Hotwire Hotel: 3.5* Chicago (Arlington Heights - Elk Grove Village) Sheraton Suites Elk Grove

[Laloca]

Hello Everyone,

I have never been to Chicago, but already bought my ticket for June 3rd. I was looking over hotwire and priceline, and realized that hotels downtown are extremely expensive (going over 200 per night),almost double, even triple the amount it would normally be outside of that date range. I just found out that the Oncology convention is taking place around those dates. I definitely cannot afford that but my question is, do you believe it would be wise to wait till a week before to book the rooms to see if prices will drop? I really want to experience downtown Chicago!!!Another note is that I have a car, and was thinking to book a hotel in Arlington Heights as the prices there are reasonable,is it far?And how's the public transportation there?

All of your help would be greatly appreciated!Thank you so much for your input.

[AaronJB]

Welcome to Betterbidding. :)

I generally suggest staying in the North burbs - Northbrook, Evanston, Skokie, Glenview, Deerfield - but Arlington Heights and the NW burbs are fine, though.

There's no way to know if prices will drop closer to your stay, but they will likely remain high due to warmer weather and the generally busy Summer season.

Opinion is going to (understandably) vary from person-to-person, but personally, if it's a matter of saving a couple of hundred over a couple of nights (and I think the difference between downtown and the burbs for comparable star rating for these dates is going to be significant), I think staying in the burbs is perfectly fine and - being familiar with the area - is what I'd go for. Again, others may feel differently, but I think the Metra train ride in is comfortable and the money saved can go elsewhere.

You're also looking at $25 (city lot) and probably around $50 (hotel) parking downtown vs free parking in most suburbs. So, if you're driving, the suburbs are going to provide additional savings beyond cheaper hotel cost.

What would be your desired budget per night? How many people are in your party?

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

[Laloca]

Thanks so much for your prompt response Aaron!I do agree with you, I don't think the prices will drop.

Could you list a few reasons why the North suburbs would be better than Arlington heights?Is transit more feasible in the North?

It's just me and my boyfriend, and the budget is a max of $100/night.

I appreciate your response and input :)

[AaronJB]

Personally, I like the North Burbs - has some of its own sights (Ravinia Music Festival, which draws some big names throughout the entire Summer; the Chicago Botanic Garden, as well), and a wide variety of restaurants/shopping. Some suburbs also do not charge to use their beaches. It's also not too far of a drive (and some hotels provide shuttle) from Metra stations. Metra is more expensive than CTA and does not run as often, but much more comfortable for the trip in from the burbs. Metra trains do have express runs during the morning/evening rush during the week. You would be taking the Metra from either Arlington Heights or the North burbs. The last Metra going out of the two main stations downtown is just after Midnight.

Skokie/Evanston/Niles would be the closest (although still certainly a trip) PRICELINE zone to downtown, but the concern that I have when bidding on that zone (and when using HOTWIRE) is that the Holiday Inn North Shore is a risk when bidding PRICELINE and often appears on HOTWIRE. This is an older Holiday Inn property that has gotten mostly negative reviews for quite some time. Additionally, given that this zone is closer, it is also often more expensive than the zone just one north of it.

The North Shore zone, which is the next zone on the map North of Skokie/Evanston/Niles, is generally cheaper and offers 3.5* as the highest bid level. What appears to be the Crowne Plaza Northbrook is showing on HOTWIRE for $63. That property has been last seen at the 3.5* level in the North Shore zone on PRICELINE, and my guess is that you may be successful at the 3.5* level in the North Shore zone on PRICELINE between $48-55. If you were to get the Crowne Plaza, it's about 3 miles to the nearest Metra station. I'm guessing a 4* in this zone would require $55-65 - at the 4* level in this zone, the two known possibilities would be the Westin North Shore and Renaissance North Shore. However, given that you're probably not going to be in the room that much, you may want to try the cheaper 3.5* level.

In terms of the downtown experience, it is optimal to be downtown, but I think - and opinions are going to vary - if you're driving, the suburbs present a significant savings during the busier parts of the year (if one can save a couple of hundred or more in total over the course of a stay, that's a lot that can be used towards other things - museums, meals, etc) for those who don't mind the trip into the city.

Please let us know if you have any questions at all before bidding.

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

[Laloca]

Aaron,

Thanks for all of your advice, it really encouraged me to go ahead and book a hotel in the northern suburbs! I ended up booking a 3*5 hotel in the Arlington Heights- Elk Grove area on Hotwire that was going on for 49 dollars!It is the Sheraton Suites which got pretty decent reviews, and I could not have done it without the hotel list that's pinned on this website! I have never used betterbidding.com before and I am so happy I came across it as this will be very useful for work in the future :)

One more question: Is it possible to park the car at the train station in this area?

[AaronJB]

Congrats on your success.

Definitely an awesome deal for this property, which was recently given a significant $18m renovation.

Can you confirm the amenities that were showing with this listing? This information is available under the trip information in your HOTWIRE account.

I believe this property offers shuttle service locally; you'd have to call and see if they can take you to a Metra station. The nearest Metra Stations are in Mount Prospect and Arlington Heights, both of which are just under 3mi away.

IKEA, which is about 4MI West/SW of this property, offers 99 cent breakfast (free on Monday until 11.) IKEA is also just fun to browse around. http://www.ikea.com/us/en/store/schaumburg/restaurant

We look forward to helping with future stays. :)

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

Enjoy your stay.

[Laloca]

The amenities included are:Free Parking,Smoke Free Rooms,Fitness Center,Pool,Restaurant,Business Center, High Speed Internet Access and Golf Nearby.

