Hotwire Hotel: 4.5* Chicago (North Michigan Ave - Water Tower Place - Gold Coast) Sofitel Chicago Water Tower

[crito]

4* $81

Smoke Free Rooms

Fitness Center

Restaurant(s)

Business Center

High-Speed Internet Access

95% recommended (Hotwire customers)

4.5* $108

Business Center

Restaurant(s)

Fitness Center

High-Speed Internet

Still gathering...

I know the 4.5* must be the James, Intercontinental, or Conrad. Any more likely than the others?

[AaronJB]

4.5* Mag Mile is a possible match for the Conrad or Inter-Continental; the 4* is a possible match for the Hyatt, Sheraton, Hard Rock or Westin River North. If you search for 2a/2c, what appears likely to be the Hyatt pops up in the 4* Mag Mile slot. I'm seeing a 4.5* NMA for $112 w/fitness, restaurant, business, internet, which has been previously seen with the Sofitel. I'm seeing the 4.5* Mag Mile for $107, and for $112, the potential Sofitel would seem more appealing for $5 more.

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

[crito]

Thanks Aaron. So the 4.5* Mag Mile is not the James?

On this trip I have some preference for the Mag Mile/Streeterville neighborhood, which is why I didn't include the Sofitel. But if you think it's distinctly better than the Conrad or Intercontinental, I might sacrifice my location preference.

[AaronJB]

The James has been rarely reported with this amenity set (and hasn't been seen in general for a while), and the Conrad/Intercontinental would be much more likely. I'm seeing the potential Intercontinental/Conrad for $105 (the price you see may differ slightly) and I'm seeing the 4.5* NMA (fitness, restaurant, business, internet, which has been previously associated with the Sofitel at the 4.5* level in this zone) for $4 more, both slightly cheaper this morning than they were showing for last night.

Both the Intercontinental and Conrad are very nice hotels (in my opinion), although the Inter-Continental - being an older property - does get more mixed reviews (I think it's a unique property with a neat history - especially the stunning pool area - but I can see where it wouldn't be everyone's cup-of-tea.) Both are right across the street from one another, so neither has a location advantage over the other.

The Sofitel is a lovely, modern property off Michigan Ave in a very nice location and pretty comparable to the modern Conrad. With the 4.5* Mag Mile listing, it's a risk of being the Intercontinental or Conrad, while the only 4.5* in the NMA area that has been seen with that amenity set is the Sofitel, unless something has been upgraded from the 4* level to 4.5* recently and not yet been reported to the board.

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

[crito]

I booked the Sofitel for this date, after thinking a few things over -- thanks, Aaron.

I think I'm supposed to keep this in the same thread, even though it doesn't quite fit the header anymore. Here's the info:

Fitness, Restaurant, Business, Internet.

95% recommended by Hotwire customers.

4.5* in the NMA-Water Tower - Gold Coast area.

$111

That's just over half the lowest rack rate right now ($202) for that night, so I'm pretty happy. I've stayed in Chicago a number of times but only once in the Gold Coast and never at a 4.5*, so I'm really looking forward to it.

I did remember to use the BB HOTWIRE link to start my purchase.

[AaronJB]

Congrats on your success. :)

Awesome deal for this property, which is superbly located about a block off Michigan Ave. While in the NMA area, this is really not too far from where the Mag Mile-Streeterville Hotwire zone/area is. Rush St is right there, and is perfect to walk South more towards the Mag Mile/Streeterville area or North a few blocks to the core of the Gold Coast area. The Chicago/State Red Line subway stop is also a few blocks away.

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

Enjoy your stay.

[crito]

Oh, one more thing: could you give me one (or more) of your tips for getting a (relatively cheap) dinner or breakfast in the neighborhood? Cafe des Arch. sounds great, but I'm usually just as happy with something... earthier.

