the surrounding area. There is a beautiful grocery store (Mariano's) a few blocks away (333 E Benton). That's a great place to pick up snacks/drinks and bring them back to the room.

 

I often suggest Wildberry (http://www.yelp.com/biz/wildberry-pancakes-and-cafe-chicago-2) for breakfast, which happens to be a very easy walk from your hotel. It's a trek to the North side, but Cafe Ba-ba-reeba! is fun (http://www.yelp.com/biz/cafe-ba-ba-reeba-chicago). I'll also suggest Xoco (http://www.yelp.com/biz/xoco-chicago), which is the newer casual option from famed Fronterra Grill chef Rick Bayless.

 

I'm a fan of Eataly, which is an easy walk from your hotel. I'm not a fan as much of having a meal there (I like peace and quiet, it's just way too hectic during the busier periods.) However, Eataly is unbelievably slick and beautiful and it's a lot of fun to browse the many food items for sale in the store portion, as well as pick up a bite to eat (the focaccia bread is so rich it's like a pizza equivalent.) The place is like Bloomingdales or Nordstroms for Italian food.

 

It's not something that I'd go for consistently, but I do like Wow Bao on occasion. Wow Bao (http://www.yelp.com/biz/wow-bao-chicago-3) is a casual chain from the boutique restaurant company Lettuce Entertain You (which is behind Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba mentioned above, as well as a number of other restaurants). Bridge House Tavern (http://www.yelp.com/biz/bridge-house-tavern-chicago?osq=drinks+along+chicago+river) is an option for drinks along the river.

 

Let me know more about likes/dislikes (types of food, etc) and I'd be happy to offer more suggestions.

 

 

[KrisKC]

Any suggestions for Italian, Thai or Mexican would be appreciated!

Is our hotel close to the Metra you talked about for getting to U of C and is it easy to navigate?

How about getting from Midway to the hotel? How much would a taxi be for 2 people?

Thanks!

[AaronJB]

I honestly wouldn't taxi it from Midway. It's pretty easy to get downtown from Midway on the Orange Line - get off at State/Lake "L" station, walk one block North to Wacker, then walk East on Wacker a few blocks. It's a couple of bucks per person versus quite a bit more than that if you taxi it in (especially if it's rush hour.)

 

Metra is easy to use - from the Millennium Park station, you take the train South to the 59th/UOC stop. You don't have to switch trains or anything, but you just have to make sure that the particular departure time train stops at your stop (you have to check Metrarail.com.)

 

For Mexican, the most famous option probably remains Fronterra, but La Cocina (http://www.yelp.com/biz/la-cocina-chicago-3?) and Fronterra casual spin-off Xoco are other appealing options. Italian I like Viaggio (http://www.yelp.com/biz/viaggio-ristorante-and-lounge-chicago?), Quartino (http://www.yelp.com/biz/quartino-chicago?) and La Madia (http://www.yelp.com/biz/osteria-la-madia-chicago). I'll add more to this post soon, but the above are a few recommendations to start.