Where is everyone staying? Didn't realize you would have to pay to park at a hotel.
my gawd.
Some hotels' parking garages and parking lots are ran independently of the hotel. This is Chicago...not Boone, IA
Where is everyone staying? Didn't realize you would have to pay to park at a hotel.
Dont understand this mentality but to each their own.
My hotel is just where I'm sleeping. I'm not tied to the area. With Uber I can be anywhere at any time in the greater Chicago area for a pretty reasonable price.
Some people like to sleep downtown and that's their prerogative though
Post-privatization Chicago's parking meters became significantly higher than Manhattan's.
When I moved to LA I found myself laughing at how ridiculously cheap parking is here. The meters still take nickels. I think if a Chicago meter took nickels the nickel would run out before I could insert another nickel.
Staying at Crowne Plaza near United Center.
I got a good deal friday through sunday at the Swissotel near Navy Pier for $75 a night on hotwire.
My hotel is just where I'm sleeping. I'm not tied to the area. With Uber I can be anywhere at any time in the greater Chicago area for a pretty reasonable price.
Ok so this hotel's cheapest rate is $160 on there site. I got it for $75 which is $20 above the state rate for hotels in Iowa and this is for a 4-star hotel downtown chicago by navy pier.
Check Hotwire people! Downtown Navy Pier area. Chances are you will get this one.
This is near magnificent mile and tons of other places.
Ok so this hotel's cheapest rate is $160 on there site. I got it for $75 which is $20 above the state rate for hotels in Iowa and this is for a 4-star hotel downtown chicago by navy pier.
Check Hotwire people! Downtown Navy Pier area. Chances are you will get this one.
This is near magnificent mile and tons of other places.
Your uber costs are still going to be a lot if you're staying in somewhere like Schaumburg and you are in or near downtown. UberX might be cheaper than a cab by a little bit, but it's still not cheap if you're traveling all over or ar. As a business traveler who lives in Chicago who frequently makes trips between downtown (where I live) and the airport (on the way to Schaumburg), it's going to be at least $45 in an UberX between an area like downtown and Schaumburg. More if you factor in any surge pricing.
So just do the math - if you got a hotel in a place like Schaumburg for $60/night and what you'd want in downtown Chicago is $100/night but your Uber is $45 each way while staying in the suburbs versus let's say $13 between UC and downtown hotel, then you would still be spending more to be in the suburbs.
I love uber, but people need to stop with this fantasy that getting an Uber is cheap. Just because it's cheaper than a taxi doesn't mean it's going to save you money versus other logistical alternatives.
So lets get back on topic here a bit - those staying in the City and want to be in the middle of the action, where are you staying?
Just switched from hotel Monaco to Godfrey hotel downtown. Something like $139/night. About 4 blocks east from the magnificent mile
The hotel has a very sceney club/lounge (IO Urban Roofscape) with awesome views of the skyline. During the day it's great when it's nice out. Beware though because the music at the place is bumping usually. My friend's company rented it out for a holiday party this year and gave them all rooms. His room was only one floor removed from the club/lounge and you could hear the bass in my friend's room. Kind of a weird-ish area but it's within a few blocks of the good stuff in River North, which is about 100 times better for nightlife/food than Streeterville (what you may refer to as Mag Mile and near Navy Pier). If you're looking for good food near Godfrey, I'd go south a few blocks to around Grand, Hubbard, Illinois, Kinzie, etc.
For anybody who is wanting to be right near nightlife, I would NOT recommend staying near Navy Pier. While it's a good area, it's quiet - not much actual good nightlife and a lot of chain restaurants (though there's some good non-chain ones - but percentage wise, you won't find a high percentage of local actual good eats around there).
The area you want to be in downtown for nightlife is River North or Gold Coast. Gold Coast hotels that are nicely located are Sofitel, Thompson Hotel, Tremont, and Whitehall which are all within a few blocks of one another.
I live very close to the Sofitel Hotel in Gold Coast. It's two blocks west of Michigan Avenue (5 minute walk - the area of Michigan Avenue it hooks up to is where the John Hancock Tower is, as well as Water Tower Place (i.e. Macy's), H&M, Uniqlo, Ghiradelli, etc). It's about a 10-15 minute walk to the nightlife in River North, and about a 5 minute walk to the nightlife in Gold Coast (though around here are a handful of bars/lounges too - not a dead zone at all). Also fairly quiet noise level wise at night.
Good advice.
I'm biased because it's my old hood but I'd take a 15-20 block cab ride to Milwaukee/north/damen after the game at the UC and barhop in WP/Bucktown as opposed to downtown. You could even take the bus up Damen.
Not a lot of hotels there but I had a better time going out in that neighborhood than downtown.
If any young hipster types are flying in without a car I'd check out Urban Holiday Lofts in that area. It's like a youth hostel thing. Ideal for somebody flying in, taking blue line to there, then cab or bus to UC and back to that hood.