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

[emeyer76]

Thanks in advance for your help!

 

We are traveling in to Chicago for 1 day to visit a friend - 2 adults, 2 kids (ages 6 and 2).  Saturday Aug 22 - Sun 23rd.  Kid-friendly is a priority:  preferably within walking distance of fun things to pack into a single day, access to reasonable parking rates (or free parking), complementary breakfast would be convenient.

 

Budget is flexible - we are willing to pay for location and convenience, but we don't plan to spend much time at the hotel since this is a very short trip, so don't want to pay extra for fancy rooms and amenities we won't use. Under $250 total (including taxes and fees) is ideal.  

 

Or if you know of a hotel with a great location that is an absolute steal of a price ($100/night) that would balance out parking and food costs that would work too.  Within walking to casual restaurants for the kiddos would be ideal. Thanks!

 

I've found one on Hotwire (used the link!) that looks promising, but would like some help identifying the hotel and location:

 

Magnificent Mile Area - River North area hotel

4*

95% recommended (346 total reviews)

41%OFF

$165 per night

Business center   Fitness center   Free Internet   Free breakfast   Pet friendly   Spa services

FULL AMENITIES: Free breakfast, Free Internet, Pet friendly, Fitness center, Business center, Internet access, Spa services, Accessible path of travel, In-room accessibility, Accessible bathroom, Roll-in shower

 

- - Is this the Kinzie Hotel? - - and if so, how is the location and kid-friendliness?

 

(Edited to add:  4* for the Hotwire find and full amenities)

[AaronJB]

Welcome to Betterbidding. :)

 

The suburbs would be vastly cheaper for these dates. I'm seeing a 3.5* in the Northbrook-Glenview zone on Hot.wire for $44 (!) w/Restaurant, Pool, Indoor Pool, Fitness, Free Internet, Hi-Speed Internet, Business, Golf, Tennis, Free Parking, Blind Accessible, Deaf Accessible, Travel Accessible, Room Accessible, Bathroom Accessible, Handicapped Parking, Roll-in Shower.

-- This listing hasn't been ID'd/reported, but I'm guessing it may be the Hyatt Deerfield with a slightly different amenity set. Even if another 3.5*, that's a VERY cheap rate.

 

The problem becomes would everyone want to get to the train station, take the train downtown (although the Metra trains are very nice, but it's a fairly decent trip) and then have to walk/transit everywhere from the station? This idea would be vastly cheaper (and you'd save a ton on parking - hotel parking downtown is a fortune and city parking isn't cheap, either.)There are some kid-friendly activities in the North suburbs, as well.

 

So, the suburbs wouldn't be convenient and would involve a trek to get downtown and then around but would be a fraction of the cost of hotel downtown + free parking.

 

The 4* you mentioned above in the River North area w/Fitness, Complimentary Breakfast, Free Internet, Hi-Speed Internet, Business, Spa, Travel Accessible, Room Accessible, Bathroom Accessible, Roll-in Shower, Pet Friendly for $165 would likely be the Kinzie. That would be a very nice location from the standpoint of not a far walk to tons of restaurants in River North, as well as the subway.

 

A few other notes:

 

Navy Pier does have the Children's Museum, but otherwise it's something of a tourist trap. They are renovating (updating) it, but that will take a while. I'd rather recommend the combo of the Lincoln Park Zoo (great zoo + free) and the Peggy Notabert Nature Center (which is a block or two North of the North entrance of the zoo.) The Nature Center does have an admission cost, but is a very family-friendly museum with a great live butterfly exhibit.

 

I'd usually offer other options of interest in terms of downtown hotels, but $165 for the Kinzie is the cheapest worthwhile option for these dates and with breakfast and a good location, I'm not going to recommend more expensive options that offer less value.

 

I'm very familiar with the area, let me know if you have any questions before booking.

 

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.

 

[emeyer76]

Thank you!!!!!!!!

 

Our friend lives near Lincoln Park, so trying to stay somewhat in that vicinity, but not finding any hotels available for a decent rate immediately in that area.  I'm not opposed to staying in the suburbs, but our little one naps mid-day so trekking in and out from the suburbs for nap time would probably eat up the whole day.  If we booked a hotel in the suburbs we would likely want to look for activities near the hotel so we're not spending our time commuting.  $44 is insanely cheap though, so not completely ruling that out yet....

 

If you don't mind a few more questions on the River North location:

 

I haven't been to Navy Pier for years, but I always thought the kids would find it entertaining.  Is the renovation something that would get in the way of enjoying an afternoon there?  And is there still reasonable parking there?  I thought I saw $25 overnight parking available recently.  If we could drop off the kids and luggage and go park the car for a sane amount, that would work for me.

