Orbitz Blog

Articles Tagged ‘Chicago Vacation’

Chicago vacation: Party all night at Looptopia

Wednesday, April 30th, 2008

Chicagoblog
It bills itself as "trippy" and "ethereal" among other things. But one thing’s for sure: If you like art, nightlife or just big parties, you need to book a Chicago hotel room — now!

The city’s second annual Looptopia is Friday, May 2. This arts extravaganza takes over the Loop with 300 artists at 100 venues showcasing music, visual art, interactive activities, theater and more. You’ll find music from the DePaul University A Capella Choir, dance from Jezebelly Tribal Bellydance, children’s story readings, a performance by Cirque du Soleil… in short, something for everyone. The fun starts at 5 p.m. and goes until early the next morning.

Several Chicago hotels are hosting events. At the Palmer House Hilton, there’s a musical comedy act at 10 p.m. and songs from Broadway shows at 11 p.m. Then from 1 a.m. to 5 p.m. you can make your own art (like a t-shirt or mask), while enjoying music and performances. W Chicago City Center will have video games, board games and Killerspin (professional table tennis) from 6:30-9:30 p.m.

There are plenty of Chicago hotels right in the Loop, so you can be in the middle of all the action. So book your last minute trip, and rest up while you can!

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Chicago warms up with restaurant week, winter festival

Friday, January 18th, 2008

Frigid February isn’t exactly the height of Chicago’s tourist season, but there’s actually a huge upside for anyone planning a wintertime Chicago vacation.

Rooms at Chicago hotels tend to be more readily available. Theater tickets are often easier to snag.  And while shoppers still mob the Magnificent Mile, its sidewalks aren’t quite so elbow-to-elbow irritating.

And this February brings several new enticements, including a huge art installation/winter festival at Millennium Park and the city’s first Restaurant Week.

Chicago Restaurant Week: From February 22 to 29, 35 restaurants will offer three-course, prix fixe lunches for $21.95 and dinners for $31.95 (not counting drinks, tips and taxes). Participating restaurants include SushiSamba Rio, Fogo de Chao, Park Grill, Nick’s Fishmarket, China Grill, David Burke’s Primehouse, Carnivale and Smith & Wollensky. You can make your reservations now.

Museum of Modern Ice: The centerpiece of the month-long event is artist Gordon Halloran’s "Paintings Below Zero," a massive, site-specific installation of colorful paintings in ice. A variety of other free public programs and public activities will be offered throughout the month at the American Express Heated Tent and across Michigan Avenue at the Chicago Cultural Center.

Paintingsbelowzero_2

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Top 10 holiday travel destinations

Wednesday, December 5th, 2007

By Jim Cohn

Where’s everybody
headed for the holidays? Mexico, Caribbean, Chicago and New York flights top our list this year.

Here’s Orbitz’ top 10 list of destinations for
Christmas 2007, based on air ticket sales on Orbitz.com. The list covers flights departing between December 21 and January 2, based on net bookings as of
November 2, 2007.

Domestic

1. Chicago
2. New York City
3. Los Angeles
4. Denver
5. Washington, D.C.
6. San Francisco
7. Atlanta
8. Newark, New Jersey
9. Orlando
10. Boston   

International

1. San Juan, Puerto Rico
2. Cancun
3. Mexico City
4. London
5. Puerto Vallarta
6. San Jose Cabo, Mexico
7. Paris
8. San Jose, Costa Rica
9. Frankfurt, Germany
10. Guadalajara

Jim Cohn is an Orbitz
spokesman specializing in business and leisure travel.