Hotwire Hotel: 2* Chicago (Loop) Essex Inn

[ymv1999]

Hotwire has a 2* hotel listed downtown on the loop.Amenities are: restaurant, poolm fitness center, tennis nearby, business center. Any guesses what it is please?

[thereuare]

Welcome to BetterBidding!

Please include the dates of your stay.

[ymv1999]

Sorry-in on 8/16 and out on 8/21. Thank you.

[thereuare]

This looks to be a match for the Essex Inn and that would be our best guess.

Let us know what you choose to do and if we can be of further help.

[ymv1999]

I really do appreciate your help. I have heard a LOT of negative about the Essex. I am wondering if I would be better off out by O'Hare. Am a single mom with no child support. Need to do this cheaply but SAFELY with my 2 sons. I have heard really good things about the LaQuinta at OHare. What do you recommend or think. Say it like it is because you will not hurt my feelings by being honest. I just need to find a safe place with a pool but cannot afford the downtown ones that are nice. Wish I could. Thank you again for your help!!!!!! :)

[ymv1999]

For same dates of 8/16-8/21 hotwire is giving me a price of $40 per night for 2 star which I matched up to the LaQuinta by the amenities. Most of what we want to do is downtown. I know the ride would be 40 minutes each way to this one. Would the Essex be safe? I have also heard about how rundown it is on tripadvisor. The Essex is listed on hotwire for $74 @ night. There is also a 3* at OHare with shuttle, restaurant, pool, fitness center, business center for $52 @ night. Suggestions?

[thereuare]

I think you'll also have to consider time taking the Shuttle from the La Quinta to the Airport, then the train to downtown... seems like a lot of wasted time over a 5 day stay.

The Essex Inn reviews are certainly mixed, but i think you have to weigh the convenience of downtown vs. the cost of O'Hare.

What about 2 days at one and 3 days at the other... gives you a few 'convenience' days to get things done and see the city, a few days to see less and/or just use the hotel's pool.

Best of both worlds. :)

[ymv1999]

Doesn't the Essex have a pool too? We would be in at night basically. I think you are right about the distance. What do YOU think of the Essex? I am tryingto get this booked. I will also use the link from this site to do it. Will wait to see what you say before I do. Thank you.

[thereuare]

I'm not that familiar with it to comment, from reading the reviews it appears that experiences are very mixed... it's not as if they're all bad.

Usually when this is the case it's either that:

1) the quality of rooms differ greatly and that leads to the different experience of the guests

or

2) they offer budget accomodations, and while inexpensive for Chicago, it may be expensive to other parts of the country. So people book it thinking it's a lot of money, and when they arrive they don't feel they got what they paid for since it was a lot of money (although not the case relative to other city hotels). I know this frequently occurs in NYC where rooms can often go for $200-$300/nite and therefore people arrive expecting this "grand city experience" but what they often get is the smallest hotel room they have ever seen.

[KnightAngel]

ymv1999,

I hope you don't mind me stepping in a making a comment. I don't know anything about the hotel you were asking about but I stayed in the O'hare area last summer with my kids and I really enjoyed it. It didn't take long for the shuttle to get to the airport and it took between 40-45 minutes to reach the city. My kids loved riding the el and buses so the CTA visitor passes worked out great for us. In the O'hare area there are lots of restaraunts nearby that are good for kids (McDonalds, Wendy's, etc) and the area was very safe. Overall, we had a great experience. We are going back next month and plan on staying in the same area.

If you have any other questions about the O'hare area I'd be happy to try to answer them for you. Good luck with whatever you decide. :)

[ymv1999]

:) I am so happy. Just got the Essex Inn for 8/16-8/21 for $78 per night. The gistcard06 is expired. You have to watch and keep checking the rates. It was $83 then $86 then $78. I then booked it before it went up again. It is a great location and not a lot of time wasted on trains or buses. THANK YOU for all your help here. YOU HAVE MADE MY YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And my sons.

[thereuare]

Congratulations... glad to hear you got a great deal and are happy with the results.

We're happy to have helped.

Enjoy your stay.