The Howard Johnson Inn Downtown Chicago is a Quality Excellence President Award winner and a Gold Medal Award Property. Howard Johnson Inn-Downtown Chicago is an ideal destination for both leisure and business travelers who are opposed to tall buildings and high prices. Located in the Historic River North Gallery District, we are just blocks away from the Magnificent Mile Shopping area, Water Tower Mall, John Hancock Observatory and Navy Pier. Our hotel is convenient to both the Red and Brown line train stations and walking distance from a host of area attractions and famous restaurants that include Spago, Ed Debevic and Rainforest Cafe. We are also a short cab ride from Wrigley Field or Soldier Field, the Merchandise Mart and Financial District. We are one of the only downtown hotels offering complimentary parking to our guests! Cafe Luna located on our property is a popular neighborhood restaurant, offering affordable priced breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week. The staff at Howard Johnson-Downtown Chicago eagerly anticipates the opportunity to welcome you or your group to our hotel and look forward to providing you with the highest level of service. Notice - On 8/14/06 we will be renovating the back of our parking lot. We will go from 52 spaces to 31 spaces until October 1/2006. We apologize for any inconvenience and as usual our parking will be on a first come first serve basis, subject to availability
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During your Chicago vacation, don't miss these great establishments and attractions:
Navy Pier
Built during World War I, this 3,000-foot-long pier was used by the Navy during World War II as a training center for pilots. But any military aura is long gone, now that the place has been transformed into a bustling tourist mecca. A combination of carnival, food court, and boat dock, the pier makes a fun place to stroll (if you don't mind crowds), but you'll have to walk all the way to the end to get the best views back to the city.Midway down the pier are the Crystal Gardens, with 70 full-size palm trees, dancing fountains, and other flora in a glass-enclosed atrium; a white-canopied open-air Skyline Stage that hosts concerts, dance performances, and film screenings; a carousel; and a 15-story Ferris wheel that's a replica of the original that debuted at Chicago's 1893 World's Fair. The 50 acres of pier and lakefront property also are home to the Chicago Children's Museum, a 3D IMAX theater (tel. 312/595-5629), a small ice-skating rink, and the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre. The shops tend to be bland and touristy. Dining options include a food court, an outpost of Lincoln Park's popular Charlie's Ale House, and the white-tablecloth seafood restaurant Riva. You'll also find a beer garden with live music; Joe's Be-Bop Cafe & Jazz Emporium, a Southern-style barbecue restaurant with live music that is run by Joe and Wayne Segal of Jazz Showcase fame; and Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. & Market, a casual family seafood joint. Summer is one long party at the pier, with fireworks on Wednesday and Saturday evenings.The Smith Museum of Stained Glass Windows may sound incredibly dull, but decorative art aficionados shouldn't miss this remarkable installation of more than 150 stained-glass windows set in illuminated display cases. Occupying an 800-foot-long expanse on the ground floor of Navy Pier, the free museum features works by Frank Lloyd Wright, Louis Sullivan, John LaFarge, and Louis Comfort Tiffany.Navy Pier hosts a variety of conventions and trade shows, including an international art exposition in May, pro-tennis exhibitions, and a flower and garden show. There's something for everyone, but the commercialism of the place might be too much for some people. If that's the case for you, take the half-mile stroll to the end of the pier, east of the ballroom, where you can find a little respite and enjoy the wind, the waves, and the city view, which is the real delight of a place like this. Or unwind in Olive Park, a small sylvan haven with a sliver of beach that lies just to the north of Navy Pier.You'll find, moored along the south dock, more than half a dozen different sailing vessels, including a couple of dinner cruise ships, the pristine white-masted tall ship Windy, and the 70-foot speedboats Seadog I, II, and III. In the summer months, water taxis speed between Navy Pier and other Chicago sights.Allow 1 hour.
Chicago Children's Museum
Since the Chicago Children's Museum moved to Navy Pier in 1996, it has become one of the most popular cultural attractions in the city. The museum has areas especially for preschoolers as well as for children up to age 10, and several permanent exhibits allow kids a maximum of hands-on fun. Dinosaur Expedition re-creates an expedition to the Sahara, allowing kids to experience camp life, conduct scientific research, and dig for the bones of Suchomimus, a Saharan dinosaur discovered by Chicago paleontologist Paul Sereno (a full-scale model stands nearby). Face to Face: Dealing with Prejudice and Discrimination is a multimedia display that helps kids identify prejudice and find ways to deal with it. There's also a three-level schooner that children can board for a little climbing, from the crow's nest to the gangplank; PlayMaze, a toddler-scale cityscape with everything from a gas station to a city bus that children under 5 can touch and explore; and an arts-and-crafts area where visitors can create original artwork to take home. Allow 2 to 3 hours.
