Hotwire Hotel: 4* Chicago (Magnificent Mile-Streeterville) James Hotel

[daydreamer33]

We're getting $134 rate for a HOTWIRE search for 5/5-5/7 for a 4* hotel in the Magnificent Mile/Streeterville area and it lists the hotel as a customer favorite as well and states it's a 52% savings for us. Based on the forum information, looks like it's a best match for the James Hotel. Anybody have anything to say about the location of the hotel and how easy it is to get around to the Chicago attractions? Have not booked yet because I just want to make sure we make the right decision. Tripadvisor reviews of the James Hotel itself seem really positive so I hope it's a correct match. We are interested in going to the Lincoln Park Zoo for sure but have not really made an itinerary for what we want to see & do & eat while we're there- open to suggestions from people in the know! biggrin.gif

We are staying by the airport for a couple of nights first due to a business obligation and had been playing around with the idea of renting a car but now we've been told by several people that it's better to just take the El Train and cabs to get around instead so we don't have to deal with traffic & parking. Is that the general consensus here? Where's the best place to get information on how to navigate the city via public transportation? What routes to take? What stops to get off at? We're Californians who don't know the meaning of public transportation unfortunately. Is it difficult to travel on the El Train with our luggage? And is it reliable and on time since we will have to catch a 2:45pm plane back to California on the 7th?

Thanks for the help! We're excited to visit Chi-town and making the most of our couple of days there for pleasure! :)

[AaronJB]

The location couldn't be any better - it's a block from the Michigan Ave. shopping area and a few blocks from a subway station. I'd strongly recommend taking it before it's gone.

Please do NOT rent a car. It will just be a very costly hassle (hotel parking is $40+ a night). Public transit is very easy to use here and I'd be happy to provide more detailed directions once you lock in a hotel (since it's kind of hard to provide directions if I don't know where the start point is - or where the end point is, if you aren't sure what sights you're interested in.)

It isn't difficult to travel on the "L" from the airport with your luggage. The last stop on the "L" lines that go to and from the airports are the airports themselves, so - as you can imagine - there's other people going to and from the airports on the trains, as well.

Keep in mind that Chicago is quite walkable. The city is more compact than most people realize. There's plenty of public transit, but if the weather's nice, walking is the best option. The main public transit website would be the Chicago Transit Authority website (transitchicago.com)

[daydreamer33]

Thanks for the advice! I do have the option of staying at the Ambassador East at $85/night because I made a tentative reservation a couple of months ago but I'm not sold on it yet. I'm not sure of its location in relation to the Magnificent Mile and the rest of Chicago. Any thoughts on which one would be a better bet, the Ambassador East or the 4* HOTWIRE option (probably the James Hotel)? Which one is more central and more accessible to everything Chicago has to offer? In addition to the Lincoln Park Zoo, I'm thinking of taking an architecture boat tour, perhaps hit the aquarium or a museum. I've looked into doing one of those City Passes but I will have to just see what we can fit in during those 2 days without feeling rushed and overwhelmed. We like to be fairly relaxed when we travel and really enjoy ourselves. To be honest, food is probably what I look forward to the most whenever I visit a different city. :)

[AaronJB]

You're considering two very different areas. The potential James is right in the middle of the Mag Mile area and a block from Michigan Ave. The Ambassador East is in the Gold Coast area, which is about a 5 minute walk from the very North/top end of the North Michigan Ave. area. The Gold Coast area does have a lot of night life, but I'm not a fan of the loud nightlife crowd there.

The AE is a historic hotel on a tree-lined street surrounded by many beautiful (and some historic - there's an early Frank Lloyd Wright house a few blocks North) apartments. The nightlife (restaurants/bars/etc.) start a few blocks South.

The AE would put you much closer (about a 15 minute walk versus about a 30-35 minute walk from the James) to the Zoo. However, the AE is not as centrally located in the city as the James would be. So the AE would put you closer to the zoo, but the Mag Mile would be a slight walk and you would be a sizable distance from the museums. The James would be closer to museums and the boat tour, but further from the Zoo. The James would be about a 3-4 minute walk to the boat tour.

There are a wider variety of restaurants around the James, and I think the nightlife in the nearby River North area is preferrable both in terms of selection and crowd.

I like the Ambassador East, which has a great deal of history (as does its quite famous Pump Room restaurant - see http://www.pumproom.com/history.html) and any time you can get a hotel under $100 in Chicago it's a good thing.

The James is also a very nice hotel, and certainly more modern. Both have their pros, but the potential HOTWIRE James is more expensive and I'd look at it as an "upgrade" if you want something more sleek, modern and new-ish (the James is a recent renovation of a hotel that had been at that location called the Lenox.)

So, to kind of summarize, neither selection would be bad - it's just a matter of what you're looking for.

[daydreamer33]

That's really helpful information. We're not big nightlife people so I think the James would suit us better for our purposes this time. And I hear they have Kiehl's products in their rooms and complimentary high speed internet which is a HUGE plus for us. I went ahead and booked through this site's HOTWIRE link and it was indeed the James Hotel. $309.30 total cost for 2 nights including taxes.

