Hotwire Hotel: 4* Chicago (Mag Mile-Streeterville) Hyatt

[Annie Lamb]

Just booked 4 nights at the Hyatt Regency for $76 per night.

Thanks to the Calendar of Wins on this site, I had a pretty good idea what I was buying.

Our first trip to Chicago, going to see the Cubs at Wrigley Field - can anyone tell me if we're close to the Red Line?

My first time using HOTWIRE, although I've bid successfully on PRICELINE in the past. Liking it so far. Thank you all at betterbidding.com!!

[AaronJB]

Congrats on your success. :)

Very nice deal for this Hyatt property in the Spring. It's a bit of a stroll to the nearest Red Line station, but it's a nice stroll - you walk East on Wacker to State and then South on State to the Red Line Lake station. You can find more information about that station here. Please let me know if you have any other city questions at all; I'd be happy to help. I would suggest heading to Wrigley early to avoid the crowds heading there on the subway; the area around Wrigley is quite nice - there's a lot of restaurants and some shops. Very nice area to stroll around while you wait for the game.

Thank you for sharing your win and please use the site's HOTWIRE or PRICELINE links to start your purchases and searches.

Enjoy your stay.

[Annie Lamb]

AaronJB, thank you for the link to the station. We like to walk, so a hike to the station is fine.

Thanks also for your offer to answer ?s, I do have another. We're flying into O'Hare, arriving a little after 3:00 pm. What would be your recommendation for getting from the airport to the hotel? Low hassle factor more important than money in this case, we're both new to the city & anyway, we're saving on the hotel:). If there's a train with no transfers, we might go for that. But if a train means we have to navigate, maybe a car service or taxi?

And if there are any sites or attractions within walking distance of our hotel that you'd care to recommend, that would be great.

[AaronJB]

In terms of O'hare transit:

CTA "L" from O'Hare via the Blue Line to the Clark St station (then walk a block or so North to Wacker, then take Wacker along the River heading East to the Hyatt. This is a long ride, and not particularly comfortable. However, it is significantly cheaper than any other option. The other option is a cab, which is more comfortable and heads right to the door - but would be way more expensive than the "L".

Let me know more about what you are interested in and I would be happy to suggest more options city-wide, but in terms of right around your hotel, the Art Institute is a must-see, and only a few blocks South of the hotel. The visitor's center (77 E. Randolph St), is right across of the Art Institute, in the cultural center. That's an option to check out to see if they have any coupons or other offers. The city does have offers online at this link. Millennium Park is also right next to the Art Institute.

The Hyatt is also right near the Michigan Ave shopping area; the hotel is a block from the Michigan Ave bridge, and the shopping area starts just to the North of the bridge. Navy Pier is popular, but I tend to recommend the Lincoln Park Zoo instead, which is free and a really nice way to spend an afternoon. The Old Town neighborhood is nearby the zoo, as is the Chicago Historical Society.

The Chicago Green City Farmers Market (http://www.greencitymarket.org/index.asp) in Lincoln Park also has an indoor day at the Peggy Notabert Nature Center (which is a block North of the North end of the LP Zoo) on the 23rd.

[AaronJB]

Groupon today for American Coach Limo (groupon at the link), which would be a way to get a discount off airport transit from O'Hare. I'd check the website and do some research (fares, availability) before doing the Groupon, but otherwise, a nice discount for airport transit.

[Yourebonybbw]

Thank you for that information. If it works I will save $25. It will be $60.00 roundtrip from O'hare to Downtown hotel.

[AaronJB]

Glad you were able to take advantage of the deal - seems like a very nice discount. If you booked via PRICELINE or HOTWIRE, it would be greatly appreciated if you could share the details of your purchase in a new thread.

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

[Annie Lamb]

Does anyone know how the Groupon limo price compares to a cab?

Also, we'd be interested in biking if we can find a place to rent & bike trails that are convenient. Any suggestions? Thank you.

[Annie Lamb]

Please disregard my question above about the limo price. Just came across airport to hotel shuttle info I missed on the Hyatt website & it's complimentary so we'll go with that. But I am curious, this info says the price for a cab from O'Hare to the Hyatt is $10 - $12. That seems pretty low; can it be accurate?

AaronJB, your suggestions all sound terrific. We'll do as many as we can fit it. Also interested in the Adler Planetarium.

[AaronJB]

Downtown, the ride I'd recommend is starting at Olive Beach, which is right down the street from Navy Pier, then ride North along the lakefront (and then you could go through Lincoln Park.) I haven't, but a lot of people rent from Bobby's Bike Hike. One of the Bobby's locations is 465 McClurg, which is an easy walk from your hotel. From that location, Olive Park/Beach is pretty much just down the street.

