Crowne plaza is located more centrally. The Hilton will not be a good location for you if you want to walk to shops / restaurants.
There are plenty of restaurants within 1 to 3 kilometers of the Crowne plaza.

Not sure if you really want to do the public transit buses. It is quite a task to get in to those buses at rush hour, etc.

The suburban train system is not near either of the hotels.
The "metro" rail (above ground) is not really completely functional (AFAIK)...though that rail line is right in front of the Hilton.

I would recommend you stick to the Crowne Plaza.

One day in Chennai
 

I've got an upcoming trip to Chennai and will have one day free for sightseeing. Any particular recommendations on how to spend my time?

You'll probably get better info from others, but... I find Chennai a difficult city to get on with, at least in the short term. There are sights worth seeing (the fort, the cathedral, the beach and lighthouse) and some fantastic food about, but it's one of those cities where you really have to handle the heat and humidity, and know all those little areas to go to for specific needs.

For a short trip, I'd be tempted to head down the coast to Mahabalipuram. Great combination of sea, wonderful ancient monuments, and some really good seafood. But that depends on what kind of stopover you want!

if your upcoming trip is now then it will be too hot to explore....i was there last week & i didn't venture out much because of the heat....

where will you be staying????

My friends in Chennai say it has three seasons: hot, hotter, and hottest. May is squarely in the hottest season. I've been to Mahabalipuram in the heat with a private car and driver. I found that I could take no more than about 20 minutes in the sun and then would have to retreat back to the car to cool down.

Make sure you have a hat, plenty of sun screen and water if you venture out.

Thanks all, I'm coming during the last week of May so I know I'll need to be prepared for the heat. I've spent a fair amount of time in similar climates in the past so I've got a fairly good idea what I'm getting myself into. Planning on staying the ITC Grand Chola.

I would suggest you visit the Guindy snake park. Fascinating :)

Tips for Chennai?
 

I've never had any reason to visit Chennai, but I've decided to make up for that with a long-weekend visit next month, just for the heck of it.

Any advice on where to stay? Location and comfort are of course important, but so is price. I know there'll be a wondrous Taj hotel, but on my own dime I'll be happier in 3/4 star place - maybe use points if any of the IHG hotels are well located. Tripadvisor has become a mess of single-poster rave reviews for most hotels.

Any must see places? And must eat places?

Finally, is an Uber pick-up easy to negotiate at the airport?

I've been there 4 times for work and once for a friend's wedding and I really can't find a reason why anyone would want to go there. Which is unusual, since I usually find a good reason to stay over the weekend wherever I travel for work.

I usually choose the Taj Coromandel, but that's because its close to work. At INR 6500+28% taxes its good value.
I hear the new IC south of the city is nice, but I've never stayed there.

No. No.

No. One of my colleagues tried to get an Uber last month and the drivers canceled on him a couple of times (apparently they prefer cash payments) and one asked him to walk outside to a main road - and he spoke the local language. The international arrivals is a messy area. I usually get a prepaid taxi from the counter just before exiting the building and that's the most straightforward. You do need INR cash though.

Depressing :(

But my other need-to-see metro is Kolkata: so perhaps i haven't drawn the short straw with Chennai.

i go to chennai for work 2-3 times a year....no real reason to go there besides work....i usually stay at the itc grand chola, which i would highly recommend....but if the rates are too high then i would recommend the le royal méridien....its an old hotel but close enough to the airport & perfectly acceptable....i stay here whenever the itc is sold out....

The group of monuments at Mahabalipuram is a collection of 7th- and 8th-century CE religious monuments in the coastal resort town of Mamallapuram, Tamil Nadu, India and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal, about 60 kilometres (37 mi) south of Chennai.

en.wikipedia.org / wiki / Group_of_Monuments_at_Mahabalipuram (can't able to post link)

The above is a good place to visit if you interested in seeing historical places. Also you can visit Pondicherry 90 miles from chennai which was a french colony.

en.wikipedia.org /wiki / Tourism_in_Puducherry (can't able to post link)

In Chennai, there are many to places to visit like Temple, Beach, Mosque, and Church. You will really enjoy to Chennai sightseeing. Here I am sharing only 15 places you can visit, if you want to know more you can take the help of Google search.

1. Covelong Beach
2. Marina Beach
3. Mahabalipuram
4. Sri Parthasarathy Temple
5. Birla Planetarium
6. Elliot’s Beach
7. San Thome Church
8. Kapaleeshwar Temple
9. Thousand Lights Mosque
10. Fort St. George
11. Connemara Public Library
12. Nettukuppam
13. Guindy National Park and Snake Park
14. Vellankani Shrine
15. Madras High Court

Thanks a lot.

Thanks to Manish and Johnny for a positive slant on Chennai tourism :)

With IHG points and a measure of status in the hotel chain, we'll take the advice from earlier in the thread and stay at the IC Mahabalipuram - gives us beach+archaeology-on-the-doorstep+well on the way to Pondicherry. Perhaps a whirlwind tour of Chennai itself on the day of departure. Or perhaps not.

Your Most Welcome Dear.