Hotwire Hotel: 4.5* Chicago (Magnificent Mile - River North) InterContinental Chicago

[heartpetal]

Hi

Because I am travelling for work to KY and Chicago was on the flight path, I've decided to challenge myself and really confront anxiety by going somewhere I've always

Wanted to go.

I am scared of claustrophobic transit systems ie. the NY subway, fine over ground and actually under it when it's not hectic, ie. Boston. And in general I have a lot of panic attacks and probs with noise.

I am trying to bid smartly although Priceline seems to give no control over areas. And I am getting mixed messages about areas and making things less stressful in planning. You know your stuff about Chicago could you please advise me? I was prepared to go to the river north area as guide books said its better at night than the loop. But then someone else Iknow said I will not be able to get the L train in that area and that I should go to the gold coast although theres nothing listed on hotwire. I am thinking either I try to bid low and randomly on Priceline and then taxi it to where I need to go or..trying to pick a Hotwire option. I am trying to keep the costs down while not slumming it or being unsafe.

My travel dates are 11/2 to 11/6. What would you do if you were me? It seems like the prices are not good at all and I keep wondering will they go down in a month or so or should I bid now? And then Idont know what area to choose and if I should go with Priceline or Hotwire?

Thank you in advance for any advice you can give me

Best,

Lou

[AaronJB]

Welcome to Betterbidding.

One thought if you are flying into Chicago is that you may want to consider the Metra trains instead of the CTA trains. The CTA trains can be crowded (especially during rush hour) and it's generally not the most comfortable ride for nearly an hour into the city. The Metra trains are larger, two levels and less claustrophobic. The only issue is that it is a bit of a taxi ride to a Metra station from O'Hare (if you are coming in at ORD) and they do not run as often as CTA trains. If you look up "inside Metra train" on Youtube, there are videos of the inside of these trains so that you can get a feeling of what they look like. The Metra trains have large windows that provide a nice view of the outlying areas of Chicago as the train passes by. The Metra trains can be crowded during rush hour too, but they aren't as cramped feeling during the rush period.

Otherwise, your main option from the airport is a taxi all the way into the city, and it can be a fairly pricey taxi ride, as it's not a short trip from O'Hare.

The only options from Midway Airport are taxi and CTA train.

A couple of options:

1. Rent a car and stay in an outlying area, then take the Metra train in each day (if you feel comfortable with the Metra train after viewing Youtube videos - I'd recommend watching a few videos as there are many online.) The Metra trains do not go underground. They do end up in Union Station or Ogilvie Transit Center, both of which can be crowded, although it's easy to walk out of each fairly quickly. The Metra trains from the suburbs take about 35-42 minutes each way. The car rental would cost, but the suburban hotels are quite a bit cheaper. This would allow you to be able to stay in a quiet, very nice area and go downtown during the day and come back later at night on the Metra.

2. Stay downtown. In terms of downtown, if you are looking for restaurants and nightlife, I would suggest staying North of the River. Some areas of the Loop (South of the River) can be very quiet at night, especially the West/South Loop. The Gold Coast area is a small area a few minutes walk North of the top end of the NMA area. It does have a good deal of restaurants and nightlife, but is during the day a nice, smaller neighborhood with several blocks of very nice (in some cases historic) apartments that are to the North of the restaurants and nightlife. Once you walk North through the residential area, you get to Lincoln Park (which also includes LP Zoo)

There are CTA stations to the North of the river, which go through the River North and Gold Coast area. It is a bit of a trek from some of the hotels near the lake to the CTA, but not awful (and it would be a short taxi ride.

Additionally, most of Chicago is quite walkable, and while Michigan Ave is jammed, there are very nice, less crowded alternative routes around the Michigan Ave area.

What would be your desired budget per night/star rating?

I see what appears to be the W Lakeshore for $112, for example. That is right by the lake and a bit of a trek to the subway, but it is in a nice area and you can walk quieter side streets from there to Michigan Ave and back, for example. The lobby of the trendy W properties do, however, turn nightclub-y at night.

HOTWIRE may be a better choice in this case as HOTWIRE allows you to make an "educated guess" as to which hotels are showing, and you may be able to find one that you like in terms of hotel and location versus PRICELINE, where you have to be willing to potentially stay anywhere within the shaded zone or zones chosen.

Let us know if you have any questions (city or hotel) and we would be happy to offer suggestions.

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

[thereuare]

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

... and please click each of the links above before replying.

[heartpetal]

Thank you for all your advice. Very thoughtful.

Do you think there is any chance that properties will be added to HOTWIRE's list over the next few weeks or that the 112 possible W Lakeshore is the best chance I have? That's approx my budget.

How much of a trek is it to the subway? 10 mis? 20?

If I chose there and I wanted to taxi to the loop or downtown what would that run?

