Hotel for June 28 - July 2

My husband and I are traveling to Chicago for the first time this summer. Since I don%26#39;t know the area well, I was hoping for some hotel recommendations close to the sights and/or public transportation. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!

Hotel for June 28 - July 2

What is the max you would want to spend?

Hotel for June 28 - July 2

Most hotels are located near public transportation. Visit transitchicago.com for details. A CTA visitor pass might come in handy for your visit. You can order them ahead of time.

We wouldn%26#39;t want to pay more than $250 a night if possible, but I know it can get expensive. And thanks for the idea about the transportation card. Is it easy to get in Chicago rather than ordering the beforehand?

';We wouldn%26#39;t want to pay more than $250 a night if possible, but I know it can get expensive. And thanks for the idea about the transportation card. Is it easy to get in Chicago rather than ordering the beforehand?';

If you%26#39;re flying in, you can get them at the ORD or MDW CTA train stations. If you%26#39;re driving in, order them ahead of time. Free shipping.

starwoodhotels.com/promotions/鈥?/a>

Visit the above link, search for Chicago for June 28-July 2. One of the choices is the Westin River North. Select that, and 2 adults.

The first room option should be a Club Floor room for $319 a night, but the last night is free. $957 total divided by 4 nights, $239 per night.

You can see the benefits of the Exec Club rooms here:

westinchicago.com/accomodations/executiveclu鈥?/a>

That would be a very good option, as it%26#39;s a very nice hotel and the Club Floor would get you some nice bonus features.

However, the downside is that this is a non-refundable ';stay 3 nights, get 1 free'; special.

Other options:

The Allergro is offering an extremely low (for it) rate of $119 via Expedia (30% off.) However, be aware that this is a moderately out-of-the-way area. During the day, it%26#39;s not a far walk to State St. shopping, the Art Institute and Millennium Park. There%26#39;s also public transit nearby. Michigan Ave. is further away. However, while there%26#39;s activity around this area during the day, there%26#39;s very little activity at all at night - it%26#39;s very quiet. There is a wine reception for an hour at night. If you stay here and plan on being out at night a lot, keep in mind you%26#39;ll probably need cabs.

The Amalfi is a very pleasant boutique hotel in the River North area (actually a block or so away from the Westin mentioned above.) That hotel is $215 on Expedia and offers both breakfast and an evening reception.

The Westin Michigan Ave. is $214 on these dates via Expedia. I%26#39;m not as much of a fan of the Michigan Ave. location as the River North one, but this is still a nice property in a great location on Michigan Ave in the center of the shopping area.

The Homewood Suites is $214 non-refundable for these dates; that hotel is around the corner from Michigan Ave. shopping in a great area just off the South end of the Michigan Ave. shopping area. Make sure to select a ';King Suite'; and NOT a ';Studio Suite'; - as the ';King Suite'; is the same price as the studio suite and the King Suite offers more space. The Homewood offers free breakfast each day and evening reception M-TH. They also just went through a multi-million dollar update, with new TV%26#39;s and furniture.

What appears to be the James (not guaranteed) is available for $188 on Hotwire (at least at the moment, as Hotwire listings often change.) The James is a sleek boutique a block from Michigan Ave. Let me know if this is of interest and I can point it out on Hotwire (a non-refundable deep discount service where you%26#39;re not told the exact hotel until after purchase - you just get a series of listings - amenities, price, star rating, area )

Thanks for your detailed responses! The Westin River North looks like great option. Is this in a centrally located area? I will be booking soon because I just heard that the Taste of Chicago festival will be going on while we are there.

The Westin is right on the river. The North Michigan Ave. area is to the NE and the Loop area starts over the river. It would be a pleasant walk from there to where Taste of Chicago is. There%26#39;s also a wide variety of restaurants - from fancy to casual - in the area surrounding the Westin.

The Westin deal is still available as of this AM.