Hotwire Hotel: 4* Chicago (Magnificent Mile Area - River North) Hotel Sax

[BMeeks]

Stay dates:

11/16-11/21

1 room

1 person

Option 1:

4*

Downtown Chicago - Millennium Park - Grant Park Area

Standard Price $257

Save $102

Price $155

Amenities

-pet friendly

-boutique hotel

-restaurant(s)

-business center

-high-speed internet access

Accessibility

-Accessible bathroom

-roll-in shower

Option 2:

Mccormick Place - South Loop - Soldier Field Area

3*

Standard $149

Save $67

Price $82

Amenities

- Free Parking

- Free Internet

- Boutique Hotel

- Smoke Free Rooms

- Fitness Center

- Restaurant(s)

- Business Center

- High-Speed Internet Access

Accessibility

- Accessible for the blind

[AaronJB]

Please provide the price per night (before taxes/fees) for your prior St Louis Hotwire thread.

Then reply to this thread and we will look at the offers above. Thank you.

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

[thereuare]

Also, in your reply please indicate if your plans bring you to this area of the city as the Mccormick Place - South Loop - Soldier Field Area is not really that centrally located for the average visitor (although convenient if you're in town for a conference) and while the Grant Park zone is well located enough, i'm seeing similarly priced options in the often more desirable Mag Mile/Water Tower/River North zones.

What are your needs for this trip?

Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases.

[BMeeks]

Please provide the price per night (before taxes/fees) for your prior St Louis Hotwire thread.

done

Yes, My business trip is for Fabtech, which is held at McCormick Place. I would prefer to be within walking distance however I would consider driving in each day if the value is there. I'll look at the Mag Mile area to see what you're referring to.

Thanks,

[thereuare]

I think it's a trade-off between being close to the conference/convention center and being a bit isolated at nite vs. having a bit of a commute to the conference but having more options in the evening. Part of your decision will likely involve how long you'll be at the conference each day, if you need to make trips to/from the conference and your hotel or if just one trip in the morning and one trip back later in the day, if you socialize with others in your field after hours (and whether they are at a 'host hotel' of the event which may be near the conference center or if they are staying elsewhere in the city).

AaronJB will be able to add further comments as he is local to the area, but either way i don't think driving to the conference daily would be the answer, if you do stay further North you would take some form of mass transit or taxi to the conference and not look to move and re-park your car.

Let us know your thoughts as to which zone(s) you think would be best for you and we'll take it from there.

Thanks for using the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board.

[AaronJB]

As noted above, I think the issue with the McCormick Place area is that the hotels within it don't have a whole lot directly around them. You will be within decent distance of McCormick Place (particularly in the case of the Hyatt McCormick, which is right there - the South loop Hotel, which I think the 3* is above - is a bit further but not terrible), but I think it becomes a matter of what your plans are. McCormick Place will be cheaper than staying downtown, but there's not a whole lot around. Staying downtown will offer a lot more options when you aren't at McCormick.

Additionally, I really wouldn't drive - parking is extremely expensive in the city and conventions often offer some transportation from downtown hotels to McCormick. If not, a cab ride from downtown to McCormick isn't bad.

I'm seeing a Mag Mile-River North area hotel for these date/s for $108 (the price you see may vary slightly.)

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

[BMeeks]

Thanks for the input. Right now I'm looking on the website for Fabtech and they offer several "block deals" for hotels in the area. Just about all of them are in the $250-$300/ night. I'm open to suggestions for better places to stay to have things to do in the evenings, good places to eat, any other events that may be happening at the time. My plans will most likely be to travel to the show in the morning and head out in the afternoon to go back to the hotel. The only other time I've been to the area was for the Chicago Auto Show in 2010 and I stayed at the Hilton about 2 miles from McCormick. There didn't seem to be much going on but we didn't venture out on the streets much since it was chilly out.

[AaronJB]

I'm seeing a 4* in the Mag Mile-RN area for $108 w/Boutique Hotel,Smoke Free Rooms,Fitness Center

Restaurant(s),Business Center,High-Speed Internet Access,Accessible for the blind,

Accessible path of travel,In-room accessibility,Accessible bathroom,Handicapped parking,

Roll-in shower

This would be a possible match for the Felix, Sax or Palomar. I'm seeing a 4/5 tripadvisor rating on the detail page (click on the listing and scroll down and there should be a tripadvisor rating w/4 out of 5 circles) so I would lean towards this being the Sax.

If that is the case, this is in a terrific location right near a wide variety of restaurants and nightlife in the River North area. It wouldn't be a terrible walk to the Millennium Park Metra Electric station and then take that to McCormick, but it would be much easier to take a taxi (and again, it wouldn't be a bad ride.)

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

[BMeeks]

Well.. I had to wait around due to some things about the trip being up in the air. I logged in today and following your recommendation, I'm in at the HOTEL SAX for the week.

Final Details:

hot RATE HOTEL

Magnificent Mile Area - River North area

1 hot RATE ROOM

5 NIGHTS

11/16/13 to 11/21/13

2 ADULTS

STANDARD PRICE

$230ǂ

YOU SAVE

$95

$135 per night

Amenities:

Boutique Hotel

Smoke Free Rooms

Fitness Center

Restaurant(s)

Business Center

Internet access

Accessibility:

Accessible for the blind

Accessible path of travel

Reviews

Hotwire customer reviews

90%

recommended

(1,912 total reviews)

Overall satisfaction 4.5

Condition of hotel 4

Quality of service 4.5

Room comfort 4

Room cleanliness 4.5

Location of hotel 4.5

[BMeeks]

When I got to the "My Trips" screen, I noticed the stats are a little different than the front page. I think it added the roll-in shower

Amenities See description

Boutique Hotel Smoke Free Rooms Fitness Center

Restaurant(s) Business Center Internet access

Accessible for the blind Accessible path of travel In-room accessibility

Accessible bathroom Roll-in shower

[AaronJB]

Congrats on your success. :)

Good choice - this is in a terrific area near a wide variety of restaurants in the River North area. Please let us know if you have any city questions.

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

Enjoy your stay.