main
side
curve
  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

SWC19 Star Wars Celebration 2019 Hotels

Discussion in 'Star Wars Celebrations' started by Obi Anne , May 16, 2018.

  1. Obi Anne

    Obi Anne Celebration Mistress of Ceremonies star 8 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Nov 4, 1998
    I tried to book directly with the hotel (the Hyatt) the same day that Celebration was announced, but they didn't have any available rooms.
     
  2. ChrisLyne

    ChrisLyne Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Oct 29, 2002
    Yeah, Chicago's lack of hotels made it a lot harder this time. Didn't realize then how quick/easy it was to get there on the L train back then.
     
  3. star_wars_is_good

    star_wars_is_good Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Jun 14, 2002
    I'm looking forward to riding the L train to Celebration now. I'm going to be pretend I'm in Batman Begins.
     
    Last edited: Feb 19, 2019
    ChrisLyne likes this.
  4. ChrisLyne

    ChrisLyne Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Oct 29, 2002
    I seriously need to make a list of places from those films I want to see whilst I'm in Chicago.
     
  5. EnviousSerious-Rue

    EnviousSerious-Rue Jedi Master star 2

    Registered:
    May 4, 2009
    Is the L Train safe??? My hotel is only 1.8 miles away.
     
  6. star_wars_is_good

    star_wars_is_good Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Jun 14, 2002
    Well, all I have to go by is when in 2005, part of the track was destroyed to prevent a weaponized hallucination from getting in the city's main water supply.
     
    MotivateR5D4 and ChrisLyne like this.
  7. darthvader88

    darthvader88 Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Apr 29, 2005
    Do, how far along is everybody with their packing? Have you even started?

    Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
     
  8. ChrisLyne

    ChrisLyne Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Oct 29, 2002
    @star_wars_is_good I think that might just be the best reply in this whole thread!

    @EnviousSerious-Rue I'd say it would be as safe as any other public transport in a major city.

    Not far enough! We're driving down to London to fly from Heathrow and it's very unlikely my car will fit 4 people, 4 full size hold bags and 4 carry on bags. Luckily my dad lives outside London so I'm going to run 2 of the hold bags down ahead of time, and his car is big enough to take everything to the airport. But unless I want to make a special trip, I need to have the bags packed next week!
     
    darthvader88 likes this.
  9. darthvader88

    darthvader88 Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Apr 29, 2005
    What day are you flying into Chicago?

    Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
     
  10. ChrisLyne

    ChrisLyne Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Oct 29, 2002
    Not flying until the 9th April (driving down on the 8th). But London is a 7-8 hour round trip for me and I'm going next week anyway. So I either take the bags down early or I do a special trip nearer the time.
     
    darthvader88 likes this.
  11. MotivateR5D4

    MotivateR5D4 Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Apr 20, 2015
    You have to be careful and the read the fine print though. Some hotels allow for free cancellation while others don't. Some they even offer free cancellation for certain rates and rooms while they don't for others within the same hotel. So it's tricky.

    There were a few at the Hyatt available for like an hour after it got announced. But they were right around $350 a night.

    I always end up packing way more than I need. It's easy though, I'll get to that when the time comes.
     
  12. darthvader88

    darthvader88 Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Apr 29, 2005
    It depends on what rate you book. Some allow for free cancellation up to like a day or so before you arrive...

    Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
     
    MotivateR5D4 likes this.
  13. MotivateR5D4

    MotivateR5D4 Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Apr 20, 2015
    So I've called a few of the hotels that are offered through OnPeak, and they've all said that the best mode of transportation to McCormick is taxi or Uber. Second to that they recommend taking the bus lines. None of them seem too familiar with a direct subway line to and from McCormick. You figure they would be if it was as common as I think we have been led to believe. Anyways, the hotel I'm currently booked at told me they're still a good 20 minute walk to McCormick, so that's put a bit of a wrench in my plans. You really can't trust Google Maps can you? I'm doing a bit of research now to see what's going to be the best option. I figure it's at least a safe bet if it's a hotel offered directly offered through OnPeak, so I might end up going with that. There's still a few available, and they all seem to be within the same vicinity of each other, so there's a good chance that cluster will be full of SW fans anyhow.

    Edit: Well I do see a stop at McCormick on the map. Maybe it's a new one, something tells me I read that somewhere before.
     
    Last edited: Feb 19, 2019
  14. star_wars_is_good

    star_wars_is_good Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Jun 14, 2002
    The Cermak stop on the red line doesn't drop you off at the front door, but it gets you close enough (depending on where the actual entrance is). If the entrance is by where Wintrust is, then it's pretty close. The Grand/State stop is like three blocks from my hotel.
     
