I Still Need to Book a Hotel for Wrigley. Don't Judge, HELP!

BeeGirl86

Okay, I know it is ridiculous, but I still have yet to book a hotel for Wrigley. We are traveling from Pittsburgh but staying in Milwaukee with my boyfriend's family on Friday night. So, we actually only need a hotel for one night after the show on Saturday but I have no idea in what area to stay for an easy shot to Wrigley. Last time we went to Wrigley, my friend who was familiar with the area did the booking but they aren't coming this time. The responsibility is on me, and here I am...nada. Any last minute suggestions or advice???? Anything will help!

Sidenote: We also have GA, and I am freaking out about how to go about checking in to the hotel? All of the other times I have had GA I did not have to worry about checking in because it was either in my hometown or I was staying at a hotel the night before. How the hell do we leave to go check in and then get back in line? I have been in GA two times before this, but for some reason this time the anxiety is kicking in! Or maybe the excitement is taking over? Either way, I am a tad spastic so I am turning to the PJ Fam to help out.

hairgrowth2001

Check out the Hampton inn Loyola station north of wrigley. 9 stops on the red line from wrigley. Some bars and restaurants and the red line station within a block of the hotel. That’s where my wife and I are staying for night 2.

nalyd61

I booked a cheap hotel at the airport. Depending on your plans it works out great.I fly in Monday morning.  Drop my bags and head to the city.  Take an uber late night back to the airport  and fly out at noon the next day.

goodforyou19

hairgrowth2001 said:

Check out the Hampton inn Loyola station north of wrigley. 9 stops on the red line from wrigley. Some bars and restaurants and the red line station within a block of the hotel. That’s where my wife and I are staying for night 2.

My son and I are staying there too.  Looks like a nice area and an easy ride to Wrigley.  

laa1025

I always stay at the Palmer House. Red Line stop right outside that takes you to Wrigley.  Right by the Bean and other landmarks.  Also, the Orange Line from Midway also stops there. Not sure if you are flying into ORD or MDW.  It's a historic place and beautiful lobby.  Just an idea for you.

Indifference71

Very limited hotels close to Wrigley and I assume all rooms are sold out already.  If you stay downtown, you can take the red line right to Wrigley....or you can do the same if you stay north of Wrigley like some others have mentioned here.  Another option is to look for an airbnb near Wrigley.  As for your GA issue, I'm not really sure of how it would work with hopping out of line to go check into your hotel....that's probably going to take you at least 90 mins.  My advice is to not worry about the GA line and enjoy a summer day in Chicago!

mickcasey

Try and find something in Oak Park.  There's a few seedy places to stay but it's close to public transportation.  Plus, downtown Oak Park is pretty fun.  Wrigley has turned into Disney World. Expect to pay 14 bucks for a vodka soda.  

Suziemay

Stay somewhere on the Red Line. Look on a booking site like Booking.com or Expedia for the dates you need, find a reasonably priced hotel then GoogleMap it to see how you would get to Wrigley. GoogleMaps will have transit info.

It sounds like you want to queue early; I would suggest you stop by the hotel first to drop off all your stuff and let them know you won't be back until later (i.e., after the show) but you'll be back so could they pre-check you in or at least not give up your room? You shouldn't leave the line to check into your hotel unless your hotel is right next door (i.e., The Zachary, super expensive the last time I checked and doubt they are available any way).

Gern Blansten

hairgrowth2001 said:

Check out the Hampton inn Loyola station north of wrigley. 9 stops on the red line from wrigley. Some bars and restaurants and the red line station within a block of the hotel. That’s where my wife and I are staying for night 2.

good call....north of wrigley won't be nearly as busy on the train after the show

philobeddoe

Late last night, I booked a swanky 4-star hipster boutique in River North for $117/night. 2 blocks from the red line. Driving up from the Nashville area, now I'm trying to not get bent over on parking. 

Gern Blansten

philobeddoe said:

Late last night, I booked a swanky 4-star hipster boutique in River North for $117/night. 2 blocks from the red line. Driving up from the Nashville area, now I'm trying to not get bent over on parking. 

download the ParkWhiz app....very nice

philobeddoe

Gern Blansten said:

philobeddoe said:

Late last night, I booked a swanky 4-star hipster boutique in River North for $117/night. 2 blocks from the red line. Driving up from the Nashville area, now I'm trying to not get bent over on parking. 

download the ParkWhiz app....very nice

I've looked at Parkwiz and Spothero. Never used 'em. Heard good and bad.

faithful2you

F!   You're not the only one.   Hotels are hard since there's basically nothing around the stadium

leep75

I booked a room a week ago at the South Loop hotel.  It's a short walk to the chinatown redline station and 30 min on the train.  Free parking and the rate wasn't horrible....

wbutler29

River North area is easy access to Red Line and city activities.