Is it def the W or possibly anything else? Don't know if you can tell for sure or?

Thanks again, you've been so helpful

[AaronJB]

If you were to get the W, that is right by the lake in a very nice area with restaurants and apartments, as well as Navy Pier. If you walk West of the hotel, it's probably a good 15 minute walk to the subway at a brisk pace. The walk goes through the Streeterville area (restaurants, apartments) then passes Michigan Ave and goes towards the subway in the River North area (lots of restaurants, nightlife.) A lot of the side streets in Streeterville are - in comparison - fairly quiet.

A taxi downtown is probably going to cost $35-45 each way +/- a couple of bucks, depending on what time of day. The CTA is $2.25 each way. If you were to take a cab from ORD to a Metra station and then the Metra the remaining way that's probably $10-15 each way. However, the Metra station is in the Loop and you can either walk from the Metra station to the hotel or taxi. If you walked, you could walk along Wacker Drive part of the way - while that is a busy street, it goes along the river for the majority of the walk you would take (if you got the W) and feels more "open" than walking through the middle of the Loop. You would walk along Wacker (which is a classic Chicago walk) to Michigan Ave, cross Michigan Ave, go behind the NBC Tower at the bridge and then from there it's a short walk through the Streeterville neighborhood.

As for whether or not there will be other, cheaper options than the W, unfortunately, there's no way to know for sure. Rates may come down a bit into the November time period, but it's traditionally busier. The W listing may not change to something else (if no inventory is left) between now and your stay, or the W listing may be replaced by something else tomorrow - given the nature of the service, there's really no way to know what the current inventory situation looks like.

The W Lakeshore is the cheapest 4* listing at $112. I'm seeing the Palmer House in the Loop for $145, but my concern with that is small rooms (given the historic nature of the property) that may feel a little cramped (depending on room) and, depending where you are in the hotel, you may not get a lot of natural light.

I see the Indigo for $150. That is in the Gold Coast area, which is a few minutes walk North of the top/North end of the North Michigan Ave area. I don't think that's as good of a deal technically as the W is, but from the standpoint of comfort, that hotel is a nice neighborhood - there's a lot of nightlife and restaurants in that neighborhood, so a lot is going on at night. However, during the day, it's quieter and less hectic. There is a subway station a couple of blocks from that hotel, as well. The blocks to the North of the Indigo are residential, and largely very nice and/or historic apartments/houses. Once you get past the residential area, you'll get to Lincoln Park and shortly after that is the Zoo.

The potential W is showing up as a 4* in the Mag Mile - River North area w/Restaurant, Pool, Fitness, Hi-Speed Internet, Business, Spa, indoor pool for $112 (the price you see may vary slightly.) My guess is that the listing in question is quite likely the W. However, new listings and changes to previously reported hotels are seen all the time - there is always the chance it may be something else. However, I do see a 4/5 tripadvisor rating on the detail page for the listing, so it does at least get good reviews.

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The one other suggestion I have is an alternative that has some pros and cons:

The Hotel Lincoln is $149.80 (or $156 for a park view room) regular rate for these dates on Expedia (on sale). That is a 4* towards the South end of the Lincoln Park area. That neighborhood is to the North of the downtown area (and to the North of the NMA and Gold Coast areas.)

Pros: Quieter neighborhood vs being downtown. Lincoln Park and the Zoo are right there - a more "open" and less hectic feel than downtown. The Old Town neighborhood (Second City theater) is nearby as is the Lincoln Park and Lakeview neighborhoods, which offer a lot of restaurants and boutique/high end thrift stores.

Cons: It is a long but nice walk (you have the option of walking along the lake, or through the residential portion of the Gold Coast) to the top end of the NMA area or the Gold Coast area. There is a subway stop in the Gold Coast area. There are buses that run from Lincoln Park into the city, but the subway is not as easily accessible.

So, the Hotel Lincoln would be an option that would be more comfortable from the standpoint of a pretty, open and quieter area to stay in, but it would be less convenient than staying downtown (although I've done the walk from where the Lincoln is to the Gold Coast many a time, and it's really not bad if you don't mind a trek in term of distance - in terms of city noise - you are largely walking through the park and a residential area to get to the NMA/Gold Coast areas. If you were to get a park view room, that would be a nice view to wake up to in the morning and at sunset (and the more "open" nature of the area would make the room feel more open with natural light.)

Please let us know if you have *any* questions, regarding city or hotel.

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

[heartpetal]

Hi

I was wondering if I could trouble you to look again atthe hotels from 11/2 - 11/6 in Chicago and see what you think the 3 star for 116 is, what the others with higher stars/ prices are. I am trying to make the best decision

Do you still think one of them might be Indigo and if so which one?

