CHI Hotel Question

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ScottC4746

OBS Chief
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Jan 11, 2009
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Location
Redondo Beach, CA
We are connecting SWC to CZ #4 - #5 on 5 June requiring an overnight stay in Chicago. Any suggestions for cheap and nice hotels close to the train station.
 
Since it is just an overnight say, I would also consider any station between CHI and GBB. Both the SWC and CZ use the same stations on that segment, and I think those cities/towns may have less expensive hotels than downtown CHI!
 
the_traveler said:
Since it is just an overnight say, I would also consider any station between CHI and GBB. Both the SWC and CZ use the same stations on that segment, and I think those cities/towns may have less expensive hotels than downtown CHI!
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But that ruins my bucketlist of riding every Amtrak route in numerical order from end to end. :p
 
There is a hostel in Greektown (HI Hostel). Other than that, your best bet is to check Hotwire. A lot of the hotels near Union Station are upward of $300/night, but we've been able to get a room for $120-130 using Hotwire. The caveat is you don't know which hotel it is until you purchase the room, but it lets you filter by distance, star rating, price, and location. I've never been disappointed.
 
My wife and I did spend 1 night between trains at the HI Hostel on Congress. The dorm rooms are not very nice but the price was cheap. We didn't use their kitchen but we did use the laundry room so all our clothes were clean when we got on the CZ to Glenwood Springs.

The upper floors of the hostel are used by DePaul students as student housing.
 
the_traveler said:
Sorcha said:
I've never been disappointed.
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But you don't earn AGR points for the stay. That would be a BIG disappointment to me.
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I'd much rather keep an extra $100+ in the bank to spend directly than earn a few hundred points by choosing a specific hotel. You can't use Priceline or Hotwire everywhere, but you can use them in larger cities like Chicago and save money while still getting a good hotel. I generally stick with 3-5 star selections and seem to get decent results.
 
I have stayed at the La Quinta right in town several times, just a short distance from Union Station and it is very nice, great full breakfast too. If you plan ahead you should be able to get a reasonable rate. My last stay, during a work week was for $127/night, including the breakfast. It is an easy and safe walk back to the station.
 
ScottC4746 said:
We are doing the Holiday Inn two blocks away. Noon check out which is perfect for a 2 PM train.
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The one two blocks to the south? Good choice. We've stayed there.

For my fiancee with arthritis (so, walks have to be SHORT) we decided that was the only hotel which was close enough to Chicago Union Station. (For some reason there just aren't as many hotels near train stations as there were 50 years ago. :) )

Everything is expensive near the Loop in Chicago, but the Holiday Inn was reasonably priced by comparison to the others (perhaps due to the giant elevated expressway which is right next door).

This is actually an *old*, *historic* hotel, from the glory days of railroads, which was reopened as a Holiday Inn maybe a decade ago. So it's a fun place to stay if you like historic hotels. (This may also explain the relatively good pricing; the rooms are NOT large and are NOT modern.) It also has a pizza place *in the hotel* which serves Chicago Deep Dish pizza, which I appreciated on the day of arrival.

As you may have noticed, the CTA Blue Line station is on your way between Union Station and the hotel, making it easy to wander around Chicago. The station entrance is under the expressway. The expressway overpass is a bit frightening but basically safe.
 
So do you have to walk on the expressway overpass to get to the Holiday Inn? Why is it a bit frightening? I am also looking for a close one-night stay in Chicago between trains. Is the Holiday Inn walkable without any problems for reasonably fit people?

Jean
 
Jean said:
So do you have to walk on the expressway overpass to get to the Holiday Inn? Why is it a bit frightening? I am also looking for a close one-night stay in Chicago between trains. Is the Holiday Inn walkable without any problems for reasonably fit people?
Jean
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The Holiday Inn is approximatley .3 mile (or .5 K) south of Union Station on Canal Street. It is easily walkable for a fit person with a sidewalk on the west side of Canal Street (which runs under the Eisenhower Expressway "Ike Pike").
 
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It's perfectly straightfoward, safe, and easy to walk along the Canal St. sidewalk under the Eisenhower Expressway. It's very loud, and it's dirty, and there's (permanent) sloppy construction fencing on the side away from the road (penning in the empty lot under the expressway), and the concrete on the Expressway is in bad condition.
 
Just curious.....where do most of the out-of-town Amtrak crews layover? Sometimes, those may be good choices and possibly offer passengers discounted rates...
 
I should have looked at the neighborhood before booking a nonrefundable rate. Looks like nothing around that and that I really don't want to go trapsing around the neighborhood at night.
 
I find that staying out near the airport can be a cheap option for 1 night in Chicago, although I much prefer the HI Hostel downtown. Free breakfast, free wi-fi, travelers from all over the world, and all for about $35 a night in a dorm.

Ed :cool:
 
caravanman said:
I find that staying out near the airport can be a cheap option for 1 night in Chicago, although I much prefer the HI Hostel downtown. Free breakfast, free wi-fi, travelers from all over the world, and all for about $35 a night in a dorm.
Ed :cool:
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I'm 62 years old and never stayed in a hostel. Do they cater to younger people or is an old fart welcome?
 
Rail Freak said:
caravanman said:
I find that staying out near the airport can be a cheap option for 1 night in Chicago, although I much prefer the HI Hostel downtown. Free breakfast, free wi-fi, travelers from all over the world, and all for about $35 a night in a dorm.
Ed :cool:
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I'm 62 years old and never stayed in a hostel. Do they cater to younger people or is an old fart welcome?
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Hopefully old farts are welcomed as I'm planning to stay in the one in Chicago for the gathering. They (Hostelling International) have a membership price for SENIORS (55+), so, yeah, I think we'd be welcomed. :D
 
I have a trip booked in August that includes a #8 - #30 connection coming back to Florida. If that connection were to get screwed up, I could find myself with only coach availability back to STP. THAT WOULD NOT BE COOL!!!! ( the reason for the Hostel question) So, maybe I should play it safe? What does everyone think???

Thanx

RF
 
Amtrak crews have stayed at the Inn of Chicago which is about a $10-12 cab ride from CUS. I'm not sure if they still stay there or not. I've stayed there several times and found it to be fine. Rates will vary, but I stayed there a couple of weeks ago for about $100 when I took the Empire Builder in from Red Wing and boarded the The Cardinal to DC the next day. It's a block off the Magnificent Mile and about 6 blocks from the Navy Pier. No breakfast, but there is a Dunkin Donuts right across the street.
 
Rail Freak said:
I have a trip booked in August that includes a #8 - #30 connection coming back to Florida. If that connection were to get screwed up, I could find myself with only coach availability back to STP. THAT WOULD NOT BE COOL!!!! ( the reason for the Hostel question) So, maybe I should play it safe? What does everyone think???Thanx

RF
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The HI-Chicago on ?Congressional? was highly recommended to me by at least one AUer. If you're just looking for a place to sleep and clean-up, why not. I'm not planning to be in the dorm room except for sleeping & dressing. Check out their website http://www.hichicago.org/
 
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