Where to stay in Chicago in September?

July 24, 2022 7:35 AM

We (spouse and I) will be visiting Chicago in late September to see Pavement at the Chicago Theatre. We rarely travel, and haven't been on a plane or anywhere out of our home state since pre-pandemic. This is a big deal for us, and we are excited to see our favorite band one more time! I've visited Chicago once, but it's been more than ten years ago. Can anyone recommend a nice hotel in the Loop?

We'll only be in town for a long weekend, and will want to be within walking distance of the Chicago Theatre, the Art Institute, and the lake. We will probably try to do an architecture boat tour, and maybe the Field Museum. This trip will be a big special occasion for us, so we are willing to splurge a bit, but are more concerned about impeccable cleanliness and comfortable beds than we are with hotel amenities. I know the pandemic has impacted the hospitality industry in a major way, and I am hoping someone with recent Chicago hotel experience will chime in. Note: we are not really interested in staying farther afield than the Loop area, though I know other neighborhoods are considered more interesting/aesthetic. Also not interested in AirBnB for this trip.

posted by little mouth to Travel & Transportation around Chicago, IL (7 answers total)

I'd pick the closest and affordable to the theater. All downtown hotels right there are expensive and will be clean. I say closest because the concert will be at night and safety would be my priority, which means less time walking around at night.
posted by tiny frying pan at 7:45 AM on July 24, 2022

I've had good experiences at the Hampton Inn in the Theater District.

I'm partial to Kimpton hotels, and both the Gray Hotel and the Kimpton Monaco are in the loop. The Gray is right around the corner from the Chicago Theater.
posted by Sparky Buttons at 10:44 AM on July 24, 2022 [1 favorite]

Watch out for the bellboys and over-friendly concierge.
posted by sjswitzer at 1:49 PM on July 24, 2022 [1 favorite]

Best answer: I've had good stays at The Wit on my last couple of visits to Chicago. It's a Doubletree hotel practically next door to the Chicago Theatre at the NE corner of State and Lake.
posted by HillbillyInBC at 2:12 PM on July 24, 2022 [1 favorite]

I've had excellent experiences at the Club Quarters on W. Adams. There's another Club Quarters very close to the theatre that I don't know personally, but I gather it's a reliable chain.
posted by kelper at 2:12 PM on July 24, 2022

Avoid Hilton, which is eliminating daily cleaning in an attempt to cut housekeeping jobs.
posted by rossination at 7:00 PM on July 24, 2022

Best answer: Seconding the Wit and the Kimpton. Don't let anyone sell you on the Congress Plaza--it's historic, and the lobby is beautiful, but it is NOT reliably maintained at the room level. Relatives recently stayed at the Swissotel and adored it but that might be a bit farther from things than you want.
posted by We put our faith in Blast Hardcheese at 10:04 AM on July 25, 2022 [2 favorites]