Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
INEXPENSIVE
Red Roof Inn Chicago Downtown This hotel is your best bet for
the lowest-priced lodgings in downtown Chicago. The location is its main sell-
ing point: right off the Magnificent 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 you'll get western exposure and some natural light (rooms in other parts
of the hotel look right into neighboring office buildings). For a family of three
or four, go for the king suite, which has a sofa bed, microwave, and refrigerator.
Room service is available through Coco Pazzo Café (p. 119), an excellent north-
ern Italian restaurant around the corner from the hotel's front door.
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; $110-$159 king suite. Kids 17 and under
stay free in parent's room. No rollaways; cribs free. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Valet parking $18 with no in/out priv-
ileges. Subway/El: Red Line to Grand/State. Amenities: Business services; free morning coffee in lobby. In
room: A/C, TV w/pay movies, dataport, hair dryer, iron.
Value
4 River North
The name “River North” designates a vast area parallel to the Magnificent Mile.
The zone is bounded by the river to the west and south, and roughly by Clark
Street to the east and by Chicago Avenue to the north. The earthy redbrick
buildings that characterize the area were once warehouses of various kinds and
today form the core of Chicago's art-gallery district. The neighborhood also has
spawned many of the city's trendiest restaurants. You'll find many of the city's
family-friendly hotels here. That, coupled with the proximity of tourist draws
such as the Hard Rock Cafe, Rainforest Café, and ESPN Zone, means River
North is an area families should consider when booking a hotel.
EXPENSIVE
Embassy Suites Hotel Chicago—Downtown You might fancy your-
self in Florida when you first set foot in this hotel, where a gushing waterfall and
palm- and fern-lined landscaped ponds lie at the bottom of the huge central
atrium. But you're not in the tropics: You're in one of Chicago's most family-
friendly hotels, even though it bills itself as a business hotel and does a healthy
convention business. Accommodations are spacious enough for parents and
kids: All suites have two rooms, consisting of a living room with a sleeper sofa,
a round table, and four chairs; and a bedroom with either a king-size bed or two
double beds. Guests staying on the VIP floor get nightly turndown service and
in-room fax machines and robes. At one end of the atrium, the hotel serves a
complimentary cooked-to-order breakfast and, at the other end, supplies com-
plimentary cocktails and snacks in the evening. And yes, there's a pool. On the
weekends, step into the elevator and you'll find plenty of Chicago-area families
with kids wrapped in towels making good use of the hotel as a weekend getaway.
Off the lobby is an excellent restaurant, Papagus Greek Taverna, and next
door is a Starbucks with outdoor seating.
Embassy Suites has opened another location at 511 N. Columbus Dr. ( & 312/
836-5900), just a few blocks from Navy Pier. Highly recommended!
600 N. State St. (at W. Ohio St.), Chicago, IL 60610. & 800/EMBASSY or 312/943-3800. Fax 312/943-7629.
www.embassysuites.com. 358 units. $199-$259 king suite; $269-$299 double suite. Kids 17 and under stay
free in parent's room. Few rollaways available, ask upon check-in (sofa beds in every suite); cribs free. AE, DC,
DISC, MC, V. Valet parking $34 with in/out privileges. Subway/El: Red Line to Grand/State. Amenities: Restau-
rant; coffee bar; indoor pool; exercise room w/whirlpool and sauna; concierge; business center; limited room
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