Hotwire Hotel: 4* Chicago (Northbrook - Glenview - Mt Prospect) Sheraton Chicago Northbrook Hotel

[Howyodoing]

Hello all,

My wife and I will be visiting Chicago for the first time and we will be bringing our 2 year old daughter.

We are lookin to mostly eating some good food and light shopping.

We will be in town on 5/16-5/18. Looking at Priceline the prices jump all over the place and we don't know exactly where we should stay.

We will rent a car so free parking will be plus.

Please advice on where and what strategy we should use to bid on hotels. Our budget is $150 per night including parking.

I've heard parking can be expensive will using ride share like uber/lyft be cheaper?

Thanks in advance.

[AaronJB]

Welcome to Betterbidding. :)

If you are flying in and just spending time downtown, I absolutely would not rent a car. Having a car downtown is a hassle and a significant expense.

 

The issue with these dates unfortunately is that the NRA (National Restaurant Association) show is going on during this period, which is one of the biggest conventions of the year. $150 downtown unfortunately does not look possible for these dates.

 

I do see a 3* with breakfast in Lincoln Park for $169, somewhat over budget but that is a nice neighborhood (it is a little bit of a trek to get downtown, but it's a nice area and does include Lincoln Park Zoo and the Peggy Notabert Nature Museum nearby) and you get free breakfast. That would not include parking, although again, having a car downtown is seriously expensive and only one or two hotels offer free parking.

 

For a downtown 3.5*+ you're probably looking at over $200 (and given the convention, over $220 is definitely possible - there is a 4* in the Loop on HOTWIRE for $232, but rates may be higher North of the river), not including parking.

 

If you do want to rent a car, it's vastly cheaper (and free parking) to stay in an outlying suburb, but the only problem is the trip into the city, which can be done via nearby Metra train or driving. The North Suburban hotels have free parking.

 

I do see a 4* for $64 on HOTWIRE in Northbrook, but you could likely bid and get something comparable in the same area in the $50's.

 

If you do stay in Northbrook, again, it is a trek into the city, but given the difference in price, it may be of interest.

 

Also, the North Suburbs are quite nice: a lot of shopping nearby, a lot of restaurant options and a number of family-friendly activities, including the Chicago Botanic Garden (in a burb despite the name - it's a gigantic, beautiful property and really one of the country's best garden museums, is amazing in May with everything blooming - http://www.chicagobotanic.org/), the Kohl Children's Museum (which is terrific, http://www.kohlchildrensmuseum.org/) and Wagner Farm (a small working farm in the middle of the 'burbs, http://www.glenviewparks.org/facilities-parks/wagner-farm/). Ravinia Music Festival also often has family-friendly concerts during the day on the weekend. 

 

Let us know your thoughts on the above and we would be happy to offer further suggestions. I'm very familiar with the area, so definitely let me know if you have any questions in terms of sights, recommendations, etc.

 

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

[thereuare]

... and if you haven't yet, please read your messages before replying.

Thanks.

[Howyodoing]

Thanks for the detailed information.

We will fly in at ORD. Head to West Lafayette for two days then spend the weekend in Chicago. We will definitely have a car with us. it looks like we should go for the hotel in the burbs and just drive into downtown.

We love to eat local foods more than anything else when travel so the closer to great restaurants the better.

[thereuare]

If you drive into the city you will then also likely need to pay for parking once you arrive as well... there may be some train options from outside of the city, which i'm sure AaronJB will review with you.

Ideally staying in the city would likely be much more convenient (especially with a 2 year old where you may want to return to the hotel during the day to take a nap, grab more snacks, diapers, etc, but as rates are already quite high for these dates it becomes a matter of convenience vs. staying within your budget.

AaronJB knows this area best so i'll let him expand upon your options, but i mention the above to at least consider the convenience factor and if you want to raise your budget for the 2 nites in order to stay 'downtown'... or if it's possible to re-arrange your plans to first head to Chicago upon your arrival and then head to West Lafayette at the end of your trip (not sure if your arrival into Chicago is early enough to avoid the start of the Restaurant show).

