Suggestions for Hotel location in Chicago...

[leigh.bess.toad]

While I will admit Kimpton (I've stayed at a few in SF and here in Chicago) are quite nice and service super friendly (esp the concierge) paying $200 a night or more is not a practical thing for most working guys. No appointment is guaranteed till it is over and funds have been exchanged. Why pay that $200 or more a night when a working guy can minimize his losses or maximize his gains and use PriceLine name your own price and pay half of what a room would go for? To pay full price for a hotel room (or most of anything at that) when it can be had for much less would be foolish. Clients you have to remember an escort can leave his home town thinking he is booked solid and arrive into his traveling town to find everyone has canceled. So I say to the op ignore the others and use PL name your own price to lessen your expenses. Remember this is a business not a holiday. So run it accordingly.

 

Hugs,

Greg

 

Hi Greg -- While I agree with your response to a point I'd like to make a few of my own. One, not all, in fact, most Kimptons are no where near $200/night. I was just looking at DC for early January for someone. There are 4 or 5 kimptons around dupont circle and they are all in the $110-$130/night range using their Red Ribbon Campaign discount. I don't remember whether it was the Palomar or Monaco but the dates that AJ was looking at were like $159. For a 400+ s.f. room. Compared to the usual 200 s.f. hotel room at most places. Second, I don't expect, nor do I really want you staying at the Ritz. That sort of conveys a touch of arrogance to me as well. But for me, Kimptons are Ritz-level quality at not-Ritz level pricing. Check TripAdvisor.com. Kimptons are always either at or very near the top of the ratings of virtually every city they are in. It is not a fluke. It is not just 1 or 2 good specific hotel general mangers. It is a consistent, across-the-company philosophy that permeates everything. Now if saiving money and reducing cost was the ultimate goal, you could use PL and try to bid on places like Red Roof Inn. But I don't think it would be likely I would hire an escort who wanted to meet at the Motel-6.

 

It's trying to find that happy medium that is the constant struggle -- in all things. Between practical budget wise, what image are you are trying to present to the client? What about convenience? How much is it worth knowing, and I mean knowing for certain that I will be getting a considerably larger room at the Kimpton when this is my home for a few days? Does that mean something to you? If so consider it, if not, then don't factor it in.

 

And as a gay man, I always -- ALWAYS -- feel welcome at the Kimptons. I realize you working guys have to consider cost -- trust me, you have no bigger advocate anywhere than me. But I also do believe that we do have some debt to our community and to support those who do support that community. I guess each of us have to weigh how we balance that obligtation to pay back. And at what point does maybe a few extra bucks and a little bit further than what you wanted play into that equation. I've always found Kimptons to hit my sweet spot with where I want to be and price range, but I'm not a working guy (who in their right mind would pay for this -- no one is that nuts). Maybe you should do it when you are on your private "non-working" time. But I'm just laying out my philosophy.

 

And maybe I'm the odd duck out here Greg. I know I can be off the reservation by myself sometimes. But I will tell you that my respect and the likelihood that I will hire and re-hire an escort does go up when I see that support for community especially as shown by using the Kimptons. I didn't realize Michael Vincenzo was in DC now and I can't get away. He's fucking hot to begin with. But my respect for him went through the roof and the next time I know ahead of time that he will be in DC I will be hiring him all because of his outspoken support of the Kimptons and their support of the community.

 

Just my odd-duck way of looking at things.

 

Quack.

 

Just MHO and nothing more.

[leigh.bess.toad]

DD -- Lots of good information in your post, including the stuff about needing a room key to use the elevator -- I've been in hotels where that's necessary all the time, not just in the evening

 

Hey newatthis -- I've run into this more and more recently. And in general, as a guest at the hotels I think it's a great idea. I do feel a bit more secure know that someone just can't walk in off the street and go up to the floors and help themselves to my stuff. And the time it happened to me with Sean Knight: having the elevator door open and seeing that body there on the other side was hot too -- which elevator, where is he. Sort of like guessing which box has your big Christmas present in it.

[KMEM]

I stayed at the Kimpton Allegro the last time I was in Chicago. I was quite pleased with the service, the amenities, especially the location for what I was doing and in general liked the whole experience. However, the room was a bit on the small side. Not a problem, but just a comment. The decor IS different but, so what, so am I?

 

Best regards,

KMEM

[jgoo]

Everyone has different experiences so it is difficult to make blanket statements. For example I've had a couple unpleasant stays at Klimptons so for me it is not really someplace I am interested in staying at again. Clearly others have a lot of positives to say for that chain but for me just because they support gay causes isn't enough to offset the negatives I feel from past stays there.

 

For Chicago, based on my own experiences, I have enjoyed staying at the Hard Rock Hotel.

[leigh.bess.toad]

I stayed at the Kimpton Allegro the last time I was in Chicago. I was quite pleased with the service, the amenities, especially the location for what I was doing and in general liked the whole experience. However, the room was a bit on the small side. Not a problem, but just a comment. The decor IS different but, so what, so am I?

 

Best regards,

KMEM

 

KMEM -- You are right, there are, for some bizarre reason, one or two hotels in the chain with small rooms. I don't know why that is when the rest of the chain does have rooms that are cosiderably larger than the industry average. That one does puzzle me. And at like 225 s.f. I probably wouldn't be comfortable there so would be less likely to stay there even if it is a Kimpton. I'm simply saying balance everything out. I give added weight to them but not exclusivity. Much like I know some people will only fly with airline X because they are a member of their frequent flyer club, even though airline Y might have a considerably better schedule and considerably cheaper fare for a specific flight. That makes even less sense to me.

