We have never been to Chicago. We are planning on going for a weekend and have no clue where to stay or what to do. If we stay near the airport, how long will it take us to drive to downtown? Is there any parking once we get there? Are there any decent value hotels that will accomodate 5 people? Can find suites or get adjoining rooms on hotwire or anything like that?
We have kids ages 4-11, so need some kid friendly ideas, preferrably not super expensive since it does add up!
Thank you!
Help! Hotel, ideas, for family of 5
%26lt;%26lt;We have never been to Chicago. We are planning on going for a weekend and have no clue where to stay or what to do. If we stay near the airport, how long will it take us to drive to downtown? Is there any parking once we get there? Are there any decent value hotels that will accomodate 5 people? Can find suites or get adjoining rooms on hotwire or anything like that?
We have kids ages 4-11, so need some kid friendly ideas, preferrably not super expensive since it does add up!
Thank you!
%26gt;%26gt;
It%26#39;s a little difficult downtown finding a room for 5, as a lot of hotels have a max of 4 (and some less than that.) The downtown hotels that accept 5 include the Residence Inn Marriott, Embassy Suites, Homewood Suites and I believe a few others, including maybe the Hampton Inn/Suites.
Instead of staying by the airport, I%26#39;d suggest staying in a SW burb like Oak Brook, which has a wide selection of hotels, including the Hyatt Lodge @ the McDonalds Campus (a resort-like Hyatt located on the heavily wooded McDonalds Global HQ, with a private lake and very pretty indoor pool/surrounding area - not sure if they allow 5 in a room) I%26#39;d then drive to the nearest Metra station and take the train in. Without knowing your budget/dates though, it%26#39;s difficult to make specific recommendations.
If you stayed by the airport, it%26#39;s about a 50 minute - 1 hour trip via the CTA Blue Line from that area downtown.
The Residence Inn Marriott in Deerfield is right near a Metra station and offers very large multi-bed/multi-bath (the penthouse %26amp; 2 bedroom suites are listed as 1000 Sq Ft) suites. However, you%26#39;d have to drive through the city and then go North to get to the hotel, so it%26#39;d be a longer drive in %26amp; out of the city.
I suggest staying someplace near a Metra station instead of a CTA station because the Metra trains are more comfortable, have bathrooms (so if someone has to make a pit stop, you don%26#39;t have to get off the train in an area you%26#39;re not familiar with) and have two levels (so the kids can sit upstairs and look out.) Metra info can be found at Metrarail.com
Hotwire only allows 4 per room and doesn%26#39;t offer the option for adjoining rooms - you%26#39;d have to go through the hotel for that. Priceline also only guarantees 1 bed.
There%26#39;s parking downtown, but it does get expensive and you have to deal with traffic in getting to/from downtown.
Help! Hotel, ideas, for family of 5
Some other suggestions for large families commuting to the city:
Staybridge Suites (within walking distance of North Glenview station on Metra Milwaukee North Line www.metrarail.com) or inexpensive hotels on Milwaukee Avenue in Northbrook and Glenview. The Hilton and Doubletree often have good values on weekends. The Doubletree has suites.
Renaissance Suites near airport and walking distance to Blue Line el trains
Downtown suite hotels: Embassy Suites (two of them), Homewood Suites, Hilton Suites (formerly the Doubletree) Hampton Inn and Suites, Marriott Residence Inn (expensive) Omni Suites
What weekend is your visit? Hotel prices fluctuate a great deal depending on conventions. Some summer weekends are already heavily booked. If you can be flexible, try to compare rates on different days.
Thank you! We are planning on going the weekend of June 16, hopefully it won%26#39;t be too busy yet.
If you take the Metra, where exactly does it let you off at the end of the line? Is it pretty close to Navy Pier and the musems?
We are staying Friday night in Gurnee after a day at Six Flags, it looks like it is right by a Metra station, do you think we should just stay there an additional night? We thought we%26#39;d pick another hotel closer to down town, but now I%26#39;m not sure if it%26#39;d be worth it.
