DOC 2 BE

See my popst above, and for a nice and relatively inexpensive Dinner downtown near the theatres, you can try Russian Tea Time. Excellent Russian food and service and Prix Fixe Dinner at $29 per person. Includes appetizer, entree, dessert, and bottomless Russian ice tea or hot tea.

Wine list is reasonable as well.

For a splurge, try Charlie Trotters in Lincoln Park. We were taken there during the convention. Very pricey but extremely good. It is French Nouvelle Cuisine meets American food. Excellent!

dbk10

I rarely eat my dinner in the hotel that I'm staying in (well, I'll make an exception in Vegas ).

Friday night, my friends and I went to a place called Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba. It's a great tapas restaurant on N. Halstead. They have somewhere around 6 different Paellas to chose from as well as numerous sangria choices and much more! I was hoping to do deep dish this night, but alas, my friends were deep dished out and so this was our next choice. I liked the food, it was a great atmosphere and the service was extremely good.
http://www.cafebabareeba.com/

I actually ran into some friends of mine that live in LA at Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba (who found the restaurant when they went to Northwestern).

I went to visit some of my cousins in Northbrook on Saturday and had lunch out there. Saturday night, however was Maggiano's on Clark Street. Sorry, I can't go to Chicago without going to the home of Maggiano's. Great Italian food, try the house salad and bring a big group because this place gives new meaning to family style.

Toby on the road

...Hyatt has done it again ... the RC suspended from the Sky on Level 34 & 35 in this 26 story West Tower ... well done Hyatt !

best wishes to all
Toby on the road

[QUOTE]Originally posted by BoulderHyattHopper:

[B]The West Tower (26 floors) is where to be. The RC is on the 35th and the 34th is considered an RC floor as well!

dbk10

Actually Toby, the West Tower is 35 stories tall. And the RC floors are more than just 34 & 35. I don't remember absolutely correctly, but it may have been something more like 32-35. I say that just because I was on the 33rd floor and that was also a RC floor that required your room key for the elevator to work.

There was one thing that I did forget to mention in my review. As a South Bend native, Saturday afternoons are very sacred to me. Thus, to my dismay, on my way back to my room to watch some college football, I was taken aback to see a couple members of the housekeeping staff sitting on a bed in another room watching television and hanging out with the door wide open. I understand what it's like to work and to want to take a break (which I'm assuming they were doing), but it almost feels like an invasion of privacy for whomever's room that was.

DOC 2 BE

I have spoken to hotel management and there is no difference between those new rooms on the RC Club floors, and those that were rennovated on the other floors in the West Tower. Of course, if you don't get a room on the RC floor, you should get privs to the club if you are Diamond, and you should ask if you are not, after all, they may extend it to you!

danpic

Well, I too was there this past Marathon weekend for a litte vacation with my fiance on FFN award nights. I was overwhelmed by all the people for that **** marathon! Packed! I laughed a bit when late Saturday night a Hyatt letter was slipped under the door describing "expected delays" the following day due to the race; um why did this come late Saturday night and not at check-in? Anyway...

I had Room 3014 with a view of the river. Same modernized room as described above, but the bathroon was definitley a little tired. The strangest toilet flushing handle location ever in a Hyatt. Took a walk to the Park Hyatt on Saturday to see their Dale Chuihuly (sp?) art collection and found that it is currently packed away awaiting a move. I really wanted to stay there, but every weekend for months that I tried under the FFN was booked. Suspicious.

As far as food: A little touristy, but one night was at the Hard Rock (actually pretty "happening") with their upstairs bar and video display tower (and baseball playoff game). The other at Topolobampo, Rick Bayless's Mexican place next to Frontera Grill. A top-rated national establishment, the tasting menu ran us $100/person with matching wines. The food was good, but I wouldn't say it was totally worth the price. Good matching wines though, and an excellent young waiter. I did manage to break a table lamp when describing the six(6) Monet "haystack" paintings that were in the Art Institiute. Shame on me. I was told it was a regular occurance, even for the staff!

-Dan P.

BoulderHyattHopper

Sorry ... I was not very clear. Two separate issues. Grew up in Indy, my dad lived for two years in Chicago, which actually titled the term Hyatt Hopping, in 1987. Such a fun city! We have stayed at Wacker, Deerfield and ORD many times, plus the purple Lincolnshire.

Mr. BHH recommends Marco's (but I didn't love it!) He LOVES Catch 35 and Gibsons.

I love the Rosebud chains... And Tavern on Rush. And Giordano's and Ginos.

Actually for a "chain", my best friend and I hit Napa Valley Grille the last time I was visiting her and it was quite good as well...

nologic

Will Diamond benefits apply to Expedia $99.50 rate this week? Will MC promo apply towards free nights?

peteropny

Diamond benefits should apply. As for stay credit for MC FFN, just make sure you check in with your MC and charge something to the room.

AJetSetter

Does the same apply to Hyatt Internet rates (booked on their website)? I mean, will I have to charge something to my room in order for a FFN and stay credit?

nologic

Any chance if I do charge soemthing, that the MC stay credit won't apply...?

I also heard eslewhere ont his board that Diamond credits don't apply to preaid stays, like Exepdia and Priceline.

NJUPINTHEAIR

Internet rates most definitely qualify for the MC FFN promo, so you will not need to charge anything additional to your room.

peteropny

1. No, I stayed last year on Priceline rate of $50 and got the stay credited for the FFN then.

2. A couple of other people who were Diamonds attending the ORD Do got the Diamond benefits - I was Platinum then and got upgraded to RC using a Platinum Extras coupon.

nologic

The Expedia Reservation Form says:

"Award points and airline mileage may not be awarded when booking an Expedia Special Rate hotel."

I am leaning towards booking on Hyatt.com for $119.00 vs. Expedia for $99.50: am I crazy?

[This message has been edited by nologic (edited 01-22-2003).]

Tino

Yes, you may be crazy. I would only book off Hyatt.com for another $20 if:

- you positively need the credit for status
- the cancellation restrictions are better and you need the flexibility

There is no way the extra $20 (plus tax of another few bucks) is worth the Gold Passport points in the event that you do not get them. I'd say your odds are 50-50 of getting them anyway.