Also, one other thing to consider is returning your rental car upon arrival to Downtown (or if you're able to swap your Downtown/Lafayette plans to not pick up the car until after your Downtown stay). There is good mass transit from OHare to Downtown, but it takes about an hour.

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]

I usually recommend the North Suburbs from the standpoint of there's a lot to do, including the few sights I mentioned above and a lot of restaurants and shopping nearby.

 

For example, on HOTWIRE, there's a 4* in the Northbrook zone for these dates (5-16/18) for $64 (if you search for 2 adults) or $68 (if you search for 2a/1c)  w/Restaurant, Pool, Indoor Pool, Fitness, Smoke Free, Free Internet, Hi-Speed Internet, Business, Laundry, Golf, Free Parking, Travel Accessible, Room Accessible, Bathroom Accessible, Handicapped Parking, Pet Friendly.

 

If you used the LOVE20 coupon that's currently available on HOTWIRE, that would take $20 off the total, so effectively the price per night would be $54 or $58. So, two nights in the suburbs would be less than half of the cheapest thing downtown.

 

This would be a possible match for the Sheraton Northbrook. If it is the Sheraton, there is a Metra station up the road. It's in a very nice mall with a Whole Foods at the other end, as well as a number of other stores. It's a short drive to Kohl's Children's Museum and Wagner Farm and a fairly easy drive to Chicago Botanic Garden.

 

The Metra trains are different from the CTA trains - they have bathrooms, conductors and are two levels (and are nicer, more comfortable.) They do end downtown at - depending on the line - Union Station or Ogilvie Transportation Center. Under Ogilvie is the Chicago French Market, which is a really great little hidden secret and a great place to grab a bite to eat.

 

There are a number of other North suburban options, but the Sheraton is an example - I think that would also be pretty good location-wise in terms of the Suburbs.

 

Or, if you could flip your trip and have the Chicago first, that would likely lead to at least moderately better prices in the city.

 

In either case, once you get a hotel locked in in the city or burbs, please let me know likes/dislikes and I'd be happy to offer suggestions both in the city and suburbs for sights and restaurants.

 

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.

Edited to add: the convention starts on the 16th. Looking for the 14th-16th, rates are a little bit better, but still expensive - for example, I'm seeing what appears to be the Doubletree Mag Mile for $149. I'm guessing the 15th is going to be expensive too from the standpoint of people coming in the night before.

[Howyodoing]

So I went ahead and booked the $63 for 5/16 - 5/18. Got the Sheraton Chicago Northbrook Hotel. Used the Love20 code to sweeten the deal to $53 per night plus fees.

For some reason if I added 1 more night the average night price goes up to $109.

 

Looking for 1 more night from 5/18 - 5/19 as our flight leaves on 5/19. We are thinking about maybe we can stay at a fancy place for 1 night before we leave.

All options are open for Monday night. 

 

Thanks for all the help guys. I'd really appreciated it.

[AaronJB]

Congrats on your success. :)

 

At $53 after the discount, this is a fantastic deal for this property at more than half off (expedia is showing $121.)

 

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

 

Enjoy your stay.

 

________________

 

Various thoughts:

 

1. The Sheraton is at the end of a very nice mall. Whole Foods, CVS, Home Goods, Best Buy and a few restaurants are within the mall. If you exit the hotel and go to Willow Road, if you head West on Willow, there's also a mall with a Target right up the road.

 

2. Nearby intersection WIllow and Waukegan is a bit crazy during rush hour and willow going East can be crazy during busy periods because there is construction going on.

 

3. In terms of the Chicago Botanic Garden (which, again, is amazing in May - it's really a gorgeous place and is amazingly well-maintained),your hotel is on a side street called Founders Drive. Take that North and you wind around a subdivision and come out at Waukegan Road. Take Waukegan briefly North to Voltz road. Take Voltz East and that winds around a pretty neighborhood until you get to Sunset Ridge road. Take Sunset Ridge briefly North to Skokie Blvd (Sunset Ridge ends at Skokie Blvd.

