Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
7
The Best Chicago Websites
The
World Wide Web
makes vacation planning simple . These Chicago-based
sites pr ovide up -to-date listings on ev erything fr om r estaurants t o walk ing
tours.
•
www.choosechicago.com
is y our best bet f or c omprehensive t ourism
information on hot els, special pr omotions, and cit ywide ev ents fr om the
Chicago Convention & Tourism Bureau (and
&
877/CHICAGO
[244-2246]
also happens to be the phone number for the bureau's tourism information
line).
•
www.metromix.com
is the
Chicago Tribune
's entertainment-oriented site.
•
www.encyclopediaofchicago.com
is a c ollaboration bet ween the New-
berry Librar y and the Chicago H istorical S ociety that is chock -full of fun
facts and useful inf ormation about our cit y's history, architecture, and the
lives of some of our cit y's famous and infamous personalities .
•
www.chicago.citysearch.com
off ers r eviews of r estaurants, bars , sho ws,
and shops.
• Two good general sit es ar e
www.explorechicago.org
( Chicago O ffice of
Tourism) and
www.enjoyillinois.com
(Illinois Bureau of Tourism).
1
•
Best N eighborhood H otel:
Childr en
12 and under stay fr ee at
Best Western
Hawthorne Terrace Hotel,
3434 N.
Broadway (
&
888/401-8781
). Rooms
in this small hotel (just 59 r ooms and
junior suites) hav e refrigerators, micro-
waves, and irons. Best of all, par king is
a bargain at $20 a day—about half the
going rate at Chicago
its small size—and sense of whimsy—to
cater to kids.
Hotel B urnham,
1 W.
Washington, at S tate S treet (
&
877/
294-9712
), keeps wee ones entertained
with special offers for tea at American
Girl Place Cafe and deals at the muse-
ums and theaters. D uring holidays,
you'll find special activities in the hotel
lobby, including decorating gingerbread
men at Christmas and hunting for eggs
at Easter. Diaper bags, cribs, highchairs,
changing tables, and mor e are available
upon r equest. R ooms ar e clubb y but
glamorous, with plush beds, mahogany
writing desks, and chaise longues—
even the family pet is w
's do wntown
hotels. See p. 104.
•
Best Views:
This isn't an easy call. The
astounding altitude offer ed b y the
Trump International Plaza Hotel and
Towe r,
401 N. Wabash (
&
877/458-
7867
), plus its riv erside per ch, make
this hotel a str ong new contender. But
consider sev eral other hotels for their
mix of lake and city vie ws:
Four S ea-
sons H otel Chicago
(p . 84),
The
Drake
(p . 89), the
Ritz-Carlton
Chicago
(p. 88), and
Park Hyatt Chi-
cago
(p. 86).
•
When H ipness I s I mportant:
A hip
hotel that's known for romance is using
elcome. S ee
p. 79.
•
When Price Is No Object:
The atten-
tion to detail, r egal pampering, and
well-connected concierges you will find
at both the ultralux e
Ritz-Carlton
Chicago,
160 E. P earson St. (
&
800/
621-6906;
p . 88), and
Four S easons
Hotel Chicago,
120 E. Delaware Place