Fitness, Restaurant, Business Ctr, Laundry, HSI, Spa

I'm looking forward to the trip. In the next couple of weeks, I'll just have to figure out where we want to go while we're there and how we're going to navigate the city. Is it possible to take a bus from the James to the zoo? I'm not sure we'd want to walk 30-35 minutes. Boy we must sound lazy!

And there are so many great restaurants! It's going to be hard to narrow down the choices! Any recommendations for the best deep dish pizza in that area? :) Or any restaurants in general?

[AaronJB]

If you got the James for 5/5-5/7 on Hotwire for $134, you may want to take a look at the James website for the prices listed for your date. The lowest price for your date is $359 - so your Hotwire rate is a stellar deal. The James doesn't show up on Hotwire all that often, and rarely for that price (not to mention $130 in May is great in general.) That's why I definitely recommended taking the deal.

The interesting thing is that you would walk by the Ambassador East if you walked from the James. I would recommend the walk because you see a great deal of Michigan Ave. and the Gold Coast if you walk, but if you do want to take the bus, you could take the 151 bus North on Michigan Ave. (so you would catch the bus a block East of your hotel), which will go right by the zoo.

The Old Town area, which has one of my favorite little stores (The Spice House, a beautiful herb/spice store that offers a lot of blends inspired by Chicago neighborhoods. Very high quality herbs and spices for less than supermarket prices - many of Chicago's top chefs do their shopping there) is a short walk from the Zoo. The famed Second City improv theatre is also in the Old Town area. Old Town is just SE of the Zoo on Wells/North (it extends a few blocks North and South on Wells.)

As for Pizza, Uno's and Due's are about a block from your hotel. The only issue is that both can be absurdly crowded, and both restaurants can feel very cramped during the lunch/dinner rush. If you want to visit these restaurants, I'd go on an off hour (3:30-3:45, maybe 4) before the dinner rush.

Another pizza choice is a few blocks North. Rush Street, which runs North/South in front of your hotel - take Rush North a few blocks and you'll come across Giordanos, which is a good choice for pizza. That'll be crowded as well, but maybe not quite as bad as Uno's/Due's.

The thing about Chicago Pizza is that it has this great reputation, but I would recommend not going in with the belief that you are in for the world's finest pizza (I still think NYC beats Chicago in terms of pizza). Places like Giordanos and Uno's are fine, but I'm just not a *huge* fan of the pizza or the dining experience. I actually like the pizza they make at Whole Foods supermarket (which is also nearby) better. Saying that is probably against some kind of Chicago rule, but it's just my opinion. If you can get into Uno's or Giordano's at an off hour, excellent - if you don't end up visiting either, it's not the end of the world.

Good pizza that's further away (probably a good 15 minute walk) would be Lou Malnati's. You could get their sausage crust, which is a "low carb" (but not exactly low fat) choice.

The place that I always recommend that's sort of an "all-purpose" destination is Fox and Obel Market and Cafe (fox-obel.com for information and menu), which is a gourmet market and cafe (breakfast/lunch/dinner.) The cafe serves very good food and, when you consider the quality of ingredients, the food is pretty reasonable. Plus, you could grab some gourmet treats for a walk or to take back to the hotel. That's on Illinois/McClurg, which is about a 5-7 minute walk from your hotel.

Actually, Fox and Obel now has Pizza on their menu (which I don't remember them having before.) I'd be really interested in how that is, as if the quality of the ingredients and preparation care is anything like the rest of their menu, that would be something to definitely check out.

[thereuare]

AaronJB is the local, but i've had a few good Chicago trips so i'll add my .02 for which he can correct anything that has changed or is incorrect, as it's been more than a few years since i've been there, but might be able to offer the 'tourist' experience:

Dues - i do recommend going, and is/would be on my 'must do' list for a trip to Chicago. Pizza is one of my favorite foods and although i love "ny pie", i savor the pizza i've had here. You must go at an off hour though, or be prepared to make it the evening's event. (i've heard of the other places AaronJB mentions above as well, and i'm sure those could be substituted for this one... but do get some Chicago style pizza at a 'known' pizza shop)

Signature Room - restaurant at the top of the Hancock Tower. Typical tourist fare (not recommended) except go for lunch as prices are reasonable (you can get out for under $15-$20/pp). To go to oberservation deck is not cheap (i'm guessing $10 for the elevator ride) so for an extra $5-$10 you get lunch and have a relaxing afternoon taking in the view 86 stories above street level. The food was not memorable, but i vividly remember this day with my girlfriend (now wife :) ) even though it was at least 5+ years ago.

Wrigley Field - if there is a game go check it out... historic and intimate ballpark

For other things (zoo, aquarium, etc) check out our sister site Things To Do 411.com which plots activities on a map which can help in planning your itinery (there is also currently a coupon code available there which may save you a few dollars)

Oh yeah, you won a hotel too :)... congratulations on your win.

Thanks for sharing it with the board and using our HOTWIRE link to begin your purchase.

[AaronJB]

In terms of directions to the hotel, what airport are you coming into?

[daydreamer33]

We're actually going to be coming from the O'hare area. We'll be staying at the Marriott O'hare May 3-5th and then heading to the James May 5th-7th. I hear there's quite a bit of construction going on in regards to closures on the El so I just want to make sure we're going to be able to get to downtown with our luggage and not have to get a taxi or shuttle. And then even more importantly, get back to O'hare on the 7th to catch our plane back to CA!