cheap chicagoland hotel
June 30, 2011 10:42 AM   Subscribe

Cheap Chicagoland hotel?

I'm looking for a cheap hotel in Chicago with free parking and easy transit access to downtown. Ideally it'd be around $100-120 a night, and next to a train station that could get me downtown in under an hour. Any recommendations for areas to look or specific hotels?
posted by miyabo to Travel & Transportation around Chicago, IL (13 answers total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 
For $100 a night, you can use Priceline to get a 4* hotel in the Loop, although you will have to pay for parking.

IME, the hotels out in the 'burbs sometimes have a shuttle to the Metra station, although it is hit-or-miss. Last night I just booked a 3.5* hotel in Lisle via Priceline, for $49 a night ($62 after taxes).

biddingtraveler.com and other sites like it do a great job of aggregating Priceline bids. At your price range, you have a lot of flexibility.
posted by QuantumMeruit at 11:01 AM on June 30, 2011 [1 favorite]


Longman & Eagle is a restaurant with a few hotel rooms. It's close to the blue line. It'd be street parking.

Margarita Inn in Evanston has cheap rooms if you're okay with not having your own bathroom. You can take Metra or the CTA downtown.
posted by hydrophonic at 11:05 AM on June 30, 2011 [1 favorite]


Longman & Eagle is a 20 minute train ride to the Loop, but it's in a permit parking zone. My parents stayed there a few weeks ago. It's beautiful in a Dwell Magazine sort of way, and each room comes with two free drinks at the (excellent) bar downstairs.

There's the Ohio House downtown if you like the idea of staying in a mysterious time loop where it is 1957 forever.
posted by theodolite at 11:17 AM on June 30, 2011


Longman & Eagle has a $75/night room that's gorgeous. It's across the street from the Logan Square Blue Line stop. And you'll want to eat at the restaurant--it's incredible. I live about two blocks away and can recommend a lot in the neighborhood if you need any tips.
posted by smich at 11:29 AM on June 30, 2011


I stayed at the Days Inn Lincoln Park last time I was in Chicago - I think we got a $99 deal but it looks closer to $120+ these days. Free wifi, and free breakfast including a waffle bar. It's in a nice neighborhood, walkable to the Brown Line and there are two buses to downtown which stop directly outside.
posted by Gortuk at 12:35 PM on June 30, 2011


Look for the Super8 on Sheridan Rd in Rogers Park. It's on the very north end of the city but like 2 blocks from the Red Line and the 147 express downtown bus stops across the street. I think it's like $120/night. Much better, safer and easier than staying out by the airport.

Sometimes you can get good deals downtown but not on short notice (I recently went through this when helping a visiting friend pick a place to stay).
posted by bleep at 1:03 PM on June 30, 2011


Check out Airbnb - we got a beautiful high rise apartment with a view of the lake for about $125/night just north of the loop.
posted by desjardins at 1:46 PM on June 30, 2011


The Ramada Inn in Hyde Park is exactly what you're looking for. It's in your price range, free parking, a block away from the #6 bus that will get you to the Loop in about 25 minutes. I've stayed there and my parents have stayed there. It's...fine. Nothing fancy, but with free parking and proximity to transit, it's hard to beat. (Also, Hyde Park is nice, and somewhere most tourists don't go. If you have time, you should go to the Point (lakefront), look at the cool architecture on the University of Chicago campus, and go to the (free and excellent) Oriental Institute Museum.)
posted by phunniemee at 2:08 PM on June 30, 2011


When I visited a couple of years ago, I stayed at the Inn of Chicago for $75 on Priceline. Parking is extra, but the hotel's right downtown and just a few block walk to a train station.
posted by Sand Reckoner at 2:21 PM on June 30, 2011


Longman and Eagle is difficult to get street parking at, however, there is a pay lot directly across the street next to the Logan Square blue line stop. I'm not sure if you can get a day rate or if it's only monthly parking—perhaps call L&E and ask? It's a super cool place and right by the L.
posted by Bunglegirl at 3:37 PM on June 30, 2011


Response by poster: Thanks for the advice everyone! I'll likely be going to Chicago several times a year for the next couple of years so I want to get this right.

In addition to the places you guys recommended, I'm also looking at The Write Inn in Oak Park, and Homestead in Evanston. Any opinions about these two options? They both appear to have reasonable transit times to the Loop.
posted by miyabo at 5:25 PM on June 30, 2011


Don't overlook Under the Ginko Tree in Oak Park. It's a B&B with a really nice owner. It's walkable to the EL and lots of good restaurants. There is parking in the back too. It's in a nice historic residential area and she has many repeat guests.
posted by Flacka at 7:24 PM on June 30, 2011


Response by poster: Results: We stayed at the Carleton Hotel in Oak Park. It was the only place I could find that met my requirements and had a room available.

The hotel itself was GREAT. Downtown Oak Park is really nice, with a good selection of restaurants and quirky shops. Parking is free, and the green line gets you to downtown very quickly and cheaply.

The one thing I did not know beforehand is that the green line has a reputation for sketchiness. Nothing bad happened during our trip, but I wouldn't want to take that train carrying expensive cameras or shopping bags, or with young kids, or past 10 or so at night. If you're obviously a tourist, it's probably a good idea to sit in the first car of the train where there's a driver who can see you. Otherwise it's a very practical way to save some money while visiting the city.
posted by miyabo at 1:29 PM on July 7, 2011


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