Hotwire Hotel: Looking hotel near Grant Park/Navy Pier area.

[michellenr]

Hello, I will be in Chicago for 1 night(September 13-14) and need help searching for a cheap hotel. My problem is I don't know where to begin. Can someone guide me in the right direction? Thanks

[AaronJB]

Welcome to Betterbidding. :)

A few thoughts/questions:

 

1. Chicago has so many great areas - Navy Pier is really not a great example of what the city has to offer. While you definitely can go, as someone local to the area, I've always found it to be a really disappointing use of the space. It's very much a tourist trap (I think it used to be under "tourist trap" on Wikipedia, but has since been removed.) It offers rides (brief and expensive), souvenirs (very theme park-y) and the restaurants include options like a very expensive McDonalds. It does have great views (and oddly, a really nice stained glass museum), but I usually recommend going to Lincoln Park Zoo (great zoo, free + you can combine going there with a visit to the Old Town area and nearby Lincoln Park restaurants/shops) instead. Grant Park is fine, but it's largely open land. There's not a lot to see - Millennium Park is an attraction with the bean, but thats really not going to take you long, either - to me, that's more of something you can stop and look at for a few minutes before going to the Art Institute a block away.

 

2. What would be your desired max bid and star rating?

 

3. Again, I'm not a fan of Navy Pier, but on Price.line, it's right in the middle of the two downtown zones, so no way to really pinpoint being near there. A better choice would be the Hot.wire Mag Mile-River North area, where most hotels are at least in a decent walking distance (a few very close) to Navy Pier and wouldn't be that far to the top end of Millennium/Grant Park.

 

Let us know your thoughts and we would be happy to offer further suggestions.

 

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

[michellenr]

Thank you for the quick response. As far as price wise I really didn't want to go above $150. I'm traveling with three children 14, 10, 7 and I would like to be where we can possibly walk to most places since we are taking the train to Chicago. As far as star rating I would like for it to be 3 stars and higher. Also what are some recommendations for McCormick Place-South Loop area?

[AaronJB]

There really isn't anything in the McCormick Place area aside from McCormick Place - it's really an area I'd suggest more for people who are coming in for a convention.

 

Unfortunately, rates are definitely on the high side for your date. When I search on Hot.wire for 1adult/3 children, I see a 3* in the Loop area w/:

 

Complimentary Breakfast, Pool, Indoor Pool, Fitness, Free Internet, Hi-Speed Internet, Business, Laundry, Bathroom Accessible, Handicapped Parking, Pet Friendly.

 

I'm seeing $156, you may see a slightly different rate. This is likely the newer La Quinta Chicago Downtown.

 

If you are taking the train in, this would be INCREDIBLY convenient to the train. It's not terribly centrally located in the downtown area, but it is near a good deal of transit (plus, free breakfast.)

 

I'm also seeing a 4* in the Mag Mile-RN area for $171 (again you may see a slightly different rate) w/Boutique, Restaurant, Pool, Indoor Pool, Fitness, Hi-Speed Internet, Business, Laundry, Spa, Pet Friendly. This would be a possible match for the W Lakeshore - that W property is a couple of blocks from Navy Pier and a pretty easy walk to Michigan Ave.

 

Would either of these properties be of interest?

 

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

[michellenr]

La Quinta Chicago Downtown is actually a good option for us. How do I bid on this?

[AaronJB]

There's no way to bid on a particular property and if you bid, PL bidding only guarantees 1 bed.

 

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

[michellenr]

I'm seeing a 4* hotel in the McCormick Place-South Loop Soldier Field area for $177. Amenities include Free internet, indoor pool, fitness center,  restaurants, and business center. Any idea what hotel this could be? This is on Hotwire.

[thereuare]

I'm seeing a 4* hotel in the McCormick Place-South Loop Soldier Field area for $177.

How many adults/children are you including in your search?

Also, this doesn't seem to meet any of your criteria... it's over your $150 budget and you stated you're looking for a walkable area, but as AaronJB mentioned above, there isn't much around this area other than the convention center.

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