Newberry Library
The Newberry Library is a bibliophile's dream. Established in 1887 at the bequest of the Chicago merchant and financier Walter Loomis Newberry, the noncirculating research library today contains many rare books and manuscripts (such as Shakespeare's first folio and Jefferson's copy of The Federalist Papers), housed in a comely five-story granite building. The library is also a major destination for genealogists digging at their roots, with holdings that are open free to the public (over the age of 16 with a photo ID). The collections include more than 1.5 million volumes and 75,000 maps, many of which are displayed during an ongoing series of public exhibitions. For an overview, take a free 1-hour tour Thursday at 3pm or Saturday at 10:30am. The Newberry also sponsors a series of concerts (including those by its resident early-music ensemble, the Newberry Consort), lectures, and children's story hours throughout the year, and operates a fine bookstore. One popular annual event is the Bughouse Square debates. Held across the street in Washington Square Park, the debates re-create the fiery soapbox orations of the left-wing agitators in the 1930s and 1940s. Chicago's favorite son Studs Terkel, the Pulitzer Prize-winning oral historian, often emcees the hullabaloo. Allow a half-hour.
SpringHill Suites by Marriott Chicago O'Hare
SpringHill Suites is Marriott's moderately priced all-suites lodging designed for the guest who wants spacious and functional accommodations with the extras of a full-service hotel. Studio suites are up to twenty-five percent larger than traditional hotel rooms and feature separate living and sleeping areas. The living room is furnished with a large well-lit work desk and ergonomic chair, lounge chair and ottoman, sofa sleeper, television, two-line dataport telephone plus pantry area equipped ...
Days Inn Chicago Lincoln Park
Just 3 miles north of downtown Chicago. Guests walk to Wrigley Field, Lincoln Park Zoo, Diversey Driving Range, DePaul University, Children's Memorial Hospital, Chicago Beaches and Chicago's Gay and Lesbian area. Minutes north of the Magnificent Mile, Navy Pier, Chicago Loop, Millennium Park, the Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium, McCormick Place and Merchandise ...
Chicago's Essex Inn
UNDER CONSTRUCTION! The Essex Inn is making some improvements! Therefore, our rooftop pool and parking garage are out of service during this time. Valet parking is still available, although off-site near the hotel and unlimited in & out privileges are suspended.*************************************************The Essex Inn is an intimate hotel providing excellent views of the city, Grant Park and Lake Michigan with convenient access to Chicago's Magnificent Mile, Millenium Park, world-famous ...
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Most recent user reviews
Review
Anonymous, 2006-12-09
No review provided by user
Very Friendly Staff
Angela, 2006-08-27
Go check out the Chicago Rib House 800 N. Dearborn, Chicago, IL, priced right, awesome food.
The Howard Johnson downtown was great! Bathroom is small, but it's somewhere to take a shower. The restaurant was awesome, great food. Our stay was great for the money for the budget we had at the time.
Great Location
Stephen, St Louis, MO, 2006-08-20
$35 cab ride from Midway but for $2 per person el runs to airport with one free transfer
Located close to restaurants and attractions also close to el train. Rooms good size and clean. Nothing fancy but location makes up for lack of many amenities.
OKAY
Anonymous, 2006-08-09
roof over our head for one night. no pool.
budget minded
John, Minneapolis, MN, 2006-08-07
I stayed at the hojo for a weekend while in town for a festival.The location was good being down town and near the redline train with the closest stop being Chicago/State. However, there is not much going on in the direct area at night. There is no internet in the room and the only internet in the area was at a starbucks two blocks away with the t-mobile service you have to pay to use. The LaSalle Grill is next to the hotel and is an awesome breakfast and heads up it's cash only. If you are in town for a few days and just need a place to sleep this is perfect place without breaking the bank.
Great location
Michelle, Rochester, NY, 2006-07-11
Gino's Pizza was only a few blocks away and had great pizza and pasta!
The Howard Johnson Hotel was very conveniently located. We parked the car in their free lot for our entire stay and were able to walk to shopping, the John Hancock Observatory, some nice restaurants, and we also were able to walk from the hotel to Navy Pier. It was great to be right downtown and not have to worry about driving to these spots. The room was a little small, but it had everything we needed. It was clean and comfortable.
Good free parking
Anonymous, 2006-06-29
short distance to a lot attractions in Chicago
It is really convenient to have free parking. In addition, it is in good location to different attractions. However, the hotel condition did not match the price we paid. The AC noise were too loud and we could control the direction. They did not provide breakfast nor network. They provided Shampoo however without conditioner.
More than served it's purpose
Richard, Philadelphia, PA, 2006-06-23
Restaurant next door, flower shop opposite and lots of nightlife within a couple of blocks.
A very well located hotel. Even though it was located close to downton Chicago, it was very quiet. The room was small but had everything we needed. The staff were friendly and I received a courtesy call asking if the room was clean and suitable for our needs. Although we only reserved a room for one night, we decided to stay an extra night and the hotel had no problem accommodating us - we didn't even have to switch rooms. The maid came by to clean the room and because we were still in it, she came back later at her own inconvenience when we had left. Overall a very pleasant hotel and I would not hesitate in recommending it.
Review
Anonymous, 2006-06-04
Navy Pier was only a few blocks from the hotel and there is also a park/beach in that same area as well with a beautiful view of Lake Michigan.
Review
Anonymous, 2006-05-14
A lot of options are close by.
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