    Last edited: Feb 19, 2019
  15. MotivateR5D4

    MotivateR5D4 Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Apr 20, 2015
    If I recall correctly, when the hotels initially opened up through OnPeak, wasn't it that the connected hotels were booked up immediately? Didn't it seem like rooms weren't even available for certain days because they were booked right when the hotels became available?
     
    Last edited: Feb 19, 2019
  16. MotivateR5D4

    MotivateR5D4 Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Apr 20, 2015
    You know what, I'm going to stick with the plan I've had all along since day one. No reason to change things up now when Celebration is less than two months out. I'm stressing over nothing, nothing that at this point doesn't amount to any more than minor nitpicking about a little distance here and a little cost there. I'm in the midst of getting things in order now, so I'm just making sure this is all going to go down successfully for me. That was a good wake up call nonetheless to know to not get too comfy and to expect anything.
     
    Last edited: Feb 19, 2019
    ChrisLyne likes this.
  17. star_wars_is_good

    star_wars_is_good Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Jun 14, 2002
    MotivateR5D4 likes this.
  18. MotivateR5D4

    MotivateR5D4 Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Apr 20, 2015
    Nah man, I'm good. Just a little doubt cast over it was all. Which isn't a bad thing I suppose, keeps you in check. Like I said, it came down to nothing more than minor nitpicking. Not like anything major was in question. And then once I realized I ought to just stick with the plan I've had, that felt right and brought balance back to the force. :)
     
    Last edited: Feb 19, 2019
    ChrisLyne likes this.
  19. ChrisLyne

    ChrisLyne Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Oct 29, 2002
    Yeah, if I'm doing a booking I think I might not keep or dates might change I always make sure it's free cancellation.

    Yeah, the red line stops at Cermak-Chinatown and looks like it's about 15 minutes walk away. The green line stops at Cermak-McCormick and is about 5 minutes walk away. At least that's what all the maps say. If you're coming from Grand/State you can get direct to the red line or switch to green line when passing through downtown/the loop (at Roosevelt I think). Red line runs 24 hours, green line runs until about 1 or 2am.

    That's right. The connected hotels went straight away. It was only a day or two later I was able to start getting some nights at the Marriott. I don't think I ever saw the Hyatt available via OnPeak.
     
    MotivateR5D4 likes this.
  20. Kyle Katarn

    Kyle Katarn Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Jul 10, 1998
    The green line will be my ride. The State/Lake station is a block or two from where I am staying and I should be able to hoof it without much trouble. The Cermak/McCormick station is a bit further, but with all the walking that we're likely to be doing, it'll be a drop in the bucket compared to everything else.
     
    ChrisLyne likes this.
  21. Obi Anne

    Obi Anne Celebration Mistress of Ceremonies star 8 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Nov 4, 1998
    The Hyatt at McCormick was sold out within an our of Celebration being announced, and it was never offered through onpeak. I'm guessing that ReedPop had booked it for their staff and guests before anything was made available.

    Oh, and there is this thread for discussions on transportation - https://boards.theforce.net/threads/transportation-in-chicago.50050950/
     
  22. EnviousSerious-Rue

    EnviousSerious-Rue Jedi Master star 2

    Registered:
    May 4, 2009
    FMI (For My Information): I went to this site, "Chicago Transit authority" https://www.transitchicago.com/maps/
    and copied all of their maps for bus/train transportation just to give me an idea of the
    layout. (Glad I did! And I mean this in a good way.) I did find the maps helpful.
    Looking at other options also, including taxi's/uber's/lyte's, just in case of any unforeseen circumstances.
     
  23. Commander_Simpson

    Commander_Simpson Jedi Youngling star 1

    Registered:
    Feb 20, 2019
    For anyone staying at the Chicago South Loop hotel, even though it's a 17 minute walk away there's going to be a shuttle for a small fee. $5 one way or $8 round trip according to hotel staff that i talked to the other day.
     
    MotivateR5D4 likes this.
  24. MotivateR5D4

    MotivateR5D4 Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Apr 20, 2015
    Awesome! Thanks.

    It's really only the late night issue that concerns me. But I figure it ought to be a short cab ride anyhow.
     
    Last edited: Feb 21, 2019
  25. EnviousSerious-Rue

    EnviousSerious-Rue Jedi Master star 2

    Registered:
    May 4, 2009
    Must apologize. Sent proper transportation information to the right thread.