There are a lot of fantastic trails outside of the city but those are definitely long rides (although quite scenic.) and would be a trek to get to where they begin. These include the North Branch Trail (which ends at the Chicago Botanic Gardens, in the burbs) and many others. In terms of convenience, the ride along the lakefront is the best bet. However, if you do visit the area again, areas outside the city offer some fantastic trails.

I'm going to say a cab is probably about $35-40 +/-, although I'd be more concerned with the possibility it could be a touch over - from O'hare to Downtown.

[Annie Lamb]

AaronJB, many thanks for the info & link on biking. We will be checking out Bobby's Bike Hike for sure.

About the transportation - Ai, yi, yi..... I was looking at the Hyatt Regency closer to O'Hare. The one at 151 Wacker doesn't offer complimentary shuttle, but does offer transfers at $18 per person (emailed the concierge), which seems OK to me. Sorry for the erroneous post.

[AaronJB]

Happy to help. One note is that from Bobby's Bike Hike (which is a really easy walk from your hotel), Fox and Obel Market and Cafe is right there as well (great place to grab a snack for the ride.) From there, you would go North a block to McClurg and Grand, then head E on Grand. You'll go under Lakeshore Drive, then on the other side, the Park is right there - the first thing you see on the left hand side of the street - can't miss it. Head into the park (which is small) towards the water, and you'll quickly see the trail heading North along the lake. You'll go directly along the lake heading North and eventually wind around a bend and get to Oak Street Beach. At that point, you can go under Michigan Ave and come out by the Drake Hotel. You could then head slowly North through the Gold Coast neighborhood to Lincoln Park, or continue along the Lakefront up towards Lincoln Park and the LP Zoo (which is definitely recommended, and free.) So, at Oak St Beach, you can either continue along through neighborhoods (and the Gold Coast area is very nice) or continue North along the lake.

You can continue along lakefront trail much further North, but Lincoln Park and LP Zoo does make for a good destination. The trail turnoff to head into Lincoln Park is right before North Avenue Beach, and you can see the entire Lakefront Trail on google maps, it is labeled.

Old Town nearby Lincoln Park is also a nice place to browse through, with nice restaurants and a number of fun stores, including the Spice House. (which is one of my favorite places.) Old Town is primarily Wells, between Lincoln and around Goethe, although the area extends further out. The famed Second City theater is also in Old Town. I'd be happy to offer any suggestions on bike routes or, if you have any other questions, let me know.

Unfortunately, no hotels downtown offer free shuttle; it's just too far to the airport. It's about a 50-60 minute trip on the CTA train.

[Annie Lamb]

AaronJB, we leave in the morning and thanks to you I'm feeling well informed. We've decided to take the train from O'Hare. A few more questions. Can you approximate travel time on the Red line from the Lake St. station to the Addison Station (which is where we get off for Wrigley, yes?). Also, do you have any suggestions for good local places for breakfast & dinner near the hotel? Ideally we'd like a casual atmosphere & reasonably healthy food - but we're a bit flexible when traveling if local specialties aren't all that healthy.

[AaronJB]

The Red Line from Lake St to Addison is probably 15-17 minutes, but it feels less than that. You'll head Northbound from the city, and there is one slightly neat moment where the train comes up from the subway and goes the remaining distance along elevated tracks.

Wrigley is an instance where there actually is a lot going on around the neighborhood; little shops, restaurants, bars, sports bars (such as Sluggers) and more.

Lincoln Park and Wrigleyville have a large population of younger people so there are a lot of stores in the North neighborhoods of Lincoln Park, Lakeview and Wrigleyville that appeal to a younger crowd - a lot of hip bars, a wide variety of restaurants, upscale/hip thrift stores, etc. Around Wrigley itself though is a very nice area, so if you go early (and I do recommend leaving reasonably early in advance of the crowds that are also heading to the game), it is actually a nice area to hang out around while you wait.

There is a Corner Bakery (see cornerbakery.com) about a block and a half due West of the Hyatt, on Wacker, just a few steps West of the corner of Wacker and Michigan. Corner Bakery is higher end fast food; you can find healthy options on the menu and the quality of ingredients is definitely a step up from most chains. They also serve lunch and dinner. This is not the best option, I'm suggesting this more as an option if you're short on time.

