Need a place May 18 - 20

Hi Helpful People!

I%26#39;m meeting up with a friend who is staying at the Fairmont, but we have to check out on the 18th. We%26#39;ll be staying until the 20th to sight see, so we need a place for 2 nights. We%26#39;d like to keep it under 200/night. With such a short time to stay, should we try to stay closer to downtown? I%26#39;ve seen that the Courtyard by Marriott Chicago Schaumburg has space...how is this? Is it far to where we might want to see? Are there any B%26amp;Bs I should look at?I t%26#39;s a last minute trip, so I haven%26#39;t done any research at all. Any help I can get would be great?

Thanks!

Need a place May 18 - 20

Under $200 will not be possible on the 18-20th unfortunately, due to the restaurant convention pushing rates through the roof. Schaumburg is awfully far - I would be happy to suggest some hotels in Northbrook, which is a very nice area not quite as far out and in the very pleasant North burbs.

Another visitor who I was helping for these dates ended up at the Hilton Northbrook, and it happens that the Ryerson Nature Center nearby is having a stargazing discussion on the night of the 19th, sponsored by the Adler Planetarium. That%26#39;s a thought.

The Chicago Botanic Gardens are also nearby, in the suburb of Glencoe (chicagobotanic.org.)

Are you driving? Do you mind a non-refundable reservation? If you are okay with Northbrook, you can very likely get a nice hotel around or under $100.

Need a place May 18 - 20

From Northbrook, you could take the Metra train (metrarail.com) downtown from one of a few nearby stations.

How about the Doubletree North Shore? I saw that they have availability.

The Doubletree North Shore is very nice and Old Orchard Mall is right there, but I like the nearby Metra trains in Northbrook and Northbrook hotels are cheaper. If you are planning on driving downtown, take the Doubletree. If you are driving and do not want to drive downtown, I%26#39;d go with the Hilton Northbrook, which is around half the price (it%26#39;s $88 non-refundable) and a little over a mile from a Metra station. The Hilton is somewhat further North, but not terribly so, especially considering the price difference.

Also, Hotwire.com has a 3* for $54 in Northbrook and a 3.5* for $76.

Hotwire is a non-refundable, deep discount service. I%26#39;m guessing the 3.5* is either the Hyatt or Hilton and the 3* is likely - although not guaranteed, the Radisson Northbrook.

Is the public transportation near the doubletree not as good? We won%26#39;t have a car, by the way...

I%26#39;ve used Hotwire many times, mostly for NYC...I just don%26#39;t know the areas in Chicago, will need some guidance.

Thanks...you%26#39;re great!

The issue with public transit in Skokie is it%26#39;s a 20-25 minute bus ride (and, depending on the bus, you may have to walk over to Old Orchard Mall to catch it) to the nearest ';L'; station and then it%26#39;s another 25-30 minute (depending) ';L'; or Metra ride downtown, neither particularly comfortable for that time, plus add a few minutes in-between for the wait between bus and train. Also, some of the busses don%26#39;t run too late, although it depends on the bus.

It would be a 35 minute Metra train ride to downtown from Northbrook. Metra trains do not come as often as CTA trains (every hour on weekdays and more often during rush hour or every 2 hours on weekends), but if timed right, catching one should be no concern. Plus, there is a $5 weekend pass that offers unlimited rides on Saturday and Sunday.

The Metra trains are more comfortable (two levels, bathrooms, conductors and nicer seating; sort of like Amtrak) and run until about Midnight. It%26#39;s about 1.3 miles from the Hilton Northbrook ($87.20 non-refundable on hilton.com) to the nearest Metra station and, the complimentary shuttle should be able to take you there, although you may want to call to confirm.

There%26#39;s a pair of hotels closer to a train station a little further North. The Courtyard Marriott Deerfield ($79, marriott.com - 800 Lake Cook Road) and Residence Inn Deerfield ($89, 530 Lake Cook Road) are right down the street from the Metra station at 601 Lake Cook Road. The Residence would get you free breakfast in the morning and a larger studio room..

Metra%26#39;s website is Metrarail.com.

transitchicago.com is the CTA website.