PJ_Soul

Suziemay said:

Stay somewhere on the Red Line. Look on a booking site like Booking.com or Expedia for the dates you need, find a reasonably priced hotel then GoogleMap it to see how you would get to Wrigley. GoogleMaps will have transit info.

It sounds like you want to queue early; I would suggest you stop by the hotel first to drop off all your stuff and let them know you won't be back until later (i.e., after the show) but you'll be back so could they pre-check you in or at least not give up your room? You shouldn't leave the line to check into your hotel unless your hotel is right next door (i.e., The Zachary, super expensive the last time I checked and doubt they are available any way).

Yeah, that's what I was going to say about checking in. They will hold your bags for you all day long, check you in early, and understand that you won't actually be going into your room until late at night. This is pretty standard stuff for hotels I think. The only reason they have check-in times is to ensure they have your room ready for you when you arrive. If you don't have to go up to your room, then it really doesn't matter if they do it in the morning or the afternoon.

BeeGirl86

hairgrowth2001 said:

Check out the Hampton inn Loyola station north of wrigley. 9 stops on the red line from wrigley. Some bars and restaurants and the red line station within a block of the hotel. That’s where my wife and I are staying for night 2.

I tried this. It's all booked. I was going to book the Central Loop Hotel. Is the Central Loop an okay area? I will continue my search later tonight! Thanks for all of the advice so far!

KS80184

The Loop is Chicago's central business district.  It's sort of empty on the weekends and at night, but you can either cab or Uber/Lyft it to a hotel down there and be totally fine or take the red line.  It's maybe $20-30 or so to take a cab/uber.  The red line train can get a little sketchy, but with such a big show emptying out, I have to imagine trains will be very busy so you're probably fine especially if you're getting off by the Jackson stop (southern most- after that, it's going to get to have a lot fewer people and go to worse parts of the city). I wouldn't take the red line at 2am if you go to a bar after the show though and would only do cab/uber.  

KS80184

Also- don't try to drive to the show.  It's a mess trying to park up there. Take a cab/uber or the red line.  Red line exits right at the stadium.

KC138045

KS80184 said:

The Loop is Chicago's central business district.  It's sort of empty on the weekends and at night, but you can either cab or Uber/Lyft it to a hotel down there and be totally fine or take the red line.  It's maybe $20-30 or so to take a cab/uber.  The red line train can get a little sketchy, but with such a big show emptying out, I have to imagine trains will be very busy so you're probably fine especially if you're getting off by the Jackson stop (southern most- after that, it's going to get to have a lot fewer people and go to worse parts of the city). I wouldn't take the red line at 2am if you go to a bar after the show though and would only do cab/uber.  

KS80184 said:

Also- don't try to drive to the show.  It's a mess trying to park up there. Take a cab/uber or the red line.  Red line exits right at the stadium.

Thanks for this info.  I plan on taking the redline to Wrigley both nights but probably Uber back to the Hotel.  Should there be any issue getting an Uber with that many people trying to leave at the same time?

PJ_Soul

KC138045 said:

KS80184 said:

The Loop is Chicago's central business district.  It's sort of empty on the weekends and at night, but you can either cab or Uber/Lyft it to a hotel down there and be totally fine or take the red line.  It's maybe $20-30 or so to take a cab/uber.  The red line train can get a little sketchy, but with such a big show emptying out, I have to imagine trains will be very busy so you're probably fine especially if you're getting off by the Jackson stop (southern most- after that, it's going to get to have a lot fewer people and go to worse parts of the city). I wouldn't take the red line at 2am if you go to a bar after the show though and would only do cab/uber.  

KS80184 said:

Also- don't try to drive to the show.  It's a mess trying to park up there. Take a cab/uber or the red line.  Red line exits right at the stadium.

Thanks for this info.  I plan on taking the redline to Wrigley both nights but probably Uber back to the Hotel.  Should there be any issue getting an Uber with that many people trying to leave at the same time?

Maybe... Taking the train back after the show is still a good option too, so if you get a long wait time on the Uber app, you could just take the train instead.

