Chicago downtown-Embassy or Homewood?

Hi, good reviews for both Chicago downtown Embassy Suites %26amp; Homewood Suites. We%26#39;re staying with kids, mainly for museums and aquarium visits; so nightlife out of the question.

Have stayed in both in other cities, not a lot different, both Hilton properties.

Can anyone offer pros or cons to either?

Off-site parking, walking distance?

Thanks all for your 2 cents!

(Or whatever 2 cents is worth in this economy.)

Chicago downtown-Embassy or Homewood?

You didn%26#39;t specify which ES. Assuming it%26#39;s the one on State, location-wise it%26#39;s a wash. Assuming the prices are close, I%26#39;d take the Embassy Suites.

Reasonable parking nearby:

The Sterling Self-Park Garage

(located between Clark and LaSalle on Kinzie)

312.341.3463

$24 per day

In by 7 a.m. out by 7 p.m. - $14

In by 9 a.m. out by 7 p.m. - $18 per day

After 3 p.m. and weekends - $6

It%26#39;s a couple of dollars higher than listed. Still a good deal.

Chicago downtown-Embassy or Homewood?

Just an added note to Dave%26#39;s info...

Will you be there during the week? as Homewood has a small meal in the evenings on Mon thru Thurs, which may save some money. ES has a managers cocktail reception, which does (as you know) have snacks and sodas for the kids.

I%26#39;ve stayed at both ES%26#39;s~ Lakefront @ 511 N. Columbus Dr. %26amp; downtown @ 600 N. State Street %26amp; both were very nice and accommodating. We always like to find a grocery store for ';extras'; and both have one near by. There%26#39;s a Bockwinkles near the Lakefront one and a Jewel-Osco by the State Street one.

HAPPY TRAVELS!!

ES has the cocktails PLUS a full breakfast buffet the next day, including cooked to order omelettes. Easy choice for me!

Thanks all.

We%26#39;re going next wk. ES on State is location being compared.

Do I interpret correctly that ES mgr%26#39;s reception has cocktails(more than beer/wine) and snacks, where Homewood has food a little more substantial, but only beer/wine?

Surprised that HS is ranked far higher than ES, yet both have great reviews.

Either have the better pool?

Any off-site parking with in/out privileges?

Or just better to take public transport to museums?

No parking garage in/out privileges here. Public transit is best to get around. www.transitchicago.com for public transit information.

Nearby reasonable parking:

The Sterling Self-Park Garage

(located between Clark and LaSalle on Kinzie)

312.341.3463

$24 per day

In by 7 a.m. out by 7 p.m. - $14

In by 9 a.m. out by 7 p.m. - $18 per day

After 3 p.m. and weekends - $6

It%26#39;s a couple of dollars higher than listed. Still a good deal.

We%26#39;ve stayed at the HS, and E Lakeshore; the HS and E Downtown are very close to eachother. The E has the clear edge on breakfast but the HS has that full kitchen if you want to do any meals in suite. The E%26#39;s normally do have a cocktail reception with snacks. The HS evening weekday meal normally consists of one casual entree such as Swedish meatballs, baked potato bar, orange chicken, etc., plus salad and rolls.

Are you driving into the city? If not, there%26#39;s no reason to have a car if you%26#39;ll be visiting the tourist sights and musuems. The CTA subway/L trains will bring you directly from either airport to the city center and to all the museums.

You can purchase visitor passes that allow unlimited rides on all CTA trains and buses for a 24-hour period. A 1-day pass is $5.75 and a 3-day is $14. You can purchase them online or at the airports.

Vending machines at the stations sell the 3-day and 7-day cards. Check the CTA site for where you can buy the 1-day cards. I know they%26#39;re available on the lower level of the O%26#39;Hare Hilton-between T2 and the CTA station. There used to be stores at Midway that sold them, but it%26#39;s been a while since I%26#39;ve been there.

Last July I stayed at the Homewood Suites on the advice provide by someone on TA. Great suggestion…HS was clean, conveniently located and the hotel staff was very friendly and accommodating…can’t comment on parking, as I did not have a car. IMO, no cons at all.

My room was spacious with a decent, well equipped kitchen (utensils, plates, glasses, silverware, etc.) dishwasher, fridge, microwave and kitchen table/chairs...very, very clean!!! There are places in walking distance to pick up groceries if you feel like cooking a few meals yourself.

My room felt like a small one bedroom apartment with an eat-in kitchen...TV in both the bedroom %26amp; living room; great if you and the kids want to watch different shows...very spacious. The hotel has a nice pool and small workout room. They provide a “complementary” breakfast and “dinner” and snacks, with beer, wine and soda in the evening. Personally, I would not rely on the food for dinner, what with all the great places to eat in Chicago. However, if you are on a budget, or just don’t feel like going out after a long day of sightseeing, you can make do with what is offered. Take-out cartons are available if you want to bring food/snacks, drinks or ice cream up to your room instead of eating in the dinning room. I’m returning to Chicago next month for a week and will probably stay with HS again. Hope this information helps…enjoy Chicago…it’s an awesome city!

I finally booked a non-refundable rate at HS for $129 for Wed/Thurs and $109 for Fri nite. ES rates went up a lot so must have gotten busier.

Thx for all the input!