Hyatt Regency Chicago

The Hyatt Regency is definitely several cuts above the Best Western and along with that comes higher costs as can be expected. The room I had was in the West Tower and after checking in at the main lobby in the East Tower it was a tad confusing trying to find the right elevator. For some reason even though I gave my Gold Passport number when I reserved the room it wasn't on my bill when I checked out so now I will have to apply for credit.

One of the surprises I received were the package handling charges for the boxes I had shipped for my trip. I was charged $61 for 3 boxes and it cost me about half of that to ship them so I was being royally overcharged. A nice profit center for the hotel for sure.

Hyatt has made a big deal of announcing their wireless deal with T-mobile, but I was disappointed to discover that this property wasn't part of the agreement even though other Hyatts in Chicago were. Rather than spend $10 a day I piggybacked on the wireless network in the ballroom where the exhibit booths were and found another open network just outside the ballroom after show hours. The signal was a little weak, but it worked.

The sleeping room itself was beautifully appointed and was well maintained during my brief stay. For $165 a night I would have expected top notch service.

Rather than pay another handling fee to the hotel I opted for a $5 cab ride to the nearest UPS Store (E. Ohio St.) to get my boxes shipped back to my office.

Since I am a notorius tightwad even when on the company dime so for I found a Subway sandwich shop a couple of blocks away as well as a local Chinese carry-out. Chipotle's is just a block away and Houlihan's is right around the corner. I was somewhat tempted by their $10 buffet breakfast (drinks extra) but decided that the last thing I needed was a buffet.

To get to the hotel and back from O'Hare will cost you $46 on the Airport Express shutltle van and you can get a discount coupon and sign up for frequent rider program off their web site. Dependinng on traffic you can expect the trip to take 30-60 minutes.

For shoppers this hotel is perfectly positioned a block away from the Magnificent Mile and other tourist attractions.

While this isn't a budget type hotel, with a little creativity you can keep the expenses down and not break the bank.

Best Western Inn- Chicago

Not being very familiar with downtown Chicago I wasn't sure what I was getting into when I booked this hotel, but I was pleasantly surprised.

Located downtown the hotel is just one block from Chicago's famed Magnificent Mile shopping district. The hotel has a sports bar called Newsmakers restaurant, but I did not venture in. There are many choices like Burrito Beach (similar to Chipotles), TGI Friday's and other local and national chains all within walking distance. If you are looking for a quick breakfast or sandwich Dunkin' Donuts is right across the street and open 24 /7 to accomodate night owls.

The room I stayed in was comfortable and clean. I was on the 21st floor (22 is the highest) and while I didn't have much of a view it wasn't totally obscured either. If you want to take a bath it may take awhile since the water pressure is on the low side and the bathroom is very utilitarian.
My hopes to catch a decent movie while relaxing in my rooms were dashed when I discovered that the rooms were devoid of any cable movie channels.

Thanks to the new travel restrictions I couldn't bring toothpaste in my carry-on so I receieved squeeze packets from the fron desk.

For the road warrior who must stay in touch, free wireless access is available in the lobby and most rooms. You need to specify that you want a room with wireless when checking in. Also I arrived before the official check-in time of 3 p.m. and had to check my luggage until the room was ready.

I "only" paid $121.50 for the stay plus another $21.63 in taxes by using the Expedia special rate which beat the hotel's web site pricing.

Overall the hotel provided a good value and I will stay here again when I need a downtown location.

University Place-Portland

University Place is lhile d on the Portland State University campus.

If you haven't stayed in Portland before you can get to this hotel or just about any other by shuttle van for $14 , taxi $35 or the MaxRail light rail system for $1.95. The trip will take about 30 minutes.

My room was clean and comfortable and for $85 a night not a bad deal. Internet access is available for $9.50 a day or $25 maximum during your stay or $5 maximum per stay if you use the public areas in the hotel. I used the latter option. If you have t-mobile service there is a Starbucks about a half mile away.

While I didn't eat in the hotel restaurant I did eat the banquet food and it was quite good which should reflect well on the restaurant.

If you are looking for places to eat, be prepared to walk at least 2 blocks. The closer you get to the downtown area the more restaurants you have to choose from. If you are looking for a fats food type of place, many of them close by 7:30 so eat early.

The climate is very welcoming particularly when you hail from the hot and humid east at this time of year with temps in Portland hovering in the high 70's duirng the day.

If you are tired of chain hotels and yearn for some friendly service without a lot of bells and whistles then this is the place for you.