Enjoy the charm and ambience of old Chicago in our comfortable, renovated rooms on your next visit to Chicago Two Restaurants on site 1 mile from McCormick Place, 2 blocks from Lake Michigan and Lake Shore Drive Walking distance to Loop Shopping, Magnificent Mile, Theaters, Sears Tower, Museums In-room coffeemakers, voicemail, data ports, in-room safes 32 cable channels, Free HBO, and Showtime Pay Per View Movies Secured Indoor/Outdoor parking available - $18.00-$21.00 daily Airport Shuttle available - $23/person (pre-arranged) We welcome groups of all sizes Must be 21 to check in.
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During your Chicago vacation, don't miss these great establishments and attractions:
Museum of Contemporary Art
The MCA claims to be the largest contemporary art museum in the country, emphasizing experimentation in a variety of media -- painting, sculpture, photography, video and film, dance, music, and performance. But much of the space seems to be taken up with theaters and hallways; seeing the actual art won't take you long. Sitting on a front-row piece of property between the lake and the historic Water Tower, the gloomy, imposing building (designed by Berlin's Josef Paul Kleihues) looks like something out of Communist Russia, but the interior spaces are more vibrant, with a sun-drenched two-story central corridor, elliptical staircases, and three floors of exhibition space. The MCA has tried to raise its national profile to the level of New York's Museum of Modern Art by hosting major touring retrospectives of working artists such as Cindy Sherman and Chuck Close.You can see the MCA's highlights in about an hour, although art lovers will want more time to wander (especially if a high-profile exhibit is in town). Your first stop should be the handsome barrel-vaulted galleries on the top floor, dedicated to pieces from the permanent collection. For visitors who'd like a little guidance for making sense of the rather challenging works found here, there is an audio tour for rent as well as a free tour (1 and 6pm Tues; 1pm Wed-Fri; 11am, noon, 1, and 2pm Sat-Sun). In addition to a range of special activities and educational programming, including films, performances, and a lecture series in a 300-seat theater, the museum features Puck's at the MCA, a cafe operated by Wolfgang Puck of Spago restaurant fame, with seating that overlooks a 1-acre terraced sculpture garden. There's also a store, Culturecounter, with one-of-a-kind gift items, that's worth a stop even if you don't make it into the museum. The museum's First Fridays program, featuring after-hours performances, live music, and food and drink, takes place the first Friday of every month. Allow 1 to 2 hours.
Lincoln Park Zoo
This is one of Chicago's don't-miss attractions (especially if the weather is decent), and because it's free, it's worth at least a quick stop during a stroll through Lincoln Park. But you'll probably want to wander for a while. The term "zoological gardens" truly fits here: Landmark Georgian Revival brick buildings and modern structures sit among gently rolling pathways, verdant lawns, and a kaleidoscopic profusion of flower gardens. A complete tour of the various habitats takes all of 2 or 3 hours -- a convenience factor even more enticing when you consider that the nation's oldest zoo (it was founded in 1868) stays open 365 days a year and is one of the last free zoos in the country. The late Marlon Perkins, legendary host of the Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom TV series, got his start here as the zoo's director, and filmed a pioneering TV show called Zoo Parade (Wild Kingdom's predecessor) in the basement of the old Reptile House.The zoo has taken on an ambitious modernization campaign, which is good news for animal lovers. While many zoo residents used to wander listlessly in stark concrete pens, exhibits have been renovated and expanded to reflect natural habitats. For years, the zoo's star attraction has been the Great Ape House, which was completely rebuilt in 2004. Lincoln Park Zoo has had remarkable success breeding gorillas and chimpanzees, and watching these ape families interact can be mesmerizing (and touching). Regenstein African Journey is home to elephants, giraffes, rhinos, and other large mammals; large glass-enclosed tanks allow visitors to go face-to-face with swimming pygmy hippos and (not for the faint of heart) a rocky ledge filled with Madagascar hissing cockroaches.The Small Mammal-Reptile House is a state-of-the-art facility, housing 200 species and featuring a glass-enclosed walk-through ecosystem simulating river, savanna, and forest habitats. The popular Sea Lion Pool, situated in the center of the zoo and home to harbor seals, gray seals, and California sea lions, features an underwater viewing area spanning 70 feet and an updated amphitheater. If you're here for a while and need nourishment, the Park Place Café food court is a good option. The Mahon Theobold Pavilion features a sprawling indoor gift shop and a unique rooftop eatery called Big Cats Café that opens at 8am (1 hr. before the exhibits do) and serves fresh-baked muffins and scones, focaccia sandwiches, salads, and flatbreads.Allow 2 to 3 hours.
Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art
Chicago is home to an active community of collectors of so-called "outsider art," a term attached to a group of unknown, unconventional artists who do their artwork without any formal training or connection to the mainstream art world. Often called folk or self-taught artists, their work is highly personal and idiosyncratic, and they work in a range of media, from bottle caps to immense canvases. Intuit was founded in 1991 to bring attention to these artists through exhibitions and educational lectures. Housed in the warehouse district northwest of the Loop, with two galleries and a performance area, the museum offers a regular lecture series, and if you time your visit right, you might be here for one of the center's tours of a private local art collection. Allow 1 hour.
Fairfield Inn and Suites by Marriott Chicago Downtown
Fairfield Inn is Marriott's award winning economy lodging chain featuring clean, convenient, quality accommodations - all for a great value! Our guest rooms are equipped with thoughtful amenities including in-room coffee, remote control television with free cable service and a well-lit work desk. Studio suites feature separate living and sleeping areas and some accommodations offer high speed Internet access. Start your morning with a complimentary continental breakfast and hot freshly brewed ...
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 ...
Inn at Lincoln Park
A unique guest experience, the Inn at Lincoln Park is a pleasant Victorian style Inn on the edge of breath taking Lincoln Park. The Inn at Lincoln Park is ideal for the value driven guest, looking for gracious hospitality in the heart of a bustling ...
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Most recent user reviews
Perfect for what we were looking for
E. Susan
The staff very friendly, knowledgeable and available. The place is old - but we didn't care so much about that as to the location of the things we had planned to do. Within walking to Downtown Loop and Museums and Soldiers Field which is exactly what we wanted. Also, plenty of transportation choices available if we couldn't walk due to physical abilities or due to weather conditions. Parking availablity was also a concern and there was a choice of either indoor or outdoor. The bathroom facilities were very limited - no hair dryer, no iron but they did have a coffee pot in room. Food at the restaurant wasn't an issue due to all the choices downtown and even as close as across the street - hotel restaurant was closed.
Great Location
Anonymous
You are minutes away from whatever you need.
I had a great stay at the hotel. Everyone was pleasant and they upgraded my room at no extra cost. The location was the best being right down town Chicago and only a mile away from Soldier field.
Comfortable older hotel
Anonymous, St Louis, MO, 2007-03-10
The staff at the TravelLodge in Chicago was wonderful. They went out of their way to assist us and make us feel at home. The building is an older one, but it is kept very nicely and the price was in our budget. The room was clean, the complementary wireless network easy to use and our stay was very nice. We were only a few blocks away from the financial district, Union Station, parks, shopping and wonderful places to eat.
Very friendly and helpful staff
Swaminathan, Atlanta, GA, 2007-02-27
Conference center is very closeby
I enjoyed staying at Travllogde at Chicago.
Clean and Comfortable in The Big City
Anonymous, 2007-02-09
This hotel had a nice fast food restaurant connected to the hotel. Breakfast was modest and was good. I appreciated the cook and the meal. It came as a pleasant surprise.
The Travel Lodge in Downtown Chicago was kind of run down. It appears to have been a hotel for a long time. However, the bathroom was clean. The room was comfortable. I enjoyed my stay, but somethings distracted me from enjoying my stay. The problem I had with the room was the fact that the L rumbled past my window. It wasn't a big deal but it was something I had to get comfortable with. The TV was difficult to manage. I had to push the volume control on the TV because the remote didn't do the job. Also, you had to pay for Internet access. Internet should have come standard with the room. The bed didn't have a fitted sheets.
Great location for downtown Chicago
Rosanne, 2006-12-18
Travelodge in Downtown Chicago is great for its location. It's a block from the Red Line, which is convenient for getting to O'Hare, which is what I needed. It's a stroll from Millenium Park, a bit of a trek from Mag Mile but quite doable. Restaurants are really close as well. The hotel itself though is average. My room had a couch with a huge "water" stain on it. After I saw that I was afraid to touch anything. It's an old hotel which was renovated, but it still feels slightly seedy. The furnishings were serviceable, but not stellar. Good for the night, maybe 2, but not much longer.
Tiny and uncomfortable
Anonymous, 2006-12-15
The Art Insitute and Millenium Park are close by. You can count on hours of sightseeing with these attractions.
The room was tiny and the bed was very uncomfortable. The towels were rough and the bed linens looked like they were 30 years old. The front desk was very helpful but the elevators were super slow. I would not stay there again.
Nice location
Anonymous, 2006-12-09
Great shopping within walking distance - just a few blocks away.
The Travelodge met our expectations for the price. The rooms were clean and the hotel staff was friendly. Our room wasn't ready when we got there, but they accommodated us as fast as they could. Great location in downtown Chicago. Nice neighborhood.
Good location
Anonymous, Milwaukee, WI, 2006-11-04
Great location, great price. The room was not clean though - dust bunnies everywhere!!
Review
Anonymous, Newark, NJ, 2006-10-31
No review provided by user
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