[AaronJB]

It gets some mixed reviews on Yelp, but I've rather liked (wouldn't get a ton there, but for a snack or bite to eat or something like that, it's been good and was convenient when I was nearby) Goddess and Grocer, which is a few steps from the Sofitel at 25 E Delaware. It's on the pricey side, but a nice combo of cafe/gourmet market. Original Pancake House on Bellevue (just a couple of steps East of Bellevue and Rush) is nice, although small enough that you may want to get there early. Yolk is another breakfast option at 747 N Wells. I haven't tried it, but the ING Cafe (http://cafes.ingdirect.com/chicago/) is extremely popular for on-the-go type breakfast and very reasonable. There's a few pizza options nearby - Giordanos on 730 N Rush, Edwardos just a few doors North of the intersection of Dearborn and Division and Lou Malnati's now on 1120 N State nearby. In terms of other dinner suggestions, any specific likes/dislikes?

Go into the Ghirardelli Chocolate Shop on Pearson which is just off Michigan Ave a few steps West on Pearson...because they're often handing out samples.

[crito]

The breakfast places sound perfect and the ING will be useful because it has free wifi (the Sofitel does not).

Here's the deal. I'll be in town for three more nights after this one for some meetings. (Someone else is paying for those three but I'm paying for this night myself.) So I think I won't go for pizza -- pretty sure the others at the meeting will want to go do that.

The bottom line is: my tastes are pretty eclectic, my budget for this part of the trip is not big, and I'd rather stay in the neighborhood. Asian? (East or South.)

[AaronJB]

Big Bowl is local company Lettuce Entertain You's take on a mid-range Asian dining experience, and while the quality is good, it feels very "concept"-y and portion size is a little iffy for cost; Gayot had it as part of Chicago's "Top 10" Chinese restaurants last year, and while it's technically good, calling it among the city's "Top 10" Chinese places is highly surprising (I also like chain Flat Top Grill, but I wouldn't include that on the list of the Top 10 Chinese places in the city, either - although "make your own Stir Fry" place Flat Top is at least a great value - you make your own stir fry, then can keep going back again-and-again.)

This is purely if you don't feel like going far at all for Asian; it's only a few blocks North on 6 E Cedar. Another Lettuce Asian concept chain is Wow Bao, which is in the nearby Water Tower Mall. Water Tower's Foodlife food court is a really nice option as mall food courts go - there's 14 different kitchens and you take a card around and get what you like, then pay as you exit (http://www.foodlifechicago.com/how-it-works) Foodlife is also - no surprise - a Lettuce Entertain You concept.

More expensive (and not a chain), but closer to your hotel would be Le Colonial, which is a very nice French/Vietnamese restaurant on Rush. Only a couple of blocks away - it's been a while, but I've eaten there before and enjoyed it. http://www.lecolonialchicago.com/ Also on the very high end would be Shanghai Terrace, at the nearby Peninsula Hotel.

A bit further away, but not a bad trek is Garlic and Chili Thai, on 1232 N LaSalle - very much a local neighborhood, take-out type of place. Unfortunately, many examples of Asian dining are in further out neighborhoods to the South (Chinatown) or further North (Lincoln Park, etc - even the smaller Old Town area, which includes one of my favorite Chicago stores, The Spice House, which is an insane herb/spice store where many of Chicago's chefs shop - http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-spice-house-chicago) neighborhoods. The Gold Coast is really kind of an upscale neighborhood-y extension of the North Michigan Ave area.

Otherwise, nearby there's also celeb chef Marcus Samuelsson's C-House in the Affinia Hotel, which isn't a bad walk. Graham Elliot (on "Masterchef")'s restaurant is also not too terribly far on 217 West Huron and Art Smith's "Table 52" is pretty close to your hotel on 52 West Elm.

Soupbox on 50 E Chicago is a good choice for Soup nearby, and it's something that may be worth checking out in Chicago in Feb - it's been an unusually decent Winter in Chicago so far, but mid-Feb can be brutal weather-wise at times.

I'll add a few more notes to this post within the next day or two, and will edit this post.