June 10-11

Hi,

I have a budget of 150 and would like to stay in a nice hotel near Michigan Plaza with my girl friend. I plan to drive there from minneapolis. So would be interested in keeping the parking fees low. Could I park somewhere else and take train downtown?

Options so far. hotwire has a 3.5 star for 102, 3 star for 129 and 4 for 179. Any ideas as what these hotels are and what would be the best option.

If I were to bid or price line what price should I aim for for a 4*. Would it be close to Michigan Plaza?

Thanks in advance!!

June 10-11

are you checking out the 12th or the 11th?

June 10-11

Hi dvdmovie! I will be checking out on 11th.

Personally, out of the Hotwire options, I%26#39;d go with the cheapest - $102. While that could be the Sheraton or Wyndham, I%26#39;m actually thinking it would be the Wyndham. I have issues with both hotels, but out of those two, I think - in terms of rooms and public areas - the Wyndham%26#39;s the nicer hotel. The Sheraton has better views, but otherwise, the 4* rating that the Sheraton displays on most sites is - I think - pretty questionable.

If you want to take your chances and bid for a 4* on Priceline, I%26#39;d start with $85. However, keep in mind that that 3.5* on Hotwire can vanish or raise price at any time, so if you do wait, you do run the risk of losing that deal.

Personally, I think you should try bidding $85 for a 4* in the River North/NMA area on Priceline. If that doesn%26#39;t work, grab the Hotwire 3.5 while it%26#39;s still there.

And again, can%26#39;t guarantee whether the 3.5* is the Sheraton or Wyndham, but could be either. I was double charged at the Wyndham once (and it was a pain to get it taken care of) and almost double charged again on a second stay, but the funny thing is, while I think the service is questionable, I really like the hotel otherwise. It%26#39;s clean, elegant, well-maintained and has a subtle style I find myself liking. It%26#39;s also in a great location just off Michigan Ave.

Any questions, please ask before using HW or PL.

Ok dvdmovie! Great! I will try out price line first for 85$ first or grab 3.5* otherwise. I was looking some more and the hyatt looks great. Do you think the 176 4* on hotwire is Hyatt? Both dont have swimming pool option. I dont have a preference about swimming pool.

Thanks again!

Wonderful. Got accepted in Wyndham for 85+20$ in taxes! Thanks for you advice DvdMovie. I really appreciate your help.

Does Wyndham have free parking? Should I park somewhere else and take the train?

Any specific event/location I should put on my itinerary when I am there that I can surprise my gf with :)? I have Sunday afternoon and evening free!

I would bid $85 for a 4* on Priceline in the River North/North Michigan Ave. area, which will put you either on or near Michigan Ave. shopping.

The $176 4* in the Mag Mile/Streeterville (restaurant, business, fitness, internet as amenities) area is likely not the Hyatt. (which looks nice, but is really just okay.) I%26#39;d guess the 4* Mag Mile/Streeterville would be either the Conrad or Hard Rock.

%26lt;%26lt;Wonderful. Got accepted in Wyndham for 85+20$ in taxes! Thanks for you advice DvdMovie. I really appreciate your help.

Does Wyndham have free parking? Should I park somewhere else and take the train?

Any specific event/location I should put on my itinerary when I am there that I can surprise my gf with :)? I have Sunday afternoon and evening free!%26gt;%26gt;

Awesome! I%26#39;m guessing the Hotwire listing was the Wyndham, and you managed to get under the Hotwire price by using Priceline.

My only word of advice with the Wyndham is to watch the charges on your in-room menu and do not check out via the TV, but instead, go downstairs and check out at the desk. I%26#39;ve been told by the hotel that they have some sort of deposit that%26#39;s supposed to be charged to Priceline if you do not show up for your reservation; however, as I found out, sometimes that charge is accidentally charged to the guest instead. The ';deposit'; is the same number every time; it%26#39;s about $86 and change. If you do see it, be sure to bring it up when you check out at the front desk and remind them to please not charge you.

Otherwise, I really like the Wyndham. The rooms there are well-maintained, with great beds and big bathrooms. The public areas are also really quite nice. If you are looking for a quick meal, there%26#39;s a Corner Bakery right across the street. You are also 1 block from Michigan Ave. shopping.

In terms of parking, the hotels downtown (aside from 1) don%26#39;t offer free parking and, in most cases, parking is anywhere from $30-45 a night. I would park at the Millennium Park lot downtown (about $20 a night) or there is the Sterling Self-Park Garage (located on Kinzie, between Clark and LaSalle) that offers $6 weekend rates at last check. I would call to confirm current rates - the number I found is 312.341.3463. That is a bit of a walk from the Wyndham (but so is Millennium Park), but not bad, and worth it for $6.

As for a surprise, it really depends on what she likes and what you guys are looking for. Maybe a special meal, maybe going up to the Hancock Observatory/Signature Room, maybe an evening boat tour? Let us know a few more specifics on what you had in mind and we%26#39;d be happy to help.

Lowest non-refundable available rate on the Wyndham website for the date you%26#39;re staying there.... (drumroll) $260! Definitely not a bad deal at all!, as you paid about 1/3rd of the price. Plus, the money you saved versus your $150 max can go to other things on the trip.