Cheap hotel and meat on Christmas Eve

October 3, 2006 10:14 AM

What are the cheapest h/motels near O'Hare in Chicago? Also, what are some restaraunts--open on Christmas Eve--in the area serving red meat?

I'll be in Chicago with a friend on Christmas Eve this year, and I need a place to stay near O'Hare (nothing too seedy) before we fly to India the next day (which explains the red meat portion of the question).

Cheap for me means <$70

Near O'Hare means a quick cab ride away at the furthest

Red meat means a steak or something similar

Christmas Eve means a time for joy

posted by nitsuj to travel & transportation (11 comments total)

Travelodge Chicago O'Hare Rosemont

Very close to the car rental area, not far from some shopping/eating. Semi-seedy (ie, bit of a mildew smell) but seemed safe and clean, just old and shabby.
posted by rikschell at 10:59 AM on October 3, 2006

Steak near O'Hare
posted by Xalf at 11:02 AM on October 3, 2006

I've also stayed at the Travelodge rikschell mentions--it was OK, albeit not quiet.
posted by thomas j wise at 11:24 AM on October 3, 2006

On Travelocity the Sofitel near the airport is listing single rooms at $69 and that's a pretty nice hotel.
posted by mikel at 11:26 AM on October 3, 2006

Schiller Park Motel 6 is cheap and real close by. There's a Denny's right next to it, they probably have steak-like food creations. But it's just down the street from Rosemont, you might be able to find something better there for food, maybe in one of their nice hotels.
posted by thirteenkiller at 11:43 AM on October 3, 2006

It's been more than a few years since I've been there, but Steven's Steak House in Elmhurst was pretty decent. There are plenty of hotels in the vicinity as well (I think holiday inn's the closest). It's about a dozen miles from the airport, so you might need to cab it or grab a limo if the hotel of your choice doesn't provide shuttle service.
posted by SteveInMaine at 11:58 AM on October 3, 2006

Rosemont has a TON of hotels, but Elk Grove Village and Schiller Park are just as close and their hotels are cheaper. All of them have O'Hare shuttles. My company is hosting a seminar at the Holiday Inn in Elk Grove Village at half the cost of what a Rosemont hotel would be. The Four Points Sheraton in Schiller Park is very nice for the price.

As for your other issue, I can't imagine you'd have trouble finding meat in Chicago, regardless of the day of the year. If they're open on Christmas Eve, they've got meat.
posted by Terminal Verbosity at 12:02 PM on October 3, 2006

Oh man, I just remembered, there's Tom's Steak House in Melrose Park, on the opposite side of the airport from Steven's. Once again, I haven't been there in over 10 years, but they had excellent steaks. Melrose Park, however, tends to be a little on the seedier side. It's also very, shall we say "Italian", if that matters to you. Bada bing.
posted by SteveInMaine at 12:06 PM on October 3, 2006

I recently stayed at a couple motels near there and the best for the price/seediness ratio was the Schiller Park Motel 6 that thirteenkiller linked. I expected it to be nastier but the room I had seemed to have been recently redone. It was a relatively painless experience and I think it was something like $55/night before tax...
posted by mikeh at 12:34 PM on October 3, 2006

the hotel recommendations all sound pretty good...but don't expect it to be really easy to 'catch a cab'--this part of chicagoland does not have 'for hire' cabs cruising the streets.

there are lots of good hotels in the Rosemont area that will probably have resturants that are open on christmas eve. it might be worth it to stay at a nicer place to make your final dinner in the states easier to access.

also, keep in mind that o'hare is serviced by the blue line el, which is pretty easy to use. if you stayed near the el, you could take a train downtown and eat at miller's pub.

unfortunately, the place steveinmaine mentioned, steven's grill, has closed.
posted by lester's sock puppet at 1:16 PM on October 3, 2006

For the best filet of your life, take the blue line El into chicago and go to Wildfire. Parmesan crusted filet, twice baked potato, broccoli. Top it off with a cookie baked in a pan and covered with ice cream. Or just have the steak. But get thee to Wildfire. Call now and get a reservation. I is heaven.
posted by orangemiles at 6:46 AM on October 4, 2006