[leigh.bess.toad]

Everyone has different experiences so it is difficult to make blanket statements.

 

Or as my father always said "To each his own, said the old lady as she kissed the cow". Agreed. And I regret you've had problems with Kimptons. But I do wish other companies would recognize our community as a valued business market. Especially in the travel industry.

[KMEM]

KMEM -- You are right, there are, for some bizarre reason, one or two hotels in the chain with small rooms. I don't know why that is when the rest of the chain does have rooms that are cosiderably larger than the industry average. That one does puzzle me. And at like 225 s.f. I probably wouldn't be comfortable there so would be less likely to stay there even if it is a Kimpton. I'm simply saying balance everything out. I give added weight to them but not exclusivity. Much like I know some people will only fly with airline X because they are a member of their frequent flyer club, even though airline Y might have a considerably better schedule and considerably cheaper fare for a specific flight. That makes even less sense to me.

 

If you read between the lines you will notice that I had virtually no complaints about this hotel. I was merely commenting upon the room size. Not a problem, especially when one is spending most of one's time elsewhere and only sleeping in the room. If one wanted to invite several people into the room for whatever reason, it might be crowded. That was NOT my intent. I was looking for a pleasant place to be and sleep. This hotel accommodated me just fine.

 

You raise another situation. Why fly on an airline that does not "really take care of you" just for the miles when another airline and schedule makes far more sense? I have known friends and acquaintences to fly thousands of "extra" miles and spend hours and hours of their time to garner a relatively few extra FF miles. I have never and never will understand this.

 

Best regards,

KMEM

[+ deej]

You raise another situation. Why fly on an airline that does not "really take care of you" just for the miles when another airline and schedule makes far more sense? I have known friends and acquaintences to fly thousands of "extra" miles and spend hours and hours of their time to garner a relatively few extra FF miles. I have never and never will understand this.

 

I've never understood the hardcore miles collectors, either, but whatever lights your board. A friend used to brag that she paid her son's college tuition on her credit card to get miles. The fact that she never goes anywhere didn't seem to factor into that decision.

 

I'll admit I have a FF account. Coincidence (Murphy?) has seen to it that the routes I've flown regularly for the last 10 years or so are dominated by two airlines (and I have a preference) so I opened the FF account on a lark. After a few years I'd accumulated enough miles to routinely get upgrades.

 

Along the way I started getting monthly offers for their miles credit card. They finally wore me down and I filled out the application (mostly hoping the junk mail would stop) in the middle of buying a house during the worst financial catastrophe since the Depression, and got a card with a five-digit limit. (WHAT credit crisis?)

 

The last time I flew I booked all four flights in first class, entirely paid for with miles. But I wouldn't have been on those flights if they didn't fit my schedule and preferences. Getting free flights (or upgrades) is nice, and I won't turn them down, but it won't ever be my primary travel planning tool.

[leigh.bess.toad]

I filled out the application (mostly hoping the junk mail would stop) in the middle of buying a house during the worst financial catastrophe since the Depression, and got a card with a five-digit limit. (WHAT credit crisis?)

 

I'm assuming the first figure in that 5 digit limit was a 9, correct? :)

 

Ah the lifestyles of the rich and famous. So how is Robin Leach, these days????

 

Champagne wishes and caviar dreams for you, deej.

 

:)

[+ newatthis]

Hey newatthis -- I've run into this more and more recently. And in general, as a guest at the hotels I think it's a great idea. I do feel a bit more secure know that someone just can't walk in off the street and go up to the floors and help themselves to my stuff. And the time it happened to me with Sean Knight: having the elevator door open and seeing that body there on the other side was hot too -- which elevator, where is he. Sort of like guessing which box has your big Christmas present in it.

The time it happened to me, the guy in question forgot to tell me about this when he emailed me his room number. Got into the elevator, pushed the button, and...nothing. Figured it out finally. Luckily this was after I started carrying a cell phone. In the old days, I would have been searching the streets for a phone booth (on the assumption that a hotel with good security wouldn't connect me with a room unless I knew the name -- the real name -- of the guest.)

[geoffk]

Hotels in Chicago

 

I was in Chicago in September, i stayed here http://www.chicagocitysuites.com/ it's not the loop or mag mile, but it is close to boys town & the lucky horse shoe. and there is a cta station right next door. I think a cab ride into town was about $20.00. The CTA is much cheaper of course, but i was in a hurry.

[+ Topseed]

AJ:

 

As a local, let me offer another suggestion: the Hotel Majestic is in Lakeview, a gay northside neighborhood. The hotel has small suites with a refrigerator and microwave, free breakfast, and Quad's Gym is blocks away. It's accessable by mass transit: take the Blue Line from ORD to Addison, and then take the 152 Addison bus east to the lake. It's a block walk. An escort buddy of mine stayed there liked it...like you, he's a gym rat, and having in-room food prep available helped him out. And, of course, the Lakeview bars and Steamworks are also walking distance if you are looking to play privately. I would avoid the City Suites hotel mentioned earlier -- it's right next to the el, and the noise can be rough.

 

Here's the link: http://majestic-chicago.com/

[+ Topseed]

Also, when you are at ORD, buy 2 3-day passes for unlimited CTA bus/el use...keep one for use after the first one runs out. The 3 day pass is $14.

 

The CTA has 2 good web sites that can help orient you: http://www.transitchicago.com, and http://www.ctabustracker.com . Use them to travel like a local! :-)