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Help a girl out: 3-4 day Chicago Budget
DH and I might be taking a last minute Chicago trip from the 25 (or
24) until the 28th. What kind of budget do you think would be
appropriate (we will be driving ourselves, so this doesn't include
flights or anything).
Accommodations: I want to stay somewhere downtown where we would have a nice bathroom (think walk in shower type deal). Any suggestions for places would be appreciated, I definitely want somewhere nicer than a Hampton Inn type place.
Eating: we will want to try out the great places in Chicago, but won't be going anywhere that DH has to wear a tie (khaki and polo is fine) or suit to.
To do: we won't do much shopping, but seeing the cool things around Chicago. I want to take a boat tour for sure to see the city from the water.
DH is comfortable with spending $1,500. What do you think??
TIA ladies, any suggestions for places to stay, eat, do are VERY welcome!
Re: Help a girl out: 3-4 day Chicago Budget
Without airfare you can do a lot of what you're looking for for $1,500. The hard part about Chicago is that doing everything costs money! Here are some of my suggestions ::
Accommodations:
I visited Chicago a lot before I moved here, and of all my hotels the Knickerbocker was my favorite. It is really far north on Michigan Ave (not sure how familiar with the City you are), up by the Hancock building. If you're looking for MI Ave hotels, this is my suggestion. I also would suggestion Hotel 71, which is a boutique hotel on Wacker, if you're looking for something off of MI Ave (which I usually suggest unless you're coming for the sole purpose of shopping!).
What to Do:
I know you said you wanted to do a boat tour. Be sure about this because it is not very warm in Chicago this time of year (though maybe we'll have a particularly warm weekend--we can all hope!) and it will feel even colder on the river. My H and I went on a boat tour in July; it was about 75 degrees and sunny but it was also pretty chilly on the boat. We used Chicago Line tours, which starts tours on March 27th so you may be in luck, and we really enjoyed it. Whichever line you use, unless you're a huge architect buff, take the short tour option.
For casual drinks, I think you should enjoy the lobby/lounge at the Palmer House Hilton on Monroe. They have a beautiful lobby and the drinks are good too.
It's hard to tell you about where to eat because I'm not sure what you're interested in. There are a ton of restaurants here, so do some research and let us know if you have more specific questions!
Other Good Points:
Don't be afraid to use the public transit system. Cabs can get expensive, and the trains are pretty easy to figure out and it's only a little over two dollars per person per trip.
Do some research before you come so you're familiar with the areas of the City and can make your plans accordingly.
Have fun--it's a great place to visit!
That should be enough $$ I think. Don't forget parking is like $20-30 a day though.
For a nice hotel that's not too pricey, I recommend the Sheraton.