The option that I always recommend (because it offers both a very good cafe and the convenience of having a gourmet market also there for any snack shopping) is Fox and Obel Market and Cafe (fox-obel.com). There is one location, and it is across the river from the Hyatt. If you walk slightly West on Wacker from the Hyatt, there should be a staircase on the North side of the street that leads down to Columbus Drive. Walk North on Columbus to Illinois and then walk East on Illinois to McClurg and Illinois. Fox and Obel's Cafe is really terrific for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and it's fun to browse through their high-end gourmet market. The one note with the cafe is that there are definitely high quality healthier/"lighter" options, but there are definitely high quality options that are very rich. Everything I've had there is very good, but there are things that I would not want to have before a long walk. Additionally, the combo of being able to eat at the cafe and then being able to shop for some gourmet treats to carry around for the day is convenient.

Xoco from Rick Bayless (of Frontera Grill and "Top Chef Masters" fame) is open for breakfast; that's a bit further away, but wouldn't be a bad walk at all over to the nearby River North area. That's very good, although again, it's an instance of maybe depending on what you might feel like before a long day of walking; you may not want something super rich.

In terms of dinner, please let me know a bit more about what you're looking for, any likes/dislikes, etc.

[Annie Lamb]

The Red Line from Lake St to Addison is probably 15-17 minutes, but it feels less than that. You'll head Northbound from the city, and there is one slightly neat moment where the train comes up from the subway and goes the remaining distance along elevated tracks.

Wrigley is an instance where there actually is a lot going on around the neighborhood; little shops, restaurants, bars, sports bars (such as Sluggers) and more.

Lincoln Park and Wrigleyville have a large population of younger people so there are a lot of stores in the North neighborhoods of Lincoln Park, Lakeview and Wrigleyville that appeal to a younger crowd - a lot of hip bars, a wide variety of restaurants, upscale/hip thrift stores, etc. Around Wrigley itself though is a very nice area, so if you go early (and I do recommend leaving reasonably early in advance of the crowds that are also heading to the game), it is actually a nice area to hang out around while you wait.

There is a Corner Bakery (see cornerbakery.com) about a block and a half due West of the Hyatt, on Wacker, just a few steps West of the corner of Wacker and Michigan. Corner Bakery is higher end fast food; you can find healthy options on the menu and the quality of ingredients is definitely a step up from most chains. They also serve lunch and dinner. This is not the best option, I'm suggesting this more as an option if you're short on time.

The option that I always recommend (because it offers both a very good cafe and the convenience of having a gourmet market also there for any snack shopping) is Fox and Obel Market and Cafe (fox-obel.com). There is one location, and it is across the river from the Hyatt. If you walk slightly West on Wacker from the Hyatt, there should be a staircase on the North side of the street that leads down to Columbus Drive. Walk North on Columbus to Illinois and then walk East on Illinois to McClurg and Illinois. Fox and Obel's Cafe is really terrific for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and it's fun to browse through their high-end gourmet market. The one note with the cafe is that there are definitely high quality healthier/"lighter" options, but there are definitely high quality options that are very rich. Everything I've had there is very good, but there are things that I would not want to have before a long walk. Additionally, the combo of being able to eat at the cafe and then being able to shop for some gourmet treats to carry around for the day is convenient.

Xoco from Rick Bayless (of Frontera Grill and "Top Chef Masters" fame) is open for breakfast; that's a bit further away, but wouldn't be a bad walk at all over to the nearby River North area. That's very good, although again, it's an instance of maybe depending on what you might feel like before a long day of walking; you may not want something super rich.

In terms of dinner, please let me know a bit more about what you're looking for, any likes/dislikes, etc.

[Annie Lamb]

We are traveling light, our dinner options need to be casual as we won't have the clothes for anything too upscale. We'll probably be up early each morning & pretty active all day, so most likely we'll be eating early, about 6:00 or so. By evening we'll want to stick close to the hotel - although for a "don't miss" recommendation we'd go a little further. So casual with good food, and a bonus would be unique to Chicago, would be great.

[AaronJB]

Fox and Obel and the Corner Bakery are really not far at all from your hotel. The South Water Kitchen at the Monaco Hotel is only a few blocks from your hotel; that's very good, although a touch pricey. The multiple possible stops/options at the unique Foodlife Food Court at the Water Tower Mall is a really very nice food court with more upscale options - that's worth checking out for a quick bite, although that becomes a bit of a walk North of your hotel. There is a Giordano's Pizza around the corner from your hotel (I believe the address is 135 E Lake.) Quartino's on State is an excellent choice for Italian and West Egg Cafe is another option (620 N Fairbanks) that would be a real easy walk from the hotel. I do also think Xoco is a good choice and a more casual, quick way to sample a Rick Bayless restaurant.

Enjoy your stay.