Hotwire Hotel: Need help identifying 4* NMA-H20 Tower-Gold Coast

[lovefourstars]

Hello

Can you please help identify this hotel on Hotwire?

Dates - 7/28 - 7/31 2 adults, 2 kids (age 8 and 11)

Four Stars

Amenities Listed - Fitness Center, Pool, Restaurant, Business Center, Hi-speed internet access, and spa

Rate - $94 a night

Is this a good area to stay in to see the sights? First trip to Chicago. Also, is there any way to request/reserve a suite on Hotwire or Priceline? Now that the kids are older, 2 doubles are getting a bit small!

Thanks so much!

[AaronJB]

This would be a likely match for the W Lakeshore.

Unfortunately, the only way to guarantee a suite is via HOTWIRE if a hotel with an "S" (Suite) icon is showing. If none are showing, then no suites are available on the service for these dates. There is definitely no way to ensure a suite via PRICELINE

The W is located near the lake; while that is nice in some regards, it is a bit of a walk (nothing terrible, certainly) to Michigan Ave. and then a subway station is still further West.

In terms of the NMA area, I'd strongly recommend the 3.5* in the same zone - Boutique, Restaurant, Fitness, Hi-Speed Internet, Business, Golf, Tennis, Spa for $92. This is likely the Indigo, which is one of my favorite hotels in the city in the "under 4*" category. That would be in the very nice Gold Coast neighborhood - Michigan Ave. is a brief walk SW, the beach is nearby and the Lincoln Park Zoo (which is free) is also within about a 15 minute walk North. There's also a subway station around the corner, two grocery stores nearby and Edwardo's Pizza is a couple of doors down. Finally, there's also a fantastic farmer's market that takes place in Lincoln Park next to the zoo on Wednesdays.

The W is a very nice hotel, although I'm not sure it's particularly "family-friendly".

Please use the site's HOTWIRE link to start your purchase, and feel free to ask if you have any questions.

[lovefourstars]

Thanks so much for the terrific info on Chicago. I will check out the Indigo. Out of curiosity, what is your favorite "family friendly" four star hotel in Chicago? Is there such a place?

[AaronJB]

That's a tough one. The Monaco doesn't have a pool, but it loans out goldfish so that the kids can have a pet during their stay. The W is very nice, it's near the lake and does have a pool - I think my only hesitation regarding it being family-friendly is that the lobby essentially feels like a nightclub at night, and people do head to the Whiskey Bar on the 33rd floor.

On the other hand, there are some excellent family-friendly properties at the 3*/3.5* level, such as the Homewood Suites and the two Embassy Suites properties. The Doubletree and Hilton Garden Inn are also quite nice. The Indigo's a pretty little boutique, and the chain's rooms are done in a "beach-house" style (photo murals, hardwood floors) and have both more personality and "home-y" feel than most of the other hotels in the city. The hotel's also a relatively easy, pretty walk from the LP Zoo (which is, again, a wonderful - and free - zoo.)