KC138045

PJ_Soul said:

KC138045 said:

KS80184 said:

The Loop is Chicago's central business district.  It's sort of empty on the weekends and at night, but you can either cab or Uber/Lyft it to a hotel down there and be totally fine or take the red line.  It's maybe $20-30 or so to take a cab/uber.  The red line train can get a little sketchy, but with such a big show emptying out, I have to imagine trains will be very busy so you're probably fine especially if you're getting off by the Jackson stop (southern most- after that, it's going to get to have a lot fewer people and go to worse parts of the city). I wouldn't take the red line at 2am if you go to a bar after the show though and would only do cab/uber.  

KS80184 said:

Also- don't try to drive to the show.  It's a mess trying to park up there. Take a cab/uber or the red line.  Red line exits right at the stadium.

Thanks for this info.  I plan on taking the redline to Wrigley both nights but probably Uber back to the Hotel.  Should there be any issue getting an Uber with that many people trying to leave at the same time?

Maybe... Taking the train back after the show is still a good option too, so if you get a long wait time on the Uber app, you could just take the train instead.

Thanks!!

PJ_Soul

KC138045 said:

PJ_Soul said:

KC138045 said:

KS80184 said:

The Loop is Chicago's central business district.  It's sort of empty on the weekends and at night, but you can either cab or Uber/Lyft it to a hotel down there and be totally fine or take the red line.  It's maybe $20-30 or so to take a cab/uber.  The red line train can get a little sketchy, but with such a big show emptying out, I have to imagine trains will be very busy so you're probably fine especially if you're getting off by the Jackson stop (southern most- after that, it's going to get to have a lot fewer people and go to worse parts of the city). I wouldn't take the red line at 2am if you go to a bar after the show though and would only do cab/uber.  

KS80184 said:

Also- don't try to drive to the show.  It's a mess trying to park up there. Take a cab/uber or the red line.  Red line exits right at the stadium.

Thanks for this info.  I plan on taking the redline to Wrigley both nights but probably Uber back to the Hotel.  Should there be any issue getting an Uber with that many people trying to leave at the same time?

Maybe... Taking the train back after the show is still a good option too, so if you get a long wait time on the Uber app, you could just take the train instead.

Thanks!!

Chicago makes it pretty easy along the red line - if you play it by ear/go with the flow, you should be just fine.

KC138045

PJ_Soul said:

KC138045 said:

PJ_Soul said:

KC138045 said:

KS80184 said:

The Loop is Chicago's central business district.  It's sort of empty on the weekends and at night, but you can either cab or Uber/Lyft it to a hotel down there and be totally fine or take the red line.  It's maybe $20-30 or so to take a cab/uber.  The red line train can get a little sketchy, but with such a big show emptying out, I have to imagine trains will be very busy so you're probably fine especially if you're getting off by the Jackson stop (southern most- after that, it's going to get to have a lot fewer people and go to worse parts of the city). I wouldn't take the red line at 2am if you go to a bar after the show though and would only do cab/uber.  

KS80184 said:

Also- don't try to drive to the show.  It's a mess trying to park up there. Take a cab/uber or the red line.  Red line exits right at the stadium.

Thanks for this info.  I plan on taking the redline to Wrigley both nights but probably Uber back to the Hotel.  Should there be any issue getting an Uber with that many people trying to leave at the same time?

Maybe... Taking the train back after the show is still a good option too, so if you get a long wait time on the Uber app, you could just take the train instead.

Thanks!!

Chicago makes it pretty easy along the red line - if you play it by ear/go with the flow, you should be just fine.

I still have nightmares from the train ride after the 2013 show lol

What a cluster fuck that was!

KS80184

Uber will almost definitely have surge pricing after the show immediately around the stadium. Train is probably your best bet.  It's crowded, but they do a pretty good job clearing things out quickly as they're used to big crowds at that stop.  If you're taking the train, just make sure you have a card loaded with enough money for all your rides BEFORE the show.  Getting money on your card afterward would be a huge pain.

Indifference71

KC138045 said:

KS80184 said:

The Loop is Chicago's central business district.  It's sort of empty on the weekends and at night, but you can either cab or Uber/Lyft it to a hotel down there and be totally fine or take the red line.  It's maybe $20-30 or so to take a cab/uber.  The red line train can get a little sketchy, but with such a big show emptying out, I have to imagine trains will be very busy so you're probably fine especially if you're getting off by the Jackson stop (southern most- after that, it's going to get to have a lot fewer people and go to worse parts of the city). I wouldn't take the red line at 2am if you go to a bar after the show though and would only do cab/uber.  

