Places to stay near the venue
We won’t have enough guests staying in a single hotel to reserve a hotel block, so below is a list of hotels that are relatively close to where the boat will dock on the Riverwalk. It’s worth noting that hotels around The Loop / Riverwalk generally tend to be very expensive. We’ve tried to round up some of the more affordable options, and it would definitely be a convenient and fun part of town to stay in, but if that doesn’t seem quite worth the price know that other neighborhoods will likely be more affordable and still accessible via train, bus, or car. Just make sure you give yourself enough time to get downtown before the boat sets sail!
Feel free to ask Kristen and / or Ben for their take on a place you’re considering staying or tips for convenient non-downtown neighborhoods.
Citizen M Downtown Chicago
80 East Wacker Place
312-248-7455
More affordable than other options nearby, and extremely close to the dock the boat leaves from. Kristen has stayed at their DC location (which looks very similar) and found the rooms to be very small, but nice / comfortable.
Freehand Chicago
19 East Ohio Street
312-940-3699
More affordable than other nearby options, kind of a hotel / hostel hybrid with rooms that are on the small side, but it’s supposed to be a reasonably good place to stay. They also offer quad rooms with 4 single beds each that are much more affordable than the average downtown hotel room, if anyone is aggressively bargain hunting.
theWit
201 North State Street
312-467-0200
More expensive than Citizen M or Freehand, but also much nicer and still typically a little less expensive than other hotels in the area. Have heard that this is a great place to stay. A Hilton hotel.
Kinzie Hotel
20 West Kinzie Street
312-395-9000
We’re less familiar with this hotel than theWit but it seems to be comparable. Similar price range—more expensive than Citizen M or Freehand but less expensive than other nice-ish stays nearby—and has pretty good reviews.
Staypineapple The Loop Chicago
1 West Washington Street
312-940-7997
Similarly priced to theWit and Kinzie Hotel (maybe even a little cheaper?) and gets pretty good reviews.
LondonHouse Chicago
85 East Wacker Drive
312-229-0631
Pricey, but supposed to be a really nice and comfortable stay. It’s also extremely close to where the boat docks so if you’re going to splurge, this is probably the place. A Hilton hotel.
Hilton Garden Inn Downtown Chicago Riverwalk
66 East Wacker Place
312-920-6666
This is a Hilton Garden Inn, so probably not quite as nice or fun as most of the hotels above, but reviewers seem to like it well enough and it’s likely more affordable than many other downtown options. Very close to where the boat docks.
Hampton Inn Downtown / N Loop / Michigan Ave
68 East Wacker Place
312-419-9014
Similar to Hilton Garden Inn—this is a Hampton Inn, so expect it to be a bit basic, but more affordable. Also very close to where the boat docks.