Priceline Hotel: Where to stay in Chicago?

[hikimmo]

Dh and I will be going to Chicago October 16-20. We'd like to stay downtown, but I don't know whether it matters if we stay in the NMA or Millenium Park area. I don't know the city. We prefer 4*.

Since we're coming into town on a Thursday, will we have problems getting a midweek room? I've had that happen before in other large cities. (Or it's just really expensive to get a midweek room.)

And any hints on cheap overnight parking? We'll have a rental car.

TIA,

Kim

[AaronJB]

The NMA area is generally preferable if you're going to be out at night. If you don't plan to be out much past dusk or don't mind taking a cab back to your hotel, the Loop is fine. Much of the Loop generally empty later in the evening (especially when the weather gets cooler), which some may (and understandably so) find uncomfortable. Quite a few restaurants in the Loop also close fairly early.

These are fairly pricey dates for hotels (October is generally a busy month for business/conventions); what is your budget per night?

Additionally, if you're driving, just to offer you some options, I can find a suburban suite hotel in a very nice area for $59, with free parking. You could drive to the nearby train station and take the Metra train in or take the expressway by the hotel downtown.

Bidding on PRICELINE for downtown for a 4*, you're probably looking at around $110-125 (and very possibly more if inventory is tighter due to a convention) + $25 a night if you park in the Millennium Park lot.