daydreamer33

We're actually going to be coming from the O'hare area. We'll be staying at the Marriott O'hare May 3-5th and then heading to the James May 5th-7th. I hear there's quite a bit of construction going on in regards to closures on the El so I just want to make sure we're going to be able to get to downtown with our luggage and not have to get a taxi or shuttle. And then even more importantly, get back to O'hare on the 7th to catch our plane back to CA!

That's really helpful information. We're not big nightlife people so I think the James would suit us better for our purposes this time. And I hear they have Kiehl's products in their rooms and complimentary high speed internet which is a HUGE plus for us. I went ahead and booked through this site's HOTWIRE link and it was indeed the James Hotel. $309.30 total cost for 2 nights including taxes. Fitness, Restaurant, Business Ctr, Laundry, HSI, Spa I'm looking forward to the trip. In the next couple of weeks, I'll just have to figure out where we want to go while we're there and how we're going to navigate the city. Is it possible to take a bus from the James to the zoo? I'm not sure we'd want to walk 30-35 minutes. Boy we must sound lazy! And there are so many great restaurants! It's going to be hard to narrow down the choices! Any recommendations for the best deep dish pizza in that area? :) Or any restaurants in general?

Thanks for the advice! I do have the option of staying at the Ambassador East at $85/night because I made a tentative reservation a couple of months ago but I'm not sold on it yet. I'm not sure of its location in relation to the Magnificent Mile and the rest of Chicago. Any thoughts on which one would be a better bet, the Ambassador East or the 4* HOTWIRE option (probably the James Hotel)? Which one is more central and more accessible to everything Chicago has to offer? In addition to the Lincoln Park Zoo, I'm thinking of taking an architecture boat tour, perhaps hit the aquarium or a museum. I've looked into doing one of those City Passes but I will have to just see what we can fit in during those 2 days without feeling rushed and overwhelmed. We like to be fairly relaxed when we travel and really enjoy ourselves. To be honest, food is probably what I look forward to the most whenever I visit a different city. :)

We're getting $134 rate for a HOTWIRE search for 5/5-5/7 for a 4* hotel in the Magnificent Mile/Streeterville area and it lists the hotel as a customer favorite as well and states it's a 52% savings for us. Based on the forum information, looks like it's a best match for the James Hotel. Anybody have anything to say about the location of the hotel and how easy it is to get around to the Chicago attractions? Have not booked yet because I just want to make sure we make the right decision. Tripadvisor reviews of the James Hotel itself seem really positive so I hope it's a correct match. We are interested in going to the Lincoln Park Zoo for sure but have not really made an itinerary for what we want to see & do & eat while we're there- open to suggestions from people in the know! biggrin.gif We are staying by the airport for a couple of nights first due to a business obligation and had been playing around with the idea of renting a car but now we've been told by several people that it's better to just take the El Train and cabs to get around instead so we don't have to deal with traffic & parking. Is that the general consensus here? Where's the best place to get information on how to navigate the city via public transportation? What routes to take? What stops to get off at? We're Californians who don't know the meaning of public transportation unfortunately. Is it difficult to travel on the El Train with our luggage? And is it reliable and on time since we will have to catch a 2:45pm plane back to California on the 7th? Thanks for the help! We're excited to visit Chi-town and making the most of our couple of days there for pleasure! :)

Will do! Thanks!

Well, based on the feedback we received, looks like we're not going to stay by the airport for the nights following our business obligations. Will be looking into hotels in the city instead and looking into the public transportation system rather than renting a car. Thanks for the help! Will use the HOTWIRE link from here once I'm ready to book!

We're getting the same price for a Hotwire search for 5/5-5/7 and it lists the hotel as a customer favorite as well and states it's a 52% savings for us. Anybody have anything to say about the location of the hotel and how easy it is to get around to the Chicago attractions? Have not booked yet because I just want to make sure we make the right decision. Tripadvisor reviews of the James Hotel itself seem really positive so I hope it's a correct match. We are interested in going to the Lincoln Park Zoo for sure but have not really made an itinerary for what we want to see & do & eat while we're there- open to suggestions from people in the know! :) We are staying by the airport for a couple of nights first due to a business obligation and had been playing around with the idea of renting a car but now we've been told by several people that it's better to just take the El Train and cabs to get around instead so we don't have to deal with traffic & parking. Is that the general consensus here? Where's the best place to get information on how to navigate the city via public transportation? What routes to take? What stops to get off at? We're Californians who don't know the meaning of public transportation unfortunately. Is it difficult to travel on the El Train with our luggage? And is it reliable and on time since we will have to catch a 2:45pm plane back to California on the 7th? Thanks for the help!

We're from southern California so our familiarity with mass transit is basically nil. My husband feels more comfortable with a rental car and having the freedom and option of driving around those 2 days I guess. And since we're flying back out from O'hare on Wed afternoon, he figures it would be simpler to get back to the airport that way. Last time we visited Chicago a few years ago we had our own car with us and must have been fairly lucky in finding inexpensive parking while we were there because I don't remember paying exorbitant fees at the time (I believe we visited Lincoln Zoo & Navy Pier). I believe we stayed in Schaumburg because I had business there. I, however, am open to any and all suggestions. We don't have a plan yet on what we are going to do during our free time in Chicago. If we had a good plan mapped out on how to use the el train to get to and from where we need to be, and you think it'd be better to stay downtown, I'd be all for it. :) But I'm also open to hotels in suburbs that are within 15-20 miles from downtown (that's about the same distance the airport is from downtown, right?) for free parking & internet if we end up getting a car rental.

Hi, we'll be visiting Chicago from May 3-7th. First 2 nights we'll be staying at the Marriott O'Hare for business and are given a special group rate for those 2 nights but then we're on our own. The next 2 nights (May 5th-7th) will be for pleasure and we're thinking of staying close in a hotel by ORD North or South to have a better probability for free parking since we'll be renting a car during that time period to explore the city. We'd like to avoid the expensive parking Chicago is known for if at all possible. :) Would be open to any other suggestions as well for areas in Chicago we should consider looking at for hotels with free parking & free internet access. As well as suggestions for things we should do/see/eat! Any help on the options below? I used the link to HOTWIRE from this website. Thanks in advance for the help! 3-star hotel in O'Hare Intl Airport ORD North - $93 Shuttle, Fitness Center, Pool, Restaurant, Business Center, Laundry, High Speed Internet 2.5-star hotel in O'Hare Intl Airport ORD North - $69 Shuttle, Complimentary Breakfast, Fitness Center, Business Center 3-star hotel in O'Hare Intl Airport ORD South - $69 Fitness Center, Pool, Restaurant, Business Center, Laundry, High Speed Internet, Golf nearby, Children's Activity Program