 

And is Millennium Park within walking distance from the Kinzie?  Friends have mentioned a picnic dinner there, so if that's walk-able from the hotel then that will probably seal the deal :)

 

Thank you SO SO SO much for your help!  Looking forward to our trip!

 

 

[AaronJB]

Navy Pier would be fine for kids (personally, I'm just more, personally I just think it's expensive for what it offers and I've always been rather disappointed that it isn't more memorable/Chicago-specific. The renovations look promising on the website (when I went there in the Spring a couple of new restaurants were open, but not much more than that had been done) but I'm guessing they won't be fully done until later this year or early next year. The renovation that I saw when I was there didn't get in the way of anything. I'm just more partial to the Zoo and the Lincoln Park area (Old Town and the Chicago History Museum are also nearby), but Navy Pier is family-friendly.  If it's hot out, I'd consider going a little earlier in the day - if it's hot out, it's worse out on the open pier if you're walking around outside.

 

I think Millennium Park is within walking distance of the Kinzie. I'd walk South over the water to Ranolph and then East on Randolph, can't miss it.. I'm not as fond of the bean (the giant metal orb) as much as some, but I am impressed with the park as a whole, including things like the Lurie Garden (which is more towards the Art Institute.)

 

Parking at Navy Pier - last I looked on their website is $25, although I believe there's some definite city tax on top of that. There's a gorgeous newer Whole Foods on the way back from the Pier on the corner of Columbus and Grand.

 

Let me know if you have any additional questions and thank you for keeping us updated.

 

Just to note re: family-friendly sights in the North burbs - 

 

Chicago Botanic Garden (chicagobotanic.org)

Wagner Farm (http://www.glenviewparks.org/facilities-parks/wagner-farm/)

Ravinia Music Festival (Ravinia.org)

Kohl Children's Museum (http://www.kohlchildrensmuseum.org/)

 

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

[emeyer76]

Thanks again for your help!

 

We booked the hotel - it is the Kinzie - and also snagged $24 valet parking 500 feet away.

 

We are planning to go to the Lincoln Park Zoo and maybe the Nature Center (time permitting) when we get into town on Saturday morning, then we'll check in and park the car for the remainder of the stay.  Planning to visit Navy Pier and Children's Museum in the evening, with food from Whole Foods (THANK YOU for that tip - we love our Whole Foods!). Hopefully they will stay awake long enough to enjoy the fireworks at night, then breakfast and Family Fun Festival at Millennium Park in the morning before we head home.

[thereuare]

Congratulations on your success!

Sounds like you have a very nice trip planned... glad to see this was the hotel you were hoping for and that you're pleased with the results.

Thank you for sharing your win with the board.

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

Enjoy your stay at this well reviewed property.

[AaronJB]

I think you made an excellent choice. This is a very nice property within easy walking distance to a lot of restaurants in River North. Let me know if you have any restaurant questions at all - I'd be happy to offer recommendations. 

 

The family-friendly thing that comes to mind is Portillo's in the River North area. Ed Debevic's (a 50's-style diner where the staff has a fake "attitude" out of a 50's b-movie) is popular with families, but while I liked it as a kid as an adult honestly it's the last place I'd want to go. Near your hotel I would recommend Xoco (http://www.rickbayless.com/restaurants/xoco/), Doughnut Vault (http://thedoughnutvault.tumblr.com/), Lou Malnati's (439 N Wells location), among other options. If you need recommendations, let me know likes/dislikes.

 

This (http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/goldcoast) is a somewhat smaller Whole Foods not too terribly far North of your hotel. This (http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/streeterville) location is the new one on the way to Navy Pier and includes some additional features, such as a ramen bar and a stand from Raw, a local restaurant.  There's also a Trader Joe's at 44 E Ontario.

Sounds like a terrific plan! Hope you enjoy your trip to Chicago.

 

Enjoy your stay.

[emeyer76]

Thanks AaronJB!

 

Hubby and I love new foods, the more unique and local the better; however, the kiddos are pretty typical (picky) eaters so they prefer pastas, pizzas, and the like.  Xoco looks delicious!  As does the doughnut vault - yum....  We've been to Portillo's in the suburbs, so will probably skip that one this time.  If the weather is lousy we will probably look for an entertaining indoor restaurant like Ed Debevic's (maybe), but if the evening is nice we'll probably eat on the run - either Xoco or something from Whole Foods.

 

And now that I think of it... our whole trip is largely dependent on the weather holding out for us.....  if you have any connections in the weather department we would appreciate some help there!  LOL!  Kidding, just kidding!

 

I"ll be keeping an eye out for the forecast and may be back looking for some indoor options.  Many thanks again!!