Hotwire Hotel: Mid-End May '2011

[AngS1967]

My 17 year-old and I are heading back to Chicago once again this year (sure do love this city). Anyway, we decided not to do march break this year even though we have had fabulous luck the previous 2 years for weather. Instead we are thinking May.

Aaron, I was wondering if you have any suggestions as to which of the later 3 weeks in May might be best for price and/or any special activities or festivals etc.?

Once we have the time narrowed down we will start the hotel searches.

Thanks so much!

Angela :)

[AaronJB]

Good morning :)

Lots of thoughts:

1. The NRA (National Restaurant Association) convention is 5/21-24 this year (so 5/20-24 may be pretty bad in terms of rates). That is one of the biggest conventions of the year in the city.

2. How many days are you planning on staying? Desired budget per night?

3. HOTWIRE rates this Spring do appear on the higher side, and definitely look (at least at this point) to have bumped up from last year the year before. Regular rates for various periods in May also certainly look higher than last year.

4. I'm not seeing too much variation in rates on HOTWIRE across various periods in May. There are also a good deal of grey "regular rate" listings on various dates - maybe a bit too early, or hotels are not discounting this period aggressively, expecting higher business and/or walk-ins. I do see what appears to be the Hyatt for $115 on HOTWIRE during a bunch of periods and there is a 4* for $118 in the NMA area for a stretch late in the month. HOTWIRE does not appear to be discounting super heavily for the last week in May (5/25-31), but regular rates do seem a tad calmer (although still on the high side) than other periods. This may be a good stretch to try for PRICELINE.

5. If you are driving, the 'burbs are a cheaper option (and free parking), but it is then a matter of getting to the nearest Metra station and taking the trip downtown. I'm guessing you could - especially late in the month - PRICELINE a 3.5/4* in the North burbs for about $50-60, possibly as low as the mid-to-upper $40's for a 3.5*.

Thank you for using the site's HOTWIRE or PRICELINE links.

[AaronJB]

Additionally:

There does appear to be a fair amount of Cubs tickets available for some of the May games, if that is of interest.

The Chicago Botanic Garden (in the North Burbs, despite the name) is really quite beautiful in the Spring - that's one of the sights in the North burbs, but you can take the train up there from downtown, as well. Parking is expensive, but admission is free. It's a large area and there are quite a few interior gardens in addition to the outdoor displays. There are also a number of large and small events that go on, as well, such as a Garden Chef demonstration series on certain days. Nice, peaceful way to spend a day and the Garden is really beautifully maintained. The wikpedia page for the garden is a really outstanding overview of what it has to offer.

The city's large Memorial Day parade takes place starting at noon in the Loop on 5/28. The neighborhood festivals generally start in June, but the Belmont-Sheffield Music Fest usually happens late in May in the North side neighborhood (5/28-29 according to this site), and that is easy to get to. You can see pictures from last year's event here.

Farmers Markets around the city also start to get going in May. I particularly like the Gold Coast market (between State and Clark, on Division, Saturdays - it starts in May - I'm not sure what weekend, but it will at least likely be going by the second half of the month.) and the year-round Green City Market. The Downtown Farmstand is also fun.

[AngS1967]

Hi Aaron,

We need 2 beds as my daughter will most likely be taking a friend, so Priceline is out for us. I was thinking 4 nights and I don't really care which days. Last year we stayed at the hotel (I think the Embassy Suites) across from Dominick's with the free breakfast and it was perfect. Loved it and was really hoping to get it again. As for price was hoping to find something around $100 a night but that isn't look promising at this point, so $125 if possible. Really could be anytime in May and would like to stay in the Magnificent Mile area or the Gold Coast?

Thanks again,

Angela :)

Additionally:

There does appear to be a fair amount of Cubs tickets available for some of the May games, if that is of interest.

The Chicago Botanic Garden (in the North Burbs, despite the name) is really quite beautiful in the Spring - that's one of the sights in the North burbs, but you can take the train up there from downtown, as well. Parking is expensive, but admission is free. It's a large area and there are quite a few interior gardens in addition to the outdoor displays. There are also a number of large and small events that go on, as well, such as a Garden Chef demonstration series on certain days. Nice, peaceful way to spend a day and the Garden is really beautifully maintained. The wikpedia page for the garden is a really outstanding overview of what it has to offer.

The city's large Memorial Day parade takes place starting at noon in the Loop on 5/28. The neighborhood festivals generally start in June, but the Belmont-Sheffield Music Fest usually happens late in May in the North side neighborhood (5/28-29 according to this site), and that is easy to get to. You can see pictures from last year's event here.

Farmers Markets around the city also start to get going in May. I particularly like the Gold Coast market (between State and Clark, on Division, Saturdays - it starts in May - I'm not sure what weekend, but it will at least likely be going by the second half of the month.) and the year-round Green City Market. The Downtown Farmstand is also fun.

[AaronJB]

There are some options on HOTWIRE for 2, but when looking for triple occupancy, the more reasonable options unfortunately become more limited. I looked at a bunch of 4-night combinations across the month, and while I could have missed something, the most reasonably priced 4* option I saw when searching for 1a/2c was 5/27-31; there is a 4* in the Mag Mile/Streeterville area w/fitness, restaurant, business, internet and smoke-free.

This amenity set has previously been reported with the Sheraton. However, looking at other dates during the month, a regular rate listing at this star rating in this zone with these amenities appeared and it was the Hard Rock, so that may be a possibility in this case, as well. There is also a listing with this same information for 5/27-29 with a 4.5/5 tripadvisor rating, so while the Sheraton is most commonly seen, my guess is that the Westin River North may also be a possibility with this amenity set at this star rating in this zone.

I am seeing a few more options on Travelocity's "Top Secret" service, but few (if any in Chicago) hotels on that service have been ID'd/reported to the board and the hotel is listed in the "Loop/ Magnificent Mile/ River North" area, which is not given a clear boundary/definition on the map provided (the map provided does not define zones, actually.)

That said, when I search on Travelocity for 1a/2c for 5/16-20, there is a 4* described as being in the "Loop/Mag Mile/River North" area for $115 and 4* in that zone for $87 when searching for 5/29-31 only and a 4* for $107 when searching for 5/27-31 (that $107 is $127 for the first two and $87 for the second two, so I'm guessing it's the same as the $87 showing for 5/29-31 only.)

Overall, there are a few different options, but 5/27-31 would appear to be the best date-wise, and there is the cheaper Travelocity option for 5/29-31 alone.

Please let us know if you have any questions before booking.

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