Hotwire Hotel: 4* Chicago (Mag Mile-Streeterville) InterContinental

[bruegger]

Thanks to the tips and other's Chicago posts I snagged $70/night for three nights at the Intercontinental through Priceline. Trip Advisor reviews seem to be either really great or really bad. Hopefully the bad reviews are exceptions. Going with my wife and two nine-year old boys. Looks like the rooms are a single bed with a sofa(bed?). Their website indicates they have rollaways available as well.

If anyone has any advice on preparing for 2 adults and 2 kids in this room, please let me know. Not sure if it's best with these Priceline reservations to just show up and ask if they have any rooms available with two queens, or maybe contact in advance? I think we'll throw two sleeping bags and Thermarest pads in the trunk just in case.

I'm new to betterbidding, but I see Aaron has a lot of good visitor advice. I'll read through those to fill in some other 9-year-old friendly activities besides the Shedd Aquarium and the Art Institute.

Again, the bidding tips were indispensable. Took me a little while to figure out which zones had hotels of how many stars. I think the pinned instructions could be amended to make it more clear. They currently say, "The way to check what star levels are available in each zone is to open a Priceline page, check ONLY the zone you are nquiring about, and then proceed to the next page (as if you were going to select a zone)...". I would maybe change it to "The way to check what star levels are available in each zone is BEFORE STARTING YOUR BIDDING, open a Priceline page, check ONLY the zone you are inquiring about, and see what stars are available on the lower half of the screen. Then uncheck and try all the other zones in that city. Do this for each zone in the city you are interested. You'll then have a listing of what stars are available in all zones in that city. You can then start bidding and potentially rebidding on your desired zone". Still not the most clear, but indicates that the stars and zones all appear on the same page now.

Again - thanks for the advice. I'll be sure to let others know to go to betterbidding to find great rates!

Also, one other question. I see in some posts people mention seeing the number of Tripadvisor reviews, I think on Hotwire. Maybe I'm not looking in the right spot, but I don't see that information. Any suggestions?

[AaronJB]

Welcome to the site.

Again, one must keep in mind that many people who write those reviews are paying double or triple for the same room, and expectations do differ. Personally, I think the Intercontinental's a great hotel, with a pretty fascinating history. It's also in a terrific location.

I'd definitely look at the pool area, as well as the Grand Ballroom. Both are remarkable, from an architectural standpoint.

Some HOTWIRE listings show tripadvisor average ratings, some do not. It varies.

[AaronJB]

What were the dates of travel for this stay?

In terms of sightseeing, I would strongly recommend avoiding Navy Pier, which is largely a tourist trap. I'd much rather recommend the (free) Lincoln Park Zoo. The Peggy Notabert Nature Center (admission) is across from the North end of the zoo, and has a live butterfly exhibit.

The Museum of Science and Industry would be a lot of fun, but keep in mind that it is a trip to get to - it is a ways South of the downtown area.

[bruegger]

Oh, sorry about the dates (apparently I needed to add that in the "description" - it got cut out of my title.

Dates are 04/04/2009 - 04/07/2009.

Thanks for the tourist tips. I've read some of your other posts and have gotten a lot of good ideas. Reading about Giordano's has forced me to go get deep dish pizza tonight (Old Chicago is as close as we can get here in Minneapolis; though we used to have an Edwardos). I think the other time my wife and I went to Gino's East. From what I'm reading, Gino's versus Giordano's is an ongoing debate with different answers depending on who you ask. Any opinions?

I'm sure we'll hit the Shedd, Field Museum, Lincoln Park Zoo, Sears Tower, Portillos, Old Town, etc...

And the pool looks awesome (although a waterpark would be more up my kids' alley - we'll hit Wisconsin Dells on the way back home).

Your other suggestions, especially the Nature Center sound right up our alley.

One last thing - parking. Are there any ramps near the Intercontinental or other options (park somewhere remote and take the train)? I'd rather not pay $50/night for valet parking - that's almost as much as the room!

[AaronJB]

I have to go to the Dells again sometime; I haven't gone for about a decade - maybe a bit more than that. While the core of it remains pretty much the same, it looks like a lot of development has taken place. I have fond memories of a "simpler" Dells, but sometime I'll have to see if things have changed for the better.

I like Giordanos more than Uno's/Due's, not only do I like the pizza more, but I've never been a fan of the crowded/cramped Uno's. I actually really like Edwardo's - there are a couple of those downtown, as well, although the downtown locations are more "carry-out" oriented (a few seats/tables, but do most of their business as carry-out.)

If you do go to Old Town, a "kid-friendly" stop would be the Old Town Aquarium (http://www.oldtownaquarium.com/). One note: this would be kid-friendly in terms of that it's an aquarium, but they do seem to be strict about having parents supervise their kids while in the store. This is primarily a fish store, but they have also acted as suppliers for institutions such as the Shedd. This is definitely not your average fish store: the people who work there are extensively trained - many of them work there because they have an interest in marine biology or other, similar fields. I wouldn't be surprised if this is considered one of best retail store aquariums in the country. My other main recommendation is the Spice House, a husband/wife-run herb/spice store (http://www.thespicehouse.com/). They have incredible quality merchandise at really reasonable prices. They also have Chicago-themed blends based upon various neighborhoods. Definitely an incredible set of smells when you walk in.

In terms of future trips, you may want to consider a nearby suburb as a potential alternative. There are some really nice suburbs around the city, many of which have some of their own sights/attractions. There would be free parking (which, as you can see with the Intercontinental would be a nice savings) and then you could take the Metra train in. Hotels would generally be a bit cheaper (although downtown hotels right now are about as cheap as they've been in a few years) and you wouldn't have to drive in/out of the city if you're driving. Just a thought.

Keep in mind that the Oceanarium at the Shedd is being renovated and will not be re-open until late May. Tickets appear to have been discounted to reflect the Oceanarium closure, however.

I'd recommend going to the Hancock instead of the Sears Tower. More convenient (it's just a few minutes walk North of your hotel; you can maybe see it on the way to Lincoln Park or on the way back?), similarly terrific views and generally quicker lines.

I don't drive, so I don't have any experience parking here, but this is a popular lot due to low rates (these rates are probably a couple of years old, so you'd have to call the number for what they currently are.)

The Sterling Self-Park Garage

(located between Clark and LaSalle on Kinzie)

312.341.3463

$24 per day

In by 7 a.m. out by 7 p.m. - $14

In by 9 a.m. out by 7 p.m. - $18 per day

After 3 p.m. and weekends - $6

This lot would be a bit of a walk from the Intercontinental, but not terrible. Maybe 10-12 minutes.

[bruegger]

Thanks for the info!