Best,

Lou

[AaronJB]

For the 11/2-6 period: The W Lakeshore is now showing for $162. I'm also still seeing the Indigo for $149, the Intercontinental for $151, what may be the Club Quarters Wacker/Michigan for $136 (great location by the river, but somewhat small rooms) and what may be the Inn of Chicago for $116.

There is a 3.5* in the Gold Coast area on HOTWIRE for $149 w/Boutique, Restaurant, Fitness, Hi-Speed Internet, Business, Golf, Tennis, Spa, accessible blind, accessible deaf, accessible travel, in-room accessible, travel accessible, accessible bathroom, handicapped parking, roll-in shower. My guess is that this would be a new amenity set for the Indigo (it was last reported with Boutique, Restaurant, Fitness, Hi-Speed Internet, Business, Golf, Tennis, Spa, before HOTWIRE added the accessible amenities to the service.)

The Hotel Lincoln is also showing for $150.

_________________________________________

I will note that the 4th-6th seems quite a bit cheaper. The W is showing for $116 when looking at 11/4-6 only. The Hyatt Mag Mile is also $129 regular rate on Expedia for a Fall Special for the 11/4-6 period.

When searching for 11/2-4 separately, the Intercontinental is showing for $149, Hotel 71 for $143

+++++++++++++++

Lastly, an entirely different option just showed up on Expedia - Dewitt Place is showing for $158. I haven't stayed there and am not familiar with the details of the building, but these are fully furnished apartments w/kitchen. You can read tripadvisor reviews here: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g35805-d982512-Reviews-DeWitt_Place-Chicago_Illinois.html#REVIEWS This is not a hotel but an apartment building that rents for short-term. I haven't been in the building or stayed there, but I've walked by the building and it's a nice, small-ish residential patch a few blocks East of Michigan Ave and back behind the Hancock Observatory. It's a quieter spot a few blocks from the center of the Michigan Ave. shopping area. Again, I haven't stayed there and haven't done a short-term rental like this in the city so I'm not sure of the details, but I thought I'd suggest it if the idea of an larger apartment appealed, and the location would be good.

Please let us know if you have any questions before purchasing. The HOTWIRE rates that you see may differ slightly.

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

[heartpetal]

Hi Aaron,

After much debating, one of the side effects of being a nervous traveller, I decided to go with the Intercontinental which was 151 as you predicted. I figured it would be the most comfortable in terms of ease of access to where I want to go and I liked the 4.5 star thing for the whole, if you don't like your room you can change it etc etc.

Thank you so so much for your wonderful help and patience. And I did make sure to use this pages link when I booked so you can get credit.

Thank you very much.

Best,

Lou

[heartpetal]

Just got this reservation thanks to Aaron's help. Thank you

[AaronJB]

Congrats on your success.

Awesome deal for this richly historic Chicago property! Hope you are looking forward to your stay.

Can you confirm that the amenities showing were: Indoor pool(s) Smoke Free Rooms Fitness Center

Pool(s) Restaurant(s) Business Center

High-Speed Internet Access Accessible for the blind Accessible for the deaf

Accessible path of travel In-room accessibility Accessible bathroom

Handicapped parking Roll-in shower ?

This information is available under the trip information in your HOTWIRE account.

The pool at this property is probably one of the more historic public pools in the US, and even if you are not going for a swim, it's worth taking a look.

This is a superbly located property right near the river.

A few various notes -

Let us know which mode of transit from the airport (CTA, Taxi or taxi to the more open Metra trains) would be of interest and we would be happy to offer directions. One tip is that various car services show up on Groupon or Living Social fairly often, and if you're considering taking a taxi, this may be a more comfortable option for a similar price when on a discounted Groupon deal.

Michigan Ave is often quite crowded - the streets that run along side it on either side (St Clair and Rush) are generally less crowded and quieter during the day. If you go out the front door of the Intercontinental and then walk South and turn left, heading East, there is a side street that runs along the South face of the hotel heading East. Take that street and you'll see NBC Tower. There is a bend in the road before NBC Tower, and at that bend, there are stairs down. You'll be on Columbus at the bottom of the stairs (and at the bottom of the stairs there is also the entrance to a large Dominicks Grocery - good for snacks/drinks to take back to the room.). If you take Columbus going North, that turns into St Clair, if you take Columbus South, you will go across the river - on the other side of the bridge, there are stairs up. Once you get up to Wacker, keep heading South on upper Columbus and you will get to the top end of Millennium Park.

Another sort of "side route" is if you cross the street from the Intercontinental and walk a couple of blocks South on Michigan Ave, you'll see a Walgreens, and there's a courtyard next to the Walgreens. If you walk West towards the back of that courtyard area, there is a path that goes over Rush Steet and winds up on Wabash. You can take Wabash North and through the River North area, or South and over the bridge into the Loop.

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

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

Enjoy your stay.