Not on the Magnificent Mile but still an ideal location. Close proximity to bus stops and a two block walk to red line train. Walking distance to coffee shops like Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks. Great breakfast/brunch places are within walking distance too...you must try Yolk! and the Bongo Room! (Don't let the hotel talk you in to their overpriced breakfast food.) Great restaurants are minutes away by bus and train. If you need a Trader Joes or a SuperTarget, those are fairly close. Beautiful parks, Lake Michigan, and the Museum campus are nearby.
We flew in to Midway and caught the orange line train in to Chicago. We walked from the Roosevelt stop to the hotel, but we later realized we should have connected from the orange line to the red line at Roosevelt and hopped off at the next stop which is Harrison. Not a big deal, but it is the difference of 2 blocks vs. 5 blocks or 5 min. walk vs. 10 min. walk with carry-on luggage and bags. I didn't see this transportation information on the hotel website which would have been really helpful. Note: Most of the entrances to the train stops from the street are not well-marked!! In other cities, you will find well-marked signs indicating where to catch the train/subway.
We purchased a three day or weekend CTA ticket for $14 per person at Midway which allowed unlimited access to all trains and buses while we were there. Great value considering each time you get on a bus or train it is $2.25 per person!!!! The concierge can help with bus #s and train colors/stops. As for directions, we used our maps application on our androids which gave us very detailed bus# and train information. We took the bus and train everywhere...Wrigley Field, Science & Industry Museum, Magnificent Mile, Second City, Lincoln Park, Little Italy, Navy Pier, etc. If you make dinner and show reservations, factor in the travel time...it takes longer to get to places even if it is only less than 5 miles away.
Any hotel staff we spoke with were very helpful. Check-in on a Thursday morning wasn't busy and went smoothly. Check-out on a Sunday morning was also easy with the push button phone feature. You can store your luggage for $2 a bag on your check-out day, if you still want to see the city before your afternoon or evening departure flight.
The hotel itself takes up a whole block, but don't let the size intimidate you. It's nice to have hotel entrance access on Michigan street and the side streets. There are plenty of elevators, so you're not having to wait long to catch an elevator to your floor. The decor is dated, but it reminded me of a ragtime or flapper era which is not a bad thing. I didn't see or hear of any renovation projects taking place at the time, and that is a plus since that helps eliminate any possible inconveniences.
We got a room with a king-sized bed. Very pleased with the cleanliness and upkeep. The heating and air worked perfectly, and we were thankful not to find an obnoxiously noisy, individual heating/air unit in the room. Not a large room, but the bathroom was really nice and large. Narrow walk space between bed along side chest of drawers and desk with computer and rolling desk chair. The bathroom was the perk as it was large with plenty of walking space and counter space. And you had plenty of standing room in the shower/bath tub which is not the case in a lot of bathrooms. (Am I the only one who feels very claustrophobic in hotel bathrooms?) The bathroom hot water and water pressure were perfect. The bathroom fan didn't work, but we could open the large window to a certain height for ventilation. That is fine for the fall weather we had, but it wouldn't be ideal in the winter. Our hotel room had a view of the back of the hotel or Wabash and State Streets. I hope we didn't pay anything extra for this non-scenic view. It was nice not to hear any street noise except for when we opened our bathroom window.
Overall, a nice place to stay. Look for hotels on the Magnificent Mile or on State/Wabash streets north of the Chicago River if you want to be really near the shopping and busy action. Nonetheless, the Hilton Chicago is an ideal location, but we suggest comparing room rates to see if it is worth staying at the Hilton vs. hotels north of the Chicago River.
On Travelocity, we paid $600 per person. This included two round trip tickets from Atlanta to Chicago, and a three night stay with a king-sized bed in the "Executive" section of the hotel. (Appx. $300 Delta airline plane tickets per person and $200 a night in the hotel.)
By the way, give yourself plenty of time to go through security at Midway airport!!! Awful experience on a busy Sunday afternoon. We suggest arriving to the security checkpoint line AT LEAST two hours before your flight leaves. Plan on standing in line for an hour to an hour and a half to get to the security conveyor belts.
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