Thanks for the help! I feel so clueless about all of this, we live in the suburbs of mid Michigan, no traffic or public transportation here! We have 4 year old twins, so I am really nervous about taking them.
%26lt;%26lt;Thank you! We are planning on going the weekend of June 16, hopefully it won%26#39;t be too busy yet.
If you take the Metra, where exactly does it let you off at the end of the line? Is it pretty close to Navy Pier and the musems?
We are staying Friday night in Gurnee after a day at Six Flags, it looks like it is right by a Metra station, do you think we should just stay there an additional night? We thought we%26#39;d pick another hotel closer to down town, but now I%26#39;m not sure if it%26#39;d be worth it.
Thanks for the help! I feel so clueless about all of this, we live in the suburbs of mid Michigan, no traffic or public transportation here! We have 4 year old twins, so I am really nervous about taking them.%26gt;%26gt;
If you%26#39;re going to be in Gurnee, I%26#39;d suggest considering the Residence Inn Deerfield, which would offer you a huge space (if you get one of the larger suites - penthouse or 2BR), kitchen (there%26#39;s a grocery across the street) and free breakfast. That%26#39;s also near a Metra station (the Lake Cook Road station) and a bit further South than Gurnee (but not so far South that you couldn%26#39;t drive up to Gurnee pretty easily.) The Chicago Botanic Gardens (chicagobotanic.org) are also in nearby Glencoe.
Another option would be 2 rooms via Hotwire (you%26#39;d search for 2 adults/3 kids/2 rooms.) If you search for 6/16-18 in the Northbrook area, there%26#39;s a 3* for $49 that%26#39;s possibly the Radisson Northbrook. Hotwire is a non-refundable deep discount service and, again, while you wouldn%26#39;t get 2 rooms together (although you may get two rooms next to each other if you ask, it%26#39;s just not guaranteed), if you don%26#39;t mind two separate rooms in the hotel for $98, this wouldn%26#39; t be a bad deal.
The Metra ends at Union Station, which is in the West Loop. You can get to Navy PIer and the Museums by a combination of walking and public transit - it%26#39;s a bit of a trip, but not bad and you get to go through the city on the way.
Also, there%26#39;s an Embassy Suites in Deerfield, which is $132 non-refundable via Expedia for one suite w/2 double beds. That hotel would also offer a pool, which the Residence does not have. However, it is a little further from a Metra station.
If you are staying just one night after your Six Flags excursion, it won%26#39;t save you any time to change hotels. That takes forever with a family, especially when the kids are tired from the day before.
If you can work within the train schedule, take the Metra downtown one day. Take a look at your map - the train will put you on the west side of the Loop at Adams and Jackson. (The fare is about $4 per adult, but there is also a family weekend pass that is very reasonable.) You can walk one mile straight down Adams Street to the Art Institute, then go a little north to Millennium Park and up to the river. The Cultural Center is also right along Michigan, and is worth a look - it%26#39;s free.
To visit Navy Pier, take the free shuttle or a taxi from the station. There is also a water taxi (www.shorelinesightseeing.com) from Wacker Drive near the Sears Tower to North Michigan Avenue, and from the Shedd Aquarium to and from Navy Pier. That would be fun for the kids.
On your last day, it sounds like you%26#39;ll be checking out of the hotel and driving through the city to get back to Michigan. You may want to do the farther-flung museums on this day. My choice for younger kids would be the Field Museum. You can park nearby, although it will cost you about $12, I think. If you have time, walk back toward the city using the underpass to see Buckingham Fountain. The Museum of Science and Industry is also a good one for a visit, and will take most of the day. It is 7-8 miles south of downtown along the lakefront.
I should have mentioned that the train lines i was talking about are either Libertyville or Prairie Crossing on the Milwaukke North Line. Using Waukegan or Grayslake will put you on lines I%26#39;m not familiar with.
One other thing: if you do decide to stay near the city, Expedia had the O%26#39;Hare Renaissance Suites for about $110 with free breakfast. That is a very nice hotel within walking distance of the Blue Line El trains, which run frequently and will take you downtown along Dearborn Street.
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