<p>I need to find a reasonably priced way to house a small family reunion in Chicago for a long weekend or week in Chicago–sometime in July. My son will be interning there and we want to gather with my brother’s family and the crew of cousins for a reunion before 3 or them launch into (or back to) college. I am overwhelmed by just generally googling Chicago rentals and am not a very apt internet searcher yet–so I thought I’d see what collective wisdom or insider knowledge is out there. We would need to house 4 adults and 5 kids ages 12-24 and hope to be centrally located. We all know and enjoy the city (though there is some dispute on whether the Cubs or White Sox is/are best). Any tips on how to find something comparable to a beach or ski condo that is actually in central Chicago?</p>
<p>I’d try a bed and breakfast. Don’t know of any, but I’m sure there are some if you do an internet search.</p>
<p>OK… it wasn’t that hard to find a starting point:</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.bedandbreakfast.com/chicago-illinois.html[/url]”>http://www.bedandbreakfast.com/chicago-illinois.html</a></p>
<p>I’ve had some good luck with [VRBO</a> is Vacation Rentals By Owner<a href=“Vacation%20rental%20by%20owner”>/url</a> – although I have not used them for Chicago. This link should take to you their Chicago listings, by neighborhood: [url=<a href=“http://www.vrbo.com/vacation-rentals/usa/illinois/chicago]Illinois”>http://www.vrbo.com/vacation-rentals/usa/illinois/chicago]Illinois</a> Lake Michigan Vacation Rentals by Owner, Illinois VRBO®, Chicago IL Condos, Chicago IL Accommodations, Lake Michigan IL Lodging](<a href=“http://www.vrbo.com%5DVRBO”>http://www.vrbo.com)</p>
<p>When we rent homes for multi family vacations, I always ask about the bed configuration in each room AND whether any of the rooms are lofts or “open”. We can mix and match some family members, but others like to sleep with their own nuclear group in a room - which is why it’s helpful to know the specific bed configuration in each room. </p>
<p>When we have little kids with us, the loft rooms are generally not good.</p>
<p>How about Hotwire or Priceline? If it is not a busy weekend (taste of Chicago), you might be able to get rooms downtown for around $60/night/room.</p>
<p>Try some of the universities?</p>
<p>U. Chicago has I-house, which has pretty decently priced accommodations.</p>
<p>Maybe DePaul does summer rentals. It’s location in Lincoln Park, right by the CTA, is great. </p>
<p>Because Chicago is a big convention city, timing is everything. If you try to find something during a big convention, you will be blown away by price. But a few days later, they could be giving away rooms, especially the convention oriented hotels downtown.</p>
<p>Could you just rent some rooms at an Embassy Suites?</p>
<p>The White Sox are better, it’s more fun to see your team win and they have fireworks and the exploding scoreboard with homeruns.</p>
<p>I like the International House at UChicago idea, too.</p>
<p>First of all buddy there is NO DISPUTE about baseball in Chicago. Cubs are the best.</p>
<p>You can also use the trip to Chicago as a learning opportunity. There is a fairly new (like to 4 years old) hostel right across from Art institute of Chicago and The “Bean” . I think it’s called the Ida Rice international hostel. (off Congress and Wacker??)I wandered around inside when it opened and ate at the diner there. I stopped by recently to renew my hosteling membership. Teaching young people how to travel and use hostel is more a European thing. It’s handy, its easy and travel is educational.</p>
<p>Cubbies!!!</p>
<p>
Milwaukee is only 90 miles.</p>
<p>Last I checked, the Detroit Tigers are in first place in their division (3.5 games ahead of the White Sox.) </p>
<p>Come to Michigan instead! We could use the tourism $$$.</p>
<p>A couple of rooms at the Embassy Suites would work, if you get two that each have 2 Queens/doubles. They each also have a fold out couch. </p>
<p>My family of four recently rented an Embassy Suites–2 adults and 2 college aged kids. There were also other family members staying there.
