Hotwire Hotel: 3* Chicago (Magnificent Mile-Streeterville) Embassy Suites Lakefront

[westie]

First timer, need help. One room, 4 star $100 or 3 star for under. Amenities not important, just need to be close by sights, and clean. NO CAR. Son @ overnight camp on July 19, 20, till 4pm on the 21st. Camp @ Loyola Lakeshore campus. Willing to split stay, while he is @ camp, I can stay in Evanston, if can get cheap rooms there.But for the night of 21, 22 and 23, must stay close to sights. First time to Chicago, but on a tight budget. Thanks for help.

[AaronJB]

There's a 3* on HOTWIRE for $89 that's showing for 7/18-21 only. This is in the Mag Mile/Streeterville area downtown, and the amenities are: Suite, Pool, Fitness, Complimentary Breakfast, Kitchenette, Business Center.

This is likely the Embassy Suites Lakefront (or possibly the nearby Embassy Suites Downtown.) If this is one of the ES properties, $89 is a phenomenal rate for the ES hotels in Chicago, especially in the Summer when they often go for three times that or more. It's too bad it's not showing as available for your whole stay, as that would be terrific. However, I think it's really worth taking at least for the first half. You get free breakfast, and it's right by both Navy Pier and Michigan Ave.

The second half is more difficult, as prices for the last three dates are more expensive (possibly a convention?) For these dates, I'd suggest consideration of Priceline for bidding for a 4* in the River North/North Michigan Ave. area (as you *may* be able to get a hotel via this method for under $100) or the Travelzoo Swissotel deal that can be had through this page: http://hotels.travelzoo.com/chicago-hotels/301360

The 4* Swiss would be a very short walk from the Embassy Suites (it's on the other side of the river from the Embassy. The Embassy is about a block North of the river.) The Swissotel is $109 a night via the Travelzoo deal, but I figured this was okay as the $89 rate of the first three nights would mean your average would still be $99 across all nights.

Any questions, please feel free to ask.

Also, the River North/North Michigan Ave. area on Priceline includes what Hotwire calls the Mag Mile/Streeterville area, so that is why I suggested bidding in the same area if you do consider bidding for the final three dates.

[misschris]

If you get $89 a night in Chicago jump on it!. It is actually great you don't have a car as the hotels charge $15-25 to park. Downtown you won't need one anyway cuz cabs are cheap or we just walk everywhere. I stay in Streeterville when I go, and it is a fantastic location (friend's apartment) 4 blocks to Michigan avenue and 3 block to Navy Pier and the lake. Embassy would be great beacuse of their free breakfast (save $$)

Hope this helps

[westie]

Thanks so much, it really helps. I saw the $89 on Hotwire, but being a first timer, I didn't know if I should go for it. Should I use the link above, on the very top left hand corner, or is there a link you would prefer me to use, like savingsbarn, where is that link? Thanks.

[misschris]

Yes, use the link at the top lef tof the page

[westie]

Oops, forgot to ask this, I was told many hotels do not allow Saturday check in, and it will cut down my chance when I bid for a room, is that the case? Do I then only take the Hotwire $89 for only July 18th and 19th? That seems a little short, what are your thoughts on this?

Thanks.

[misschris]

Oops, forgot to ask this, I was told many hotels do not allow Saturday check in, and it will cut down my chance when I bid for a room, is that the case? Do I then only take the Hotwire $89 for only July 18th and 19th? That seems a little short, what are your thoughts on this?

Thanks.

Never heard of this, but I am a newbie myself. I would think if it is offering you $89 for the dates you requested (Saturday included) it would be fine.

[AaronJB]

Hotwire is showing the $89 Suite hotel mentioned above for 7/18-21, so it is available for that rate for those dates. I wish it was available for your whole trip, but it's such a great deal that I think it's worth taking even for half the trip, and you can find a nearby hotel for the other dates.

You can use this link to HOTWIRE - HOTWIRE . Thank you for using it to support the site.

After you book the $89 Suite, Pool, Fitness, Complimentary Breakfast, Kitchenette, Business Center for 7/18-21, then we can discuss what would be best for 21-24.

[AaronJB]

I think the whole Saturday check-in issue seems to be more a thing of the past, as while that was apparently the case some time ago (with some hotels, not all) it doesn't seem to be a problem now as people get priceline bids in Chicago for Saturday all the time.

In this case, if you wanted to, you could bypass Priceline and book the $109 Swissotel deal via Travelzoo here for 7/21-24:

http://vacations.travelzoo.com/north-ameri...acations/301795

So, you do have that as an option.

If the HOTWIRE listing is the Embassy Suites Lakefront, the Swissotel is about 0.1-0.2 miles South of the Embassy, so an easy walk between the two hotels.

[westie]

Thanks for all the help. If $89 turns out to be Embassy, and Swissotel is close, it will work out great, just walk myself over. Thanks so much.

[AaronJB]

Phenomenal! Glad it worked out! :)

Around the corner and a block East of the Embassy front door on Illinois and McClurg is the Fox and Obel Market and Cafe (fox-obel.com), which is a GREAT place for a meal (it's sort of like the Chicago version of Dean and Deluca in NYC) and to pick up some snacks to take back to the hotel. You also have a Dominicks Grocery across the street of the Embassy. That's a full grocery if you want to shop. You do get a full free breakfast and evening snack at the Embassy, though.

If you walk South on Columbus and go over the river, there *should* be a staircase at the end of the bridge over Columbus, just before it goes under Wacker. Before you go across the river you should be able to see it at the end of the bridge. If it's there, walk up that and the Swiss should be right there. If you're able to take that route, that's about a 3 block walk.

If the bridge doesn't work out, you just have to walk West along the river through the NBC Plaza to Michigan Ave. Once you get to Michigan Ave. walk South across the bridge and then start heading East on Wacker.

Any questions, please feel free to ask.

[westie]

Thanks Aaron. Coming from Hawaii, our 1st time to Chicago, for volleyball camp. Then it's off to Pepperdine for another volleyball camp. Still working on that lodging. Prior to Chicago, we are in Atlanta for a volleyball tournament. Really needed the savings, thanks so much for the help, to you and others on this forum. Aloha.

[AaronJB]

No problem! Happy to help, and good luck with your trip! :)

If you need help with lodging (or air, or anything else travel-related) please post and we'll be happy to help.