 

Right by the corner of Skokie Blvd and Sunset Ridge is Barnaby's Pizza. Not the world's best pizza, but a local institution that literally looks as if there's not a hair out of place vs when I went there 30 years ago. Pizza is not the world's best, but it's pretty good and great crust.

 

Continue heading North on Skokie Blvd until you reach Lake Cook. Take Lake Cook East briefly and you'll come across the entrance to the Botanic on the right side of the street. There is no admission, but there is a parking cost. Still, amazing place and well worth it.

 

4. Kohl's Children Museum couldn't be easier to get to from your hotel. Leave your hotel and go onto Willow Road. Head West on Willow to Patriot Blvd. Head South on Patriot to Patriot and Lake and it's pretty much on a corner there. Literally 2 miles from your hotel.

 

 

5. Wagner Farm is also easy. Exit your hotel and go onto Willow. Head East to Willow and Waukegan and head South on Waukegan. You will go through the nearby town of Glenview. At Waukegan and Lake, head East briefly on Lake. At the corner of Lake and Wagner, you'll see the farm on the left. Head North for a second on Wagner and there is a little lot across the street of the farm.

 

6. If you do want to stay downtown for 5/19, things are still expensive, but better: I do see what appears to be the Doubletree Mag Mile for $140, as well as a number of other possibilities. Please start a new thread for the additional night and we would be happy go outline some of the various possibilities.

 

7. If you would like dining recommendations in the North Shore area where the Sheraton is, please let me know likes/dislikes and I'd be happy to offer suggestions. Also, please let me know if you have any other questions about the Northbrook area. There's also a couple of different ways to drive downtown if you wanted to drive downtown, including both expressway and a scenic route. I'd  be happy to detail both routes.

 

 

 

Enjoy your stay.

[Howyodoing]

Thanks for the info. I will make another thread for the 5/18-19.

 

We would love to eat at some locals favorite restaurants. Japanese, Korean, Chinese, and Steakhouses are usually the ones we'd frequent when travel.

[AaronJB]

Chinatown downtown is actually really easy to get to when you take the train downtown. When you take the train from the nearby Metra station, you will go downtown to Union Station. There is actually a Water Taxi dock (http://www.chicagowatertaxi.com/ogilvie-union/) right nearby. That will take you right to Chinatown and back - reasonably priced, scenic way to get from downtown to the Chinatown area.

 

A favorite stop is actually not that far from the Northbrook hotel. Super H-Mart is a giant, Wal-Mart sized Asian grocery store, but they actually do have a number of other things and they actually have a really terrific, quite reasonable Asian food court in the back. It's a somewhat further away, but Mitsuwa Marketplace (http://www.yelp.com/biz/mitsuwa-marketplace-arlington-heights) in Arlington Heights is a Japanese-focused market that is similarly amazing and well worth a visit.

 

A solid sushi option not horribly far is 153 Akira in Wilmette (http://www.yelp.com/biz/153-akira-wilmette). Also in Wilmette is Homer's Ice Cream (http://www.yelp.com/biz/homers-ice-cream-wilmette), which is a famous institution in the area and ranked by many as one of the best Ice Creams in the US. Roka Akor (http://www.yelp.com/biz/roka-akor-skokie) offers Steak and Sushi in nearby Old Orchard Mall, which is even closer. Also, very easy to get to is Ruth's Chris Steak House (http://www.yelp.com/biz/ruths-chris-steak-house-northbrook) at the nearby Renaissance Hotel. 

 

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Downtown, a great "old school" steak option is Gene and Georgetti in River North (http://www.yelp.com/biz/gene-and-georgetti-restaurant-chicago-3). Bavette's (http://www.yelp.com/biz/bavettes-bar-and-boeuf-chicago) is also very good. Le Colonial (http://www.yelp.com/biz/le-colonial-chicago) is a solid French-Vietnamese option in River North.

 

I'll add more soon when I can, but I'll post these ideas for the time being. When I'm done adding I'll take out this line.