(within 15 miles of the Chicago downtown Center) including these gpc best hotels

Hyatt Regency Mccormick Place Chicago
Hotel Address: 2233 Martin L. King Drive Chicago, IL 60616 (downtown Chicago )

W Chicago City Center Hotel
Hotel Location: 172 West Adams Street Chicago, IL 60603-3604 (downtown Chicago )

Hard Rock Hotel Chicago
Hotel Address: 230 North Michigan Avenue Chicago, IL 60601 (2 miles from downtown Chicago )

The Westin Chicago River North
Hotel Address: 320 North Dearborn Avenue Chicago, IL 60610 (3 miles - downtown Chicago )

The Fairmont Chicago
Hotel Address: 200 North Columbus Drive Chicago, IL 60601 (downtown Chicago )

Find all Hotels in Chiago
> Search Hotels

> What's the nearest major airport?

Chicago has loads of airports. The most important, of course, are:
> (ORD) Chicago Ohare International Airport - 29KMs/18 MIs W of downtown Chicago,
> Find Hotels near Chicago Ohare Airport (ORD)
Airport Website: Chicago Ohare Airport Weblink (ORD) This is a new o'hare airport website, with delays, arrivals, departures, flight tracker.

> (MDW) Chicago Midway Airport 16KMs/10MIs S of downtown Chicago.
> Find Hotels near Chicago Midway Airport (MDW) and all major Airports in Illinois
Airport Website: Chicago Midway Airport Weblink MDW

Find Hotels near Airports (international guide)

Shop for the cheapest airfare to Chicago Ohare (ORD) and Chicago Midway Airports for your trip to Chicago Illinois with my flights & hire Cars page . For info about getting from these airports to their respective nearest downtown visit to and from the airport.

> Where's the Chicago Map?

Chicago map featuring downtown hotels
Joliet Illinois (Chicagoland Speedway) satellite and road map

> Local road work / construction?

Road Advisories & Local road work / construction?
> Illinois Dept of Transport (ILDOT)
> NOTE: Keep an eye on I-56 & I-80 backups.
Find Chicago News Weather Traffic Alert Radio info at my fancy new guide. Perhaps contribute your local traffic radio station
Find Find U.S. Department of Transport Office + Chicago Weather Traffic Radio link

> Got chicago weather and radar?

Chicago NOAA Weather Forecast & Radar

Local Public Transit

Buses & Trains: See also Chicago Transit for downtown lines/routes/schedules, or visit the RTA (Regional Trans. Auth) (or call at 312-836-7000), for best public transportation directions. See my Joliet guide for info and links about getting to and from the speedway route 66 dragway if that's where you're going.
Find also Hotels near Chicago Union Station Amtrak

> What's the local Chicago newspaper say?

Chicago Tribune

Entertainment:

see my special guide to entertainment and sports venues in Chicago with hotels near all major venues and tickets - at my new Sports Travel Hotels and Tickets Blog at hotel near big ticket venues.
Casino? ???
Arts/Musuems/History: See below
Movies: Chicago has an IMAX theatre at Navy Pier. The coolest drive-in theater is the The Cascade in West Chicago. Other Drive ins in/around Chicago: drive-ins.com. For Independent films choices are dwindling after the sad loss of the 3 Penny. Film Festivals run all though the year in town.
For more Festivals and other live performace check out the main venues: Chicago Cultural Center & The Gene Siskel Film Center.
Live Theatre Of course Chicago is a theater town, and perhaps the best live theater city in the U.S. Here's a list of all Chicago Theatre Houses: illyria.com
Go Carts: Chicago Indoor Racing Go Carts in Chicago.
Theme Parks Near by: Six Flags Great America, Illinois - Buy / Print Tickets
& Santa's Village & Racing Rapids Water Park
Find Hotels near Themeparks
Zoo: Chicago Brookfield Zoo, between O'hare & Midway Airports.
Find Hotels near Zoos & Zoo links
Arts Keep up with the Chicago Openings/Gallery Scene at Chicago Gallery News
Restaurants/Clubs/Cafes:
Chicago is made up of neighbourhoods, from the ritzy Michigan Avenue & it's glitzy shopping, to the more eclectic / artsy Wicker Park / Six Corners District, you can find food, coffee & bars for different moods.
Here's some suggestions:
Coffee: Italian Village
Beer Garden with Burgers: Throw a rock.
Inexpensive Sushi: Throw a rock
French: Bistro Margot
Pizza: Pizzaria Uno
Here's a a bunch of Chicago Restaurant coupons to help make up your mind.