KS80184 said:

Also- don't try to drive to the show.  It's a mess trying to park up there. Take a cab/uber or the red line.  Red line exits right at the stadium.

Thanks for this info.  I plan on taking the redline to Wrigley both nights but probably Uber back to the Hotel.  Should there be any issue getting an Uber with that many people trying to leave at the same time?

Surge pricing will prob be brutal right after the show.  If you hang out in Wrigleyville after the show for a couple drinks after the show the prices should go down...or just hop on the el as I'm sure tons of people will be heading back downtown.

PJ_Soul

KC138045 said:

PJ_Soul said:

KC138045 said:

PJ_Soul said:

KC138045 said:

KS80184 said:

The Loop is Chicago's central business district.  It's sort of empty on the weekends and at night, but you can either cab or Uber/Lyft it to a hotel down there and be totally fine or take the red line.  It's maybe $20-30 or so to take a cab/uber.  The red line train can get a little sketchy, but with such a big show emptying out, I have to imagine trains will be very busy so you're probably fine especially if you're getting off by the Jackson stop (southern most- after that, it's going to get to have a lot fewer people and go to worse parts of the city). I wouldn't take the red line at 2am if you go to a bar after the show though and would only do cab/uber.  

KS80184 said:

Also- don't try to drive to the show.  It's a mess trying to park up there. Take a cab/uber or the red line.  Red line exits right at the stadium.

Thanks for this info.  I plan on taking the redline to Wrigley both nights but probably Uber back to the Hotel.  Should there be any issue getting an Uber with that many people trying to leave at the same time?

Maybe... Taking the train back after the show is still a good option too, so if you get a long wait time on the Uber app, you could just take the train instead.

Thanks!!

Chicago makes it pretty easy along the red line - if you play it by ear/go with the flow, you should be just fine.

I still have nightmares from the train ride after the 2013 show lol

What a cluster fuck that was!

I guess. I actually didn't think it was that bad, technically - just a lot of waiting in a tight crowd, so I didn't really care, and I didn't have to work in the morning, so didn't care how long it took either; I'm pretty patient when it comes to stuff like that. I did very much notice that a lot of people aren't though, lol. My goodness, the anger that some people were expressing just because they had to stand around waiting for trains at 3AM, acting as though the system should have been right on top of it, like Wrigley stays open for a sellout crowd past 2AM every night of the week, lol. So that's my main complaint: the angry complainers on the red line. Some of them were actually aggressive towards the poor EL staff who were trying to just do crowd control, as though they could do something about the train schedule. It was so frustrating to witness people acting like such assholes. My only real complaint from that night was the heat. My god, the heat!!!! It actually pretty much ruined my whole trip.

on2legs

The 2013 train scene was a nightmare.  

BeeGirl86

In 2016 we just went out after the show and took an Uber to our hotel after which is what we plan to do this year as well. I try to avoid the trains and just find taking an Uber easier. I just don't want the Uber ride to end up being 20 miles or something ridiculous. 

PJ_Soul

on2legs said:

The 2013 train scene was a nightmare.  

Meh. It was for one person at least - a woman right next to me on the platform collapsed, I assume from dehydration. Her BF or husband was so scared. But it was handled as well as one could expect it to be in that kind of crowd. Other than that, from what I can tell, people were just being forced to wait in a tight crowd for a long time - technically not much different that waiting in a GA pit. Not very nightmarish IMO - the same thing happens any time a major transit system shuts down during rush hour because of some technical failure or a medical or police incident or something. The only thing that makes it seem worse than that are the people who are acting all intolerant about it. If people would just keep their cool and be patient, it wouldn't feel nearly as brutal.
But if I had to do it again, I would definitely simply find an all night diner or something in the area and hang there for a couple hours until everything died down, and then just call a cab. It was very uncomfortable to stand in that sweaty, hot crowd... When I finally got on a train, I was so grateful that the A/C was cranked up to meat locker levels in there, lol!

Suziemay

on2legs said:

The 2013 train scene was a nightmare.  

You know, I keep hearing this and honestly it was not an issue for me. But I wonder if it's because I stopped by Subway and 7 Eleven and sat on the sidewalk and wolfed everything down, THEN I got on the train...