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[ARCHIVE to 2014] DISCUSSION Hilton Honors Hotels near Chicago, Illinois USA {US-IL}

[ARCHIVE to 2014] DISCUSSION Hilton Honors Hotels near Chicago, Illinois USA {US-IL}

Old Feb 25, 1999, 3:19 pm
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Arrow [ARCHIVE to 2014] DISCUSSION Hilton Honors Hotels near Chicago, Illinois USA {US-IL}

I have a choice of staying at any of the Chicago properties for the next few weeks. Does anyone have comments of the Palmer vs. the Drake vs. the Hilton and Towers. Also, does anyone know what big conference is in town the week of Mar 14th. Rooms are expensive and hard to get.
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Old Feb 25, 1999, 4:06 pm
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Have not stayed at any of the properties but I had friends who stayed at teh Palmer HIlton. Classic hotel, very nice restaurant, services, conveniently located.

The advice: BOOK NOW!!! CHeck the HHonors reservations website for availaiblity. And in fact you might want to call the Chicago tourism bureau to see if there are indeed any big conventions for those dates.

The Hiltons are generally the first to go when it's convention time!

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CATMAN
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Old Feb 25, 1999, 4:39 pm
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the Palmer House (Hilton) has just been discussed here a month ago (look under last entry here on jan-20-99).

[This message has been edited by Rudi (edited 02-25-99).]
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Old Feb 25, 1999, 7:25 pm
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I stayed in a palatial suite on the top floor of the Palmer house years ago. It is full of old-world charm. The Drake is very, very nice and in a much nicer neighborhood. Plenty of night life within walking distance.

The big-old Conrad Hilton on Michigan was one of the world's top hotels in it's day. These days it's in a dead neighborhood and a bit dumpy.

The Drake would be an easy choice for me.
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Old Feb 25, 1999, 8:58 pm
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Ive stayed at the palmer house for 3 months. Its OK, but I switched to the River North Westin. Much nicer hotel. However, if you are going to go with Hilton, stay at the Drake. Its one of the best hotels in the Hilton chain. I have not stayed there but many famous people do.
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Old Feb 25, 1999, 9:31 pm
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gabbysz-- the American Medical Student Assoc national convention is there from Mar 11-14. I'll be there, and staying at the Palmer House. I've got a Towers room reserved, and it was on hold at $230/night, but just last week I was checking the price and got it for $175/night. As of when I last checked, there was availability of both regular and Towers rooms.
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Old Feb 25, 1999, 10:02 pm
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Have stayed in almost all of the major properties in Chicago over the last 5 years. Don't particularly like the Drake. It's rooms are older, bathrooms are small, and the restaurants are not up to snuff. My favorites are the Intercontinental on Michigan Ave.--if you are in Six continents Club and get an upgraded room (some of the regular rooms are really small and stuffy), or the Fairmont a couple blocks off Michigan near the Lake. It's a terrific new hotel, everything's first class. Hyatt on the other side of the river is just so-so. While I like to double dip, I like the IC and Fairmont so much that I'd rather stay there.
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Old Feb 26, 1999, 2:09 pm
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I live in Chicago, and being an HHonors junkie, have chosen to stay at one of their downtown properties for various special occasions.

The Drake is considered to be the most upscale, and you can't beat the location. It is on the Magnificent Mile, and close to great restaurants, sites, shopping, and nightlife.

The Palmer House is an older, classic hotel that has a truly charming, ornate lobby area. Rooms have average amenities, and bathrooms are small.

The Hilton & Towers is also very nice. It is more modern, but the rooms are still just OK. However, the nightlife in the area leaves something to be desired. But of course, you can "cab it" anywhere.

In short, if I could choose any of the three w/o regard to cost, I would take the opportunity to visit the Drake, which is a famous Chicago landmark. Have fun!

--BBQ "Brisket ain't so great" Pork Sandwich
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Old Feb 26, 1999, 10:46 pm
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OMNI for BBQ:

It's beginning to amaze me just how many Chicago folks are popping out of the woodwork around here. Howdy neighbor!

Regards,
- Anna
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Old Mar 1, 1999, 9:54 pm
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Well if you want a *nice* hotel in Chicago, the Ritz Carlton above the Water Tower is regularly mentioned as one of the top hotels in the world. I've stayed there a couple of times and concur.

The Park Hyatt used to be very good, but Hyatt is rebuilding it and won't be complete for a year or two.
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Old Mar 25, 1999, 5:54 am
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Hilton Chicago versus The Palmer House

I'll be in Chicago over Easter which is a 4 day break for most of us in Europe and I'm wondering if there is much difference between the Chicago Hilton and Palmer House? Both are offering special rates for USD 89 + tax. I'm a Honors Gold member (if that helps get me a Towers upgrade ... we'll see). Any advice on which one to pick?


[This message has been edited by Austman (edited 03-25-99).]
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Old Mar 25, 1999, 2:17 pm
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Thanks for the links Rudi and I have read them. But they don't really compare the two hotels so much. In fact not much is said about the Hilton Chicago. There's mixed reviews on Palmer House.

I'm now in London just off a completely full flight on SAS from Stockolm. They were turning people away at the gate. But more on that in another forum!
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Old Mar 28, 1999, 1:20 am
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Or so it seems from a lot of people here, I should skip Hiltons and stay somewhere else.

I'm in the most charming hotel that I've ever stayed in (in London) just now, but no FF points. My company booked it.

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Old Mar 30, 1999, 1:13 pm
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My favorite hotel in Chicago to stay at is the Hyatt on Printer's Row, they sometimes have great holiday rates (like $49/night over Thanksgiving I used last year). They have a $99/night rate for Easter that's pretty good. Of course the great thing about Hyatt is they don't care about your rate usually (never in my experience) when it comes to earning points (unlike Hilton!). The Printer's Row is a beautiful property with huge rooms that have great tall ceilings.

Another one of my favorite's in the Chicagoland area is the Hyatt Oak Brook, conveniently located near the East-West Tollway and the Tri-State Tollway across the street from the Oak Brook Mall. This is in the suburbs, but again you can find some great rates and you'll get your Hyatt points no matter the rate. They have a $79/night rate available over the Easter weekend (not available Thursday night though, only Friday-Sunday nights).

The brand spanking new Hyatt at McCormick also has a $99/night rate, but I've never stayed there.

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Old Mar 30, 1999, 9:39 pm
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Make sure not to stay at the Hyatt Regency in Chicago though, it stinks. The hotel seems really old and crummy.
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