Where to Stay - Chicago 2005 - page 95

Fitness devotees will rejoice because the Holiday Inn is located next door to
the Lake Shore Athletic Club, where guests may enjoy the extensive facilities free
of charge (including an indoor pool). The hotel also has its own spacious out-
door pool and sun deck. The views are excellent, especially looking north toward
the Hancock Building and Monroe Harbor. You might want to splurge on one
of the master suites, which boast large living-room areas with wet bars, along
with a Jacuzzi-style tub and sauna in the bathroom.
The Holiday Inn is a good bet for the budget-conscious family: Kids under
18 stay free in their parent's room, and those 12 and under eat free in the hotel's
restaurants. Leave the pay-per-view movies one night and head to the massive
new AMC theaters next door, where all 21 screens offer stadium seating.
300 E. Ohio St. (at Fairbanks Court), Chicago, IL 60611. & 800/HOLIDAY or 312/787-6100. Fax 312/787-
6259. www.chicc.com. 500 units. $128-$270 double; weekend and promotional rates $99-$119. AE, DC,
DISC, MC, V. Self-parking $22. Subway/El: Red Line to Grand/State. Children 17 and under stay free in par-
ent's room. Amenities: 2 restaurants (American, cafe); bar; outdoor and indoor pools; access to nearby
health club; whirlpool; sauna; children's programs; concierge; business center; limited room service; babysit-
ting; laundry room; dry cleaning. In room: A/C, TV w/pay movies, dataport, coffeemaker, hair dryer, iron.
Homewood Suites An excellent choice for families, this hotel offers
both fresh, clean rooms and some nice little extras. Because all of the rooms are
suites with full kitchens, you can prepare your own meals (a real money saver)
and there's plenty of room for everyone to spread out at the end of the day.
Housed just off the Mag Mile in a sleek tower above retail shops, offices, and a
health club—and adjacent to ESPN Zone—the hotel's decor is described as
“Italian Renaissance meets Crate & Barrel.” Distressed-leather sofas, Mediter-
ranean stone tile, wrought-iron chandeliers, and beaded lampshades adorn its
sixth-floor lobby. Rooms—one- and two-bedroom suites and a handful of dou-
ble-double suites, which can connect to king suites—feature velvet sofas that are
all sleepers, and the beds have big, thick mattresses. Each comes with a full
kitchen, a dining-room table that doubles as a workspace, and decent-size bath-
rooms. The hotel provides a complimentary hot breakfast buffet as well as bev-
erages and hors d'oeuvres every evening; there is also a free grocery-shopping
service and free access to an excellent health club next door.
40 E. Grand Ave. (at Wabash Ave.), Chicago, IL 60611. & 800/CALL-HOME or 312/644-2222. Fax 312/644-
7777. www.homewoodsuiteschicago.com. $99-$249 2-room suite. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Valet parking $32
with in/out privileges. Subway/El: Red Line to Grand/State. Amenities: Fitness room w/small pool and nice
views of the city; concierge; business center; babysitting; laundry machines on all floors; dry cleaning.
In room: A/C, TV w/pay movies, fully equipped kitchen, coffeemaker, hair dryer, iron.
INEXPENSIVE
Red Roof Inn This is your best bet for the lowest-priced lodgings in
downtown Chicago. The location is the main selling point: right off the Mag-
nificent Mile (and within blocks of the Ritz-Carlton and Peninsula, where
rooms will cost you at least three times as much). The guest rooms are stark and
small (much like the off-the-highway Red Roof Inns), but all have new linens
and carpeting. Ask for a room facing Ontario Street, where at least you'll get
western exposure and some natural light (rooms in other parts of the hotel look
right into neighboring office buildings). The bathrooms are tiny but newly ren-
ovated and spotless. You're not going to find much in the way of style or ameni-
ties here—but then you don't stay at a place like this to hang out in the lobby
(where, by the way, free coffee is available every morning).
162 E. Ontario St. ( 1 ⁄ 2 block east of Michigan Ave.), Chicago, IL 60611. & 800/733-7663 or 312/787-3580. Fax
312/787-1299. www.redroof.com. 195 units. $86-$102 double. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Valet parking $18 with no
in/out privileges. Subway/El: Red Line to Grand/State. In room: A/C, TV w/pay movies, dataport, hair dryer, iron.

Kids

Value