Wow, and thanks for the additional advice, you are awesome!

By the way, could you recommend a few must things to do in Chicago?Also, I'm trying to get tickets to the Blue Man Group show but they are quite expensive and I tried a few discount codes but that did not seem to work. Any advice on that? Please feel free to recommend any other shows!Thanks again!

[thereuare]

Thank for the follow-up... i'll let AaronJB reply regarding shows, tickets, etc. (although i'll add you may want to scroll thru the Chicago Section of Viator for ideas on other things you may want to do in the area.

Have a great trip.

[Laloca]

Thank you for your advice.

[AaronJB]

If you are going to the Shedd Aquarium (which is rather expensive, but is a very nice aquarium), I'd highly recommend getting there quite early, as the way it is in the Summer, it gets busy and once it gets super crowded there, I just don't think it's as enjoyable. The Field Museum next door is also worth seeing, as well.

Also highly recommend would be the Art Institute, as well as taking a boat tour on the Wendella, which is at the Michigan Ave. bridge not far North of the AI. Heading up either the Sears Tower or the Hancock Observatory (or having a drink at the Hancock Signature Room) would also be an option to consider. If you take the train in, the Sears Tower is only a few blocks from the Metra stations. I wouldn't recommend Navy Pier, but Lincoln Park Zoo is free and recommended.

hot Tix (http://www.hottix.org/) is a discount ticket service in Chicago, but unfortunately I don't believe they have Blue Man tickets.

Please let us know likes/dislikes if you would like recommendations for places to eat.

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

[Laloca]

Hi Aaron,

Thanks for all your input! I would love to hear your recommendations on places to eat, I really want to eat deep dish pizza, as I have never tried it, what are some of the famous spots? I watched a Man Vs. Food episode where they mentioned Gino's East.

Also, what do you think of the Chicago Pass to the City, it's $75 and has admissions to most of the attractions you mentioned, do you believe it's worth it?

[thereuare]

Also, what do you think of the Chicago Pass to the City...

Compare to this Chicago Go Card which is a little cheaper and appears to include everything above and a bit more (but you'll need to double check yourself to confirm)

Also, this City Pass is about $10 more but appears to be good for multiple days.

[AaronJB]

I noted in another thread this morning regarding pizza that I don't particularly like Uno's in terms of deep dish - the pizza is good, but I've never thought it was AMAZING, and the experience isn't that great - lines if you get there at prime times. In terms of the big, familiar Chicago pizza places, I'd much rather recommend Lou Malnati's, Giordanos or Gino's East. However, I think there some great places for pizza aside from the famous chains in Chicago - I mentioned in another thread today La Madia (http://www.dinelamadia.com/), an Italian restaurant in River North. They have all sorts of variations:

RED

Three Cheese | Mozzarella, Provolone and Pecorino with Tomato Sauce 12

Housemade Fennel Sausage & Sweet Onions | Tomato Sauce with Mozzarella Cheese 14

Triple Pepperoni | Tomato Sauce & Mozzarella Cheese, finished with White Truffle Oil 16

Margherita | Mozzarella di Bufala Campana, Tomato Sauce & Torn Basil 17

Parma Classic | Mozzarella Cheese, Tomato Sauce, Prosciutto, finished with Arugula* 16

Burrata & Fire-Roasted Eggplant
 | Mozzarella Cheese & Tomato Sauce* 18

La Quercia Coppa Piccante | Fire-Roasted Sweet Banana Pepper & Onions 15

WHITE

Shaved Artichoke | Reggiano Parmesan & Garlic 13

Carbonara
Slagel Farm Guanciale, Cracked Organic Egg, Pecorino, Melted Leeks & Black Pepper 16

Seasonal Wild Mushrooms & Smoked Mozzarella 14

Taleggio and 3-Hour Roasted Grapes 13

Laura Chenel Goat Cheese | Melted Leeks, Garlic & Pancetta Lardons 15

Sopresatta & Fire-Roasted Fennel | Arugula, Parmesan 14

Cracked Organic Egg | Prosciutto & Black Pepper* 17

Housemade Lamb Sausage | Fresno Peppers, Caciocavallo Cheese & Mint Salsa Verde 15

Clam & Fresno Chilies | Pecorino, Garlic & Fresh Thyme 17

Costa Rican Pineapple | Speck & Fresno Peppers, Fleur de Sel 15

Spinach | Roasted Cherry Tomatoes & Goat Cheese 14

I think the newer Rick Bayless casual offering, Xoco is a great choice for breakfast or otherwise. Lou Mitchell's is one of the most classic Chicago breakfast spots in the city - it's been there for something like 85 years; the only problem with it is that it only takes cash. If you come into Union Station on the Metra, it's not a far walk from there. The Kendall College dining room is a unique spot - it's one of the most highly regarded culinary colleges around, and the dining room is a teaching spot - it's higher-end dining for prices that, while still a tad high, are definitely more reasonable than they would otherwise be because the restaurant is a training spot. You have to call and reserve because their hours may vary (http://www.kendall.edu/news-and-events/the-dining-room)

---- will be adding more to this, but will post this to start off. When done, I'll edit this line out.

[Laloca]

Aaron, I love how detailed you are!I am so amazed at how helpful this thread has been. Thank you so much!

Do you believe a Chicago go card is worth the price?I'm only going to be in Chicago for two days. What are your thoughts on this?

[Laloca]

Thank you. I believe I will have to write down the general admission prices and compare if these cards are truly worth it.