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Great Places to Stay in Chicago

As recently as five years ago, it wasn't easy finding distinctive accommodations in Chicago, a city that was dominated by pleasant but staid corporate-oriented hotels, many of them operated by the big chains - Hilton, Hyatt, and so on. The city's hotel landscape hasn't been completely reborn, but travelers to this world-class metropolis on Lake Michigan can expect to find much greater variety these days. Several gay-friendly inns and B&Bs have opened in some genuinely engaging neighborhoods, a mini chain of Lakeview inns has received a fabulous makeover, and a few hip and quirky boutique hotels have opened downtown.

Chicago hotels are expensive - not quite as costly as in New York or San Francisco, but close. Under normal circumstances, expect to pay $80 to $130 nightly for a basic downtown hotel, and that's after searching some of the online discount sites, such as Expedia and Orbitz. The market for mid- to upper-end business hotels is very competitive, however, so the good news is that these places often discount heavily, especially on weekends.

If your goal is to see major attractions, catch some theater, and shop along ritzy Michigan Avenue, try to stay in either the Loop or Near North, the core downtown neighborhoods that contain the bulk of the city's accommodations. You can cheaply take the El (elevated train) or buses to some of the cooler and gayer parts of town. You can also catch a cab, but taxi rides are expensive in this sprawling city. Conversely, if your goal is to spend a lot of time in the gay neighborhoods and only venture downtown once or twice, choose one of the few lodging options north of Lincoln Park - there are no true luxury accommodations up this way, which means that you can usually find a perfectly pleasant room for under $100.

Keep in mind that downtown hotels charge an arm and a leg for overnight parking, and it's a high-traffic neighborhood where using a car is impractical anyway. The few properties up in Lakeview and Andersonville charge less for parking, and there are also some less pricey garages and lots in these areas, too. If you have a car and are looking to save as much money as possible, try staying at one of the mid-priced chain hotels out in the western and northwestern suburbs. You can usually find a decent Comfort Inn, Clarion, or the like near O'Hare Airport for $50 to $75 per night, and it's only a 20- to 30-minute drive from there to Lakeview and Andersonville.

Here's a sampling of some of the best gay-friendly hotels in the city, from top of the line to budget-oriented:

Queen for a Day
If you want to be treated like royalty, and you don't mind paying a king's ransom for this privilege, book a room at the Ritz-Carlton Chicago, one of the swankest hotels in the nation - it's perched on the floors above the high-end Water Tower Place shopping center. Afternoon tea is served in the airy 12th-floor atrium lobby, and rooms have Chippendale-style armoires and stately wing chairs. The trendy Sutton Place is a favorite among performers, models, and jet-setters. The art deco rooms have state-of-the-art entertainment centers (with VCRs, CD players, and radios) and a crisp black, white, and gray color scheme. Some have original Robert Mapplethorpe photos, too. At the stylish Hotel Burnham, set in the historic 1894 cast-iron Reliance Building, you can sleep inside one of the nation's greatest architectural treasures, its rooms outfitted with the original terrazzo floors, mahogany trim, and Carrara marble wainscoting. Be sure to dine at the superb Atwood Cafe, on the ground floor.

Hipster Hangouts
The funky House of Blues Hotel, the first hotel to bear the name of the chain of blues-oriented nightclubs, makes a memorable impression with an enormous golden Buddha anchoring the lobby. Guest rooms have been exuberantly detailed in Moroccan, East Indian, and American folk-art styles. The high-tech W Hotels chain has a pair of gems downtown, the W Chicago Lakeshore and W Chicago City Center. Both have soothing, neutral color schemes and low-slung furnishings, plus CD players, VCRs, dual-line cordless phones, and high-speed Internet. The City Center locale puts you in the middle of the downtown retail and dining action, but the Lakeshore has the best views - clear across rippling Lake Michigan.

A cool newcomer, the downtown Hotel 71 occupies a mod 1950s office tower beside a new park along the Chicago River. The spacious rooms are sleek and functional, with 300-thread-count linens, trendy H20 bath products, and free high-speed Internet; many have leopard-print chaise longues. The French deco-inspired Hotel Monaco strikes a perfect balance between elegance and whimsy, with boldly colored rooms and quirky room amenities like your own pet goldfish in a bowl. A bit less expensive, the Hotel Allegro mixes Arabic, art deco, and Mediterranean colors and styles with a musical theme (there's even a music salon with a piano off the lobby) to make a distinctive statement.

Sometimes Size Doesn't Matter
Staying at a smaller, more intimate property often translates to more personal service and a more distinctive hotel experience. Nowhere is this more evident than at the three properties operated by the gay-friendly Neighborhood Inns group. All of these value-priced hotels have been handsomely refurbished in recent years and are steps from gay nightlife in Lakeview. City Suites sits along busy Belmont Avenue, closest to the dining and club action, while the more
refined Majestic and Willows hotels are on peaceful residential streets a few blocks away.

The Basics
You'll find three low-frills but perfectly clean and comfy chain-style properties in or near Lakeview. A vintage apartment building in the heart of the neighborhood has been transformed into the 59-room Best Western Hawthorne Terrace. Rooms are functional and modern, and there's a nice patio out front. Several blocks south, the surprisingly bright and well-decorated Inn at Lincoln Park, which was a Comfort Inn until recently, boasts a friendly staff, free Continental breakfast, and its own parking lot. The nearby Days Inn Lincoln Park North is a cheap-and-cheerful chain motel with airy rooms and a strong gay and lesbian following.

Homes Away from Home
If it's a more personal experience you seek, try one of the city's gay-friendly B&Bs. Set along bustling Halsted Street and fronted by pretty gardens, the charming Villa Toscana is a perfect base for bar- and restaurant-hopping. The cozy rooms, many with pitched ceilings and characterful corners and nooks, are furnished with a mix of European antiques and newer pieces, and all have fluffy beds with down comforters. A short drive or bus ride from Lakeview and Andersonville, the reasonably priced and gay-owned Ardmore House has three warmly furnished rooms that share two neat-as-a-pin bathrooms. Perks include free breakfast, 24-hour kitchen access, guest robes and beach towels, high-speed Internet in the common lounge, a hot tub and sundeck, and satellite TV. It's a great value, and gay-popular Hollywood Beach is a short walk away.

A luxurious inn near Lincoln Park, the Old Town Chicago B&B has four posh rooms with TVs and VCRs, private phones with answering machines and data ports, and elegant antiques. Guests can lounge in the common living room with a Baldwin grand piano, marble fireplace, and large-screen TV, or prepare a meal in the state-of-the-art chef's kitchen. There are few places in Chicago where you're made to feel so completely at home.