Hotwire Hotel: Chicago Hotel Close to Chicago River

[KyleMac]

Not sure how to do this exactly, but i am looking for a chicago hotel close to the river, on the river would be even better for the st. patty's day river dying. I found a $93 4* in the Loop with the following anemities:

This Hotel features the following amenities:

Fitness Center

Restaurant(s)

Business Center

High-speed Internet Access

What other info should i put up so that i can get some help in identifying the hotel names.

Here is another one in the North Michigan Ave Area a 3.5 star hotel @ $102 a night:

This Hotel features the following amenities:

Fitness Center

Guests have access to exercise equipment; an additional charge may apply.

Restaurant(s)

Property offers at least one restaurant on the premises; hours and days of operation may vary.

Business Center

Guests have access to business equipment and services; an additional charge may apply.

High-speed Internet Access

Guestrooms are equipped with high-speed Internet access; an extra charge may apply.

Thanks for your help with a newbie.

[thereuare]

Welcome to BetterBidding!

What are the actual date(s) of your stay?

[AaronJB]

If you need to have a river view from your room of the river being dyed, I wouldn't recommend Hotwire or Priceline.

What I would strongly recommend, and this would certainly cost more (but worth it, depending on the price), is to get a river view room at the Westin River North. If you go to the hotel website, you can specify this (the room option will be noted as "river view.") I would then call the hotel and see if they could block a river view room on a high floor. There are a bunch of hotels on the river, but the river view rooms at the Westin are literally right on the river. In other words, the river is not "across the street", but literally, directly below the window. I have to say, a river view room on the 17th floor not only provided an awesome view of the river (I was there on the day that the river was dyed a couple of years ago), but an awesome view of the surrounding area. I've lived in Chicago all my life and I have to say, that was one of the most memorable views of the city (aside from the Sears Tower or Hancock Observatory) I've ever had. I just sat there and starred out the window. Extremely nice hotel, as well.

The other hotel that would have potentially good river views would be the Holiday Inn Mart Plaza (and you can specify "view" room on the Holiday Inn website). The Renaissance Marriott also has "river view" options. (although the river's across the street of the Renaissance. The Monaco would also have some rooms with a river view (although across the street)

In terms of HOTWIRE, even if you did get a hotel by the river (such as the Hyatt, Sheraton or Swissotel), there's absolutely no guarantee of a river view room, as you are paying a discounted rate. However, if you were able to get a room at any of these hotels, you would be right by the river.

However, if you do want to guarantee a river view, I'd pay the extra at a hotel like the Westin.

All that said, let us know what dates you are looking at and we could help further.

[KyleMac]

The actual dates of my stay are 3/16-3/18. The $103 on Hotwire 3.5 star on NMA is gone and has been replaced with $115 customer favorite 3.5 star normally 134.10, Hotwire amenities:

This Hotel features the following amenities:

Fitness Center

Restaurant(s)

Business Center

High-speed Internet Access

Also, what exactly is trip protection. If i purchase trip protection can i weasel my way out of the hotel stay if i really dont want to stay at that particular hotel. A hotel ON the river isnt necessary, just one close by so that i can walk there. I will be spending most of my time in the lincoln park area, so a hotel halfway between lincoln park and the river would be preferable, are there any? Thank you!

[AaronJB]

I'll look around now and see what I can find. In this case, you'd be looking for a hotel mainly in the Mag Mile/Streeterville area. Some of the North Michigan Ave/Water Tower/Gold Coast hotels (such as the Ambassador East) are a fairly sizable walk to the river.

While you would have to read the fine print for all the details, "trip protection" is - unfortunately - not "I decided not to go." You have to have a much more urgent reason not to go; the kind that needs a physician's note, pretty much.

