Why are all the hotels booked?
 

I can't find a hotel room for less than perhaps $450 - if even that - in Chicago on the 12th or the 20th of Sept. I can't find any major conventions on the city website, though.

What's going on?

So much for Sweet Home Chicago...Ugh. I may actually have to stay at "HOME"!

what dates are you looking for exactly and where in chicago do you want to stay?

There is a World Music festival the 14th - 20th, though doubt that would book everything up. Perhaps it is just a bunch of the smaller things going on (i.e. I am attending a small conference Sept. 18-19), or maybe there was one night in your seach that was especially busy that threw the whole price/search return off?

All possibilities of course, but at least in terms of what I found on the city convention website, there's really not much (12th and 20th). I used to think of Chicago as a city chock full of hotel rooms. Lately, though, it's been really difficult to find them...on the 12th I couldn't even find any suburban hotels...

Big trade show (International Manufacturing Technology Show) until the 13th. 73,000+ delegates according to their site. And the Cubs are in town.

Don't know about the 20th.

Those websites that purport to list all the conventions in town do not do so.

This is typically the last blast for Chicago's summer/fall tourist season. This summer has been really busy in the city, the rooms have been scarce all summer.

This would seem to be the key, huh? How the official, City of Chicago convention bureau website could not have a show with 73,000 people mystifies me.

Not that it helps me get a room toomanybooks, but it does make me feel a little better to know there's an actual reason. :) Thanks much for the info!

(I can't believe I have to stay at HOME...!!!!!!)

If you're still looking for the 20th, go to www.quikbook.com. There's not a huge selection, but in the city for <$400 they're showing the Millennium Knickerbocker Hotel, Congress Plaza, Talbott, Hotel 71, Amalfi, Hard Rock, Comfort Inn, Affinia Chicago and the Best Western. Not the best selection, but it's something!

Thanks chgoeditor. I have a weird schedule next week so it actually works for me to stay out by Old Orchard.

Just as a point of interest....

I flew to MCI tonight and my seatmate told me that he had been in Chicago for the aforementioned International Manufacturing Technology Show. He described it as a very odd nearly all-male affair with a lot of wacky marketing displays geared towards men. In particular he said that ISCAR, the Israeli cutting tool company recently purchased by Berkshire Hathaway, had body-painted women with no actual clothes on - but that they wound up wearing bikinis the next day.

Yeah I have a client who is in another industry and they hire dancers for their booth at some of the tradeshows they goto. Interesting marketing but I suppose it does probably work.

UGH! This town is still driving me crazy!!