Hotwire Hotel: Help ID: 2* Museum Campus - McCormick Place - Soldier Field

[Han]

I need to stay 8/20 - 8/22 near the Illinois College of Optometry and according to my Hotwire search, a 4* shows up at $79/night which is probably the Hyatt since room rates are $83 through the hyatt site. There's a 2* at $54 that I'm having problems identifying. Can anyone figure out what this is? I thought it was the Chicago South Loop Hotel but the boutique icon isn't showing. I'm planning on renting a car to get around also... Any other suggestions are welcome but I figured it's good to stay close to where I need to be.

Here are the icons that are displaying:

Restaurant(s)

Business Center

High-speed Internet Access

Rating of 3 on Trip Advisor

Thanks!

[AaronJB]

Welcome to Betterbidding. :)

This listing would likely be the Travelodge; while not a great option, it is a reasonable downtown rate if you are just looking for a place to sleep. I'd try bidding $55 for a 4*/3.5*/3* (although 3* is probably most likely) in the Loop in an attempt to try and get a bit more for the money in the same area, but if PRICELINE doesn't come through, the Travelodge is at least right near the Harrison Red Line stop.

I'd recommend something cheaper in the SW burbs (free parking if you're going to be driving), but hotel prices there are not that much better for these dates. Overall, my main recommendation would be to at least try to get something at a higher star rating for a similar price in the MP-loop-GP area of downtown on PRICELINE before considering the possible Travelodge.

Please use the site's HOTWIRE or PRICELINE links to start your purchases and searches.

[Han]

Thanks! I'll do some more digging and research to see what I end up with.

[AaronJB]

Happy to help! :)

Please let us know what you decide and if you have any other questions.

[Han]

Aaron,

We've decided to not rent a car and will just take a cab to ICO for the days we need to go there. Where do you recommend staying that is central to things to do (shops, food, etc) an foot? I don't mind using PRICELINE but the areas confuse me. I'm guessing I should go for the Millennium Park, Loop & Grant Park Area? Or is the North Michigan Ave - River North Area better? We're not in to high end shopping but would love a look around. We don't want to spend a fortune eating out since the hotel restaurants are probably way over priced. Also, a 4* isn't really needed but if one can be had for a great price, why not? Last time I was in Chicago, it was in 2005 and I had a great hot dog near some shopping mall which I've already forgotten. Any help would be appreciated!

[thereuare]

The short answer is that the NMA-River North zone has more restaurants, nightlife, etc... the Loop zone gets a bit quiet at nite and after business/work hours. The two zones are adjacent to each other and it's a moderate walk from the center of one zone to the center of the other; so while the NMA zone is usually more convenient for most users, the Loop zone is often used as well when location and a little inconvenience can be accepted in exchange for a better price (not to say the Loop is always cheaper, but it often is, and you can also use both zones and let the hotel with the lowest price accept your bid)

I'll let AaronJB reply with anything more indepth, but wanted to at least give you some info to begin thinking about how you'd like to play it.

Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases.

[Han]

That's enough, thanks for the info!

[AaronJB]

River North/NMA is a better choice if you plan to be out later at night. Otherwise, the Millennium Park/Loop/Grant Park or River North/NMA areas are fine. As noted, the Millennium Park/Loop/Grant Park area can be very quiet at night - especially the South/West parts.

If you don't want to spend a ton on food, I'd suggest Hackney's in the South Loop., and you can apparently save $10 by joining the email club on the restaurant website. You could also look into Portillo's (hot dogs), Edwardo's (Pizza), Penny's Noodle Shop (Asian; although that's more North of the city in Wrigleyville) Once you settle on a hotel, then I would be happy to suggest places within reasonable distance of the hotel.

Thank you for using the site's HOTWIRE or PRICELINE links to start your purchases and searches.