[dahammer]

trip protection is for unforseen illness, death, strikes, financial default of the carrier, etc. On page 8, paragraph 15 of the policy, they specifically exclude weaseling out :)

[AaronJB]

On HOTWIRE there is a 3* Mag Mile/Streeterville hotel with the amenities: fitness/laundry/restaurant/hi-speed internet for $132. While I can't guarantee, this would appear to be the Club Quarters Wacker/Michigan, which is right on the river. Not much of a discount off regular rate, but if it is that CQ, the Michigan Ave. bridge across the river is right there. This could also possibly be the Holiday Inn Mart Plaza.

I'm not seeing a 3.5* Mag Mile/Streeterville on Hotwire.

There's a 4* Loop (on HOTWIRE) hotel with the amenities: fitness/business/restaurant/hi-speed for $93. This could be the W City Centre; if it is, it's a rather long walk to the river, but this is a 4* choice under $100.

The Hampton Inn Downtown/River North is $149 regular rate (not Hotwire) for a king bed room (free breakfast, subway station a block away, a grocery around the corner.) That's a bit of a walk to the river, but not bad and you get free breakfast (did I mention free breakfast?)

The Westin River North has regular rooms regular rate (non-Hotwire) for $169. The Swissotel has lakeview rooms for $199 regular rate (Travelzoo.com is having a promo for $159 for a lakeview room @ the Swiss on these dates.)

The Ambassador East is $119 regular rate on Quikbook.com. That hotel is just North of North Michigan Ave; it's not close to the river, but would be more in-between the river and Lincoln Park (although probably a bit more towards LP). The nicer Sutton Place is $189 on Quikbook.com and 4 blocks South of the Ambassador E.

[KyleMac]

I booked the Swissotel at $159 a night with a lakeview. Is this the same as a riverview (i didnt see that option listed). Has anyone stayed there in a room with a lakeview? Will I be able to see the dying of the river, does it even face the river or does it face straight out into lake michigan (a view of the city would probably be more beautiful than looking straight out to the lake, especially at night)? The regular room rate special is $119 for that weekend. I am going with my girlfriend, is it worth the extra $40 a night for the lakeview? Thank you.

-Kyle

[KyleMac]

Hmm, i cant edit my previous post for some reason. Ive read some not so flattering reviews of the Swissotel on tripadvisor.com. Has anyone stayed there? My primary purpse for a hotel in chicago next weekend is to witness the river dying, other than that i just plan to use the hotel as a place to sleep as most of my friends live in lincoln park and i will be up there for most of the day (that and at the bars). Any estimates on the cost of a cab ride from the Hotel to Lincoln Park. Would the Westin be a lot closer/more convenient to the lincoln park area? Thanks again, everyone has been so helpful here.

[AaronJB]

The Swiss is a very nice hotel (Also, the Swiss has a 4/5 average on Tripadvisor, which is quite good; there are some negatives, but mostly positive - there are other 4*'s that get worse TA ratings) and $159 is a terrific rate for a room that quite often goes for 2 or even 3 times as much. While there are some Chicago hotels that deserve negative reviews, the other issue is that I will say that none of the 4* hotels in Chicago are worth what they often charge ($300-400+) during the busiest times. There are times in Chicago where even the 2* Best Western is $300. I think that results in people expecting more than they get. The Swiss, the Westin and several other 4*'s are fine for $200, 250ish. But once it gets to $300-350+ it starts to get really ridiculous. I think the hotels in NYC are another example of this in a lot of cases.

$159 is great for the Swiss, especially an upgraded lakeview, which should have at least some view of the river, which is right there. Most (not all) Swissotel rooms do have some sort of view (whether it be the river, lake, nearby area or some combo), so I don't think they would mind much if you called and asked them to block a room facing more the river than the lake. Not sure exactly where the river green dying exactly takes place, but I'm pretty sure it's just about at that point in the river.

[KyleMac]

I wound up switching and booking the $119 standard room and i will ask the front desk for an upgrade when i get there if it is available. I was told by others on a different forum that its not necessarily worth paying more for a riverview since you can just go to the 41st floor observatory and watch it from there, plus i did hear that every room has a great view as long as you are on the 15th floor or higher.