> In Chicago take time to see

> Chicago's Maxwell Street Market
> Sears Tower on Wacker & Jackson
> Wrigley Field on Clark & Addison
> Find Hotels near Ball Parks > Museum of Broadcast Television
> Chicago Children's Museum at State Street & Navy Pier
> Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art on Chicago & Mies Van der Rohe Way
> Art Institute of Chicago Museum > Other Art Galleries in Chicago
> The Chicago Architecture Foundation's River Tour
> Nike Town on Michigan & Erie, which includes a complete basketball court on the 5th floor!
> Much more shopping on the Magnificent Mile-Michigan Avenue
> The Biograph Theatre, outside which big time crim John Dillinger was killed in 1934.
> Consider buying a Chicago Citypass, to save if you're visiting multiple attractions

> What racing series races there?

> Chicago Auto Show
at chicagoland speedway > IRL & NASCAR
> at Route 66 Dragway (in the same complex as Chicagoland speedway) NHRA Drag Racing Nationals (PowerAide)
> There a dirt track in the speedway complex too! > Chicago Extreme Autofest
> When? Click link for coming racing series racing dates / schedules

> Near by Grand Prix Cities?

> Chicagoland & Route 66 Speedways 35MIs/56KMs - where you'll find the venue for local NASCAR Sprint Cup, IndyCar IRL and NRHA® drag racing nationals.
> Elkhart Lake / Road America: 150MIs/240KMs
> Indianapolis: 181MIs/290KMs
> Michigan International Speedway: 215MIs/340KMs
> Detroit, Michigan & Belle Isle Circuit 283MIs/455KMs

Other revhead Activites

> Cycle World International Motorcycle Show Dates (US) (at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center - 5555 North River Road Rosemont, IL 60018)
> Chicago Region, Sports Car Club of America - SCCA
> Audi Car Club of America, Chicagoland chapter

Other times of the year

> Chicago Jazz Festival - Grant Park Downtown Chicago
> Chicago Air and Water Show
> and just a bunch more stuff in this very busy city by Lake Michigan

Other Major Chicago Local Sports

Here's a pic of me outside of Chicago's Soldier field, home of the Chicago Bears!

> Search Chicago Sports Concert and Show Tickets

> Hotels near ALL Chicago Venues I mean it, absolutely every venue is listed. Took me days to do!

Sports teams NFL Football: Find Hotels near Soldier Fiels - Chicago Bears NFL
MLB Baseball: HOtels near Chicago White Sox & Chicago Cubs
NBA Basketball: Hotels near United Center Chicago Bulls Basketball
NHL Hockey: Hotels near United Center Blackhawks Ice Hockey

Just out of town

> Balmoral Park Harness Racing Track
> Starved Rock State Park for hunting, fishing, camping & the great outdoors!

> Chicago Tourism Website

>???

MISC INFO

... Curency: USD U.S. Dollar - Oanda Exchange Rate Converter
... ATM Locator
...Tipping Expected. Usually you'll round up your bill 15%.
Illinois State Sales Tax: Chicago: 8.75; Suburbs: 6.25
> Time Zone: Central GMT -6
> Telephone Info:
... Emergency Number: 911
... U.S. International dialing code is +1

> Local Liquor Laws: Legal Drinking Age in Illinois is 21.

Also of Interest / Related Pages

> Joliet Chicagoland Speedway Route 66 Raceway travel Guide
> Chicago Reader is an insider's view regarding getting the best out of downtown Chicago. Handy Reference to cram on before you visit this city that offers so much more than a warm welcome to visitors.
> Roadside attractions in Illinois? Sure, they got 'em. if you see one, send me a pic!
> Got Anything of offbeat interest for potential travelers... ie annual Chicago Mariachi band shootouts, Deep Dish Pizza Shaped at Fish World Championship, Swap Meets to advertise??? contact link below.