It worked out fine. Plus the Embassy Suites always includes a full, free breakfast. This can save lots of time (and $) having this taken care of.</p>
<p>The Chicago location looks terrific although I have not stayed at that one.</p>
<p>We had a family event once at the Hyatt Lodge at McDonalds campus in Chicago. The rooms were enormous. The ground level, below the lobby, restaurant had the feel of a college cafeteria and we felt free to move tables around and to sit there for as long as necessary (older folks and kids come down to breakfast first, and are drinking 2nd cup of coffee by the time teens and twenties come down). There were huge grounds with an actual small lake and hiking trails. The bar was great, fairly snazzy, and had many large alcove areas where you could sit with your own group. It was a pretty neat place, quite a unique property.
<a href=“http://thelodge.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels/index.jsp?src=tign_tripadvisor_chilo_lk_0309[/url]”>http://thelodge.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels/index.jsp?src=tign_tripadvisor_chilo_lk_0309</a></p>
<p>(Sometimes referred to as the Oak Brook Hyatt)</p>
<p>Maybe you can get the Hyatt Family Vacation Promotion deal there ^ and get free breakfasts.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I-House at University of Chicago is a reasonable place to stay. Small but clean rooms, which could house about two people for around $70.00 per night with TV. Bathrooms are communal, but modern and clean. Problem is location. It is at the University of Chicago which is gorgeous, but a distance from downtown and the north side, where most of the action is, so you would have to take a bus to those locations or the subway/el. Probably better to see if you can find some discounted rooms around the loop or the magnificent mile area. I have used HOTWIRE in the past with some pretty good results. Also try priceline. There are some bed and breakfasts in Chicago that might be worth looking into. Check online. Maybe try googling bed and breakfasts in Chicago and you will get lots of leads.</p>
<p>Don’t worry too much about location. Many Chicago hotels are concentrated in the popular tourist areas -Michigan Avenue, the Loop and River North. Use a map locator like the one at [hotels.com</a> - WE KNOW HOTELS INSIDE AND OUT.®](<a href=“http://www.hotels.com%5Dhotels.com”>http://www.hotels.com) to see what I mean. You’ll be able to walk or take a short bus, el or cab ride to most attractions. Hyde Park (U of Chicago) is not convenient to most tourist sites, and so would not be my recommendation for a first visit.</p>
<p>There are a lot of good hotel deals in Chicago this summer, but nine is a large group, so an apartment makes the most sense. Besides vrbo.com, contact someone at oakwood.com for apartment rentals. Most of their properties are very well located, but not all are available for short leases.</p>
<p>If you want to try the suite hotels, the list includes Homewood, Embassy, Omni, Hilton Suites, etc. It’s best if you are flexible on the dates. Chicago has a lot of conventions, and certain weeks will see big increases in hotel rates. Again, hotels.com is useful; also take a look at the Chicago forum on tripadvisor.com for answers to many questions. Other useful sites: discount listers like travelzoo.com and hotrooms.com; information at choosechicago.com, metromix.com</p>
<p>Cubs tickets are terribly expensive and yet in short supply. Don’t get your family’s hearts set on a game until you have checked availability. The White Sox almost always have tickets available. Both stadiums are easy to reach by train (Red Line CTA) from the Loop or North Michigan Avenue.</p>
<p>Maybe you can come back in the fall and see the White Sox then, they’ll still be in the race.</p>
<p>Stay in Chicago…as stated before there are a lot of deals in the summer.</p>
<p>I would have to vote for going to a Cubs game–a great experience. (Win or lose.)</p>
<p>Go to Millenium Park</p>
<p>Take the Chicago water taxi round trip from under the Michigan Avenue Bridge. It gives you a ride up and down the river, at a great price. No tour guide, but is very fun.</p>
<p>Try to hit up a neighborhood for dining.</p>
<p>The Lincoln Park Zoo is free…the Art Institute is amazing…just opened a new wing, but admission is not cheap.</p>
<p>The Art Institute is free on Thursday night and Friday night.</p>
<p>Just wanted to say thanks for all the suggestions. Midwesterner’s tips led us down the path to finding a condo right downtown that should work out just right for a variety of reasons. All the destination suggestions are great too. I remain a diehard Cubs fan, doomed to disappointment but loving the best ball park in the world…(even if it has lights now…)</p>
<p>Chicago is such a great city. I lived there for 10 years (on North Shore) Son spent fall term there in an ACM semester program and is now back on a summer internship and loving it. So we are very happy to have an excuse to stage a reunion in the city. Gratitude to all for sharing what you know.</p>