Chicago has never been a cheap city to stay in for a night or two. As a continual haunt for architecture fans and foodies alike -- not to mention a popular host for conventions -- the Windy City is as hot a destination as ever. Fortunately, there are a few hotels that won’t blow your budget, with home-away-from-home appeal as well as posh perks like a rooftop deck. Book one of these under-$170 a night rooms, and you’ll have plenty of funds for a jazz or blues show or some deep dish pizza (we love Giordano’s and Gino’s East of Chicago).
The Guesthouse Hotel, Andersonville
Check into condo-style accommodations at The Guesthouse Hotel in this far-North Side neighborhood, a hipster-filled but sensible area with plenty of restored Victorian homes and manicured urban gardens lining the streets. With the aim of allowing you to “live like a local,” the hotel offers guests complimentary WiFi, all-suite rooms, in-room washers and dryers, spa-like bathrooms, and a breakfast bar with granite countertops. The property's location is prime for exploring Clark Avenue, Andersonville’s main drag, home to a number of antique shops, a great independent bookstore called Women and Children First, a Swedish bakery with delicious marzariners, and reasonably priced farm-to-table restaurants like Acre. From $150 Monday through Wednesday and $170 Thursday through Sunday.
Acme Hotel Company, River North
A newer addition to the River North neighborhood, Acme Hotel Company boasts a clean, crisp, and contemporary design. Open since 2012, the hotel's 130 rooms all include the most important amenities: free WiFi, spa-inspired bath, a wet bar, and a microwave. We like that the decor as an edgy vibe, what with the graffiti-style handprints that hang above each bed -- perhaps a nod to the happening surroundings. (Rick Bayless’ popular sandwich shop on North Clark Street, Xoco, is an affordable example of the hot dining establishments in the neighborhood.) From $159.
Longman & Eagle, Logan Square
Longman & Eagle is both a farm-to-table American restaurant and an inn, flaunting six rooms above its kitchen. Guests enjoy free WiFi, Apple TVs with Netflix access, and quirky vintage touches like Fisher Price and Teac cassette tape consoles. For foodie visitors, the all-day brunch downstairs is convenient as it's delicious -- try mains like the sunnyside duck egg hash with duck confit or challah-bread French toast with local honeycomb ($14 each), or opt for small plates like roasted marrow bones and bacon-shallot jam or housemade burrata with porcini marmalade ($8-$16). Offsite, it's a walking distance to Logan Square's hotspots for imbibing, noshing, shopping, and entertainment. From $85.
