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

[spericson77]

I am looking at travel checking in 4/21 and checking out 4/25. I'm attending a conference at the Hyatt Regency, but am hoping to find something cheaper that is within a half mile to a maximum of 1 mile from the hotel.

 

I did a search using the BiddingHelper and found 3 properties that have free Internet and breakfast, but need help narrowing down the properties so I can check distance and select something.

 

4* Magnificent Mile Area - River North ($176 per night/95% recommended): Free breakfast, Free Internet, Pet friendly, Fitness center, Business center, Spa services, Accessible path of travel, In-room accessibility.

 

3.5* Magnificent Mile Area - River North ($150 per night/95% recommended): Free breakfast, Free Internet, Smoke-free rooms, Fitness center, Business center.

 

3.5* Chicago Loop-Theater District ($139 per night/85% recommended): Free breakfast, Free Internet, Indoor pool(s), Fitness center, Pool(s), Restaurant(s).

 

Thanks in advance!

[AaronJB]

4* Mag Mile-RN - likely Kinzie Hotel

3.5* Mag Mile-RN - not yet ID'd/reported to the board. The Hyatt Place Mag Mile/RN would be a guess.

3.5* Loop - not yet ID'd. The Buckingham Athletic Club would be a guess (if so, opposite corner of the Loop area from where you need to be), but definitely not certain and it definitely may be something else.

 

In terms of the possible Kinzie, I'm seeing a 4.5* in the Mag Mile-RN area for $135 w/Boutique, Restaurant, Fitness, Free Internet, Hi-Speed Internet, Business, Spa, Blind Accessible, Deaf Accessible, Travel Accessible, Room Accessible, Bathroom Accessible, Handicapped Parking, Roll-in Shower, Pet Friendly. 

 

That would likely be the James, which would be a bit closer to the Hyatt and you could use the $40+ savings to stop for breakfast at one of any number of places nearby - there's quite a few options either near the James  or near the Hyatt  or on the way from the James to the Hyatt.

 

Breakfast options nearby include Wildberry (http://www.wildberrycafe.com/menu-chicago.html), Yolk (http://eatyolk.com/menus/), Pittsfield Cafe (which is sort of a secret, old-school diner tucked away in the Pittsfield building not far from the Hyatt, http://www.yelp.com/biz/pittsfield-cafe-chicago), Corner Bakery (on Wacker a couple of blocks West of the Hyatt - more of a quick grab and go option, http://www.cornerbakerycafe.com/), Wow Bao (http://wowbao.com/menu/, they do have breakfast bao - kinda fun, there's one right near the Hyatt). There's definitely more options than that, let me know likes/dislikes and I'd be happy to offer more suggestions.

 

Please keep us updated on what you decide and let us know if you have additional questions.

 

Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases... or thru our sister site MAPS and HOTELS.com for your regular rate purchases.

[spericson77]

Thanks so much for ALL the info Aaron. I'm waiting on my travel partner to confirm his days of travel before booking anything, but will look into the 4.5* in Mag Mile-RN.  If it is indeed The James it sounds quite nice, and I don't mind buying breakfast if I'm saving SO much money.  Once I settle on a choice I will post my win and share the info with y'all.

[AaronJB]

Happy to help. :)

New one: 4* River North-NMA $114 (You may see a slightly different price) Boutique, Restaurant, Fitness, Smoke Free, Free Internet, Hi-Speed Internet, Spa. Possible match for the Godfrey, which has been seen with this amenity set.

Still seeing the potential James for $137, but while the Godfrey is further away, taxi fare from there to the Hyatt wouldn't be bad at all.

 

Thank you for keeping us updated on what you decide and let us know if you have any additional questions.

 

Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases... or thru our sister site MAPS and HOTELS.com for your regular rate purchases.

[AaronJB]

One more idea:

 

I'm seeing a 4* in the River North-NMA area on PRICELINE EXPRESS for $110 for these dates w/restaurant, internet, business. There's also "bed choice" with one king bed-free wifi as the only option.

 

This would be a possible match for the Godfrey.

 

HOWEVER:

 

If you search for 4/21-24, the same listing is showing, but rather than just the "one king bed - free wifi" option, there are multiple options including:

 

$108: King Bed + Sofabed - Suite - Free Wifi.

 

So, for $108 - a suite.

 

That would leave the last night, but at least for $108 you could get a suite for the first three nights.

 

Just throwing out another idea. Please let us know if you have any questions before booking.

 

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

[spericson77]

What do you think chances of getting a room at The James with 2 beds would be? I don't mind sharing, but would prefer my own bed as I'm traveling with a male work colleague.

[spericson77]

Many thanks to AaronJB for all the info.  I will definitely check out the restaurant recommendations.  I even got an extra $20 per night with "LOVE20" for booking via Hotwire during the Valentine's Day weekend.

 

Amenities: Free Internet, Pet Friendly, Boutique Hotel, Fitness Center, Restaurant(s), Business Center, Internet Access, Spa Services.

 

Accessibility: Accessible for visually impaired, Accessible for hearing impaired, Accessible path of travel, In-room accessibility, Accessible bathroom, Accessible parking, Roll-in shower.

[AaronJB]

Congrats on your success. :)

 

Very, very nice win for this superbly located boutique property in a great location right off Michigan Ave. It's an easy walk from here to the Hyatt. I noted a few restaurants above, but if you provide likes/dislikes I'd be happy to offer further recommendations. 

 

There is no way to know regarding two beds, but the nice thing in this case is that rooms with two beds do not appear to go for a premium at this property. What I would do is give them a call, explain the situation/why you need two beds and try to work something out.

 

Definitely let me know if you have any city questions.

 

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

 

Enjoy your stay.

[spericson77]

I returned late last night from my trip to Chicago, and want to follow up with a very hearty thank you to AaronJB for all his input. The James Hotel was great. It lived up to its billing, and I would definitely stay there again. It was easy to access my conference hotel (Hyatt Regency), but also easy to access other spots nearby.  There are a lot of great restaurants and bars in the area.  Most importantly, AaronJB nailed it with the Pittsfield Cafe for breakfast.  My roommate (who is originally from NJ) loved the place so much we ate there twice for breakfast, and he wanted to eat there more except we didn't have the time some mornings.

[thereuare]

Thanks for the follow-up!

Glad to hear you had a great trip and thank you for recognizing/pointing out the great work that AraonJB does on the board and for our Chicago travelers.

[AaronJB]

Thank you so much for your comments and glad I could be of help! :)

 

The Pittsfield is definitely a classic bit of Chicago - it's such a local/hidden gem tucked away in the historic office building. It's a place I went as a kid and relatives went when they were younger. 

 

Also glad to hear that the James worked out so well - it definitely has a ton of restaurants around it and it's such an easy (and nice, along MIchigan Ave) walk to the Hyatt.

 

Thanks again for your comments and glad I could help.