Find Home Away from Home with AirBnB
One of the biggest decisions steppers make about planning a trip to Chicago is where to stay. To be close to a handful of the lounges, classes, and places where steppers go, most steppers book accommodations on the Southside of Chicago. Hyde Park, downtown in the Loop, and even Bronzeville are among the popular areas of the city. A safe option is booking rooms at the event host hotel if an event promoter arranged one for visitors. See the Chicago Map to explore the different neighborhoods.
There are pockets of nice places on the Westside and good places to stay in the suburbs. Get familiar with the city. Whether you are a budget traveler, points pursuer looking for travel rewards, or a stepper looking for the best experience and luxury where you stay, Chicago has something for you. Here are some options of where to stay.
Options for Places to Stay in Chicago
The Chicagoland area offers options for accommodations to cater to steppers with different tastes. You can a selection of boutique hotels, major chain hotels, Airbnbs, small motels, and bed-and-breakfasts. Some steppers are looking for options to rack up reward points. Hotels like the Marriott and Hilton are popular national brands you can find in the heart of Chicago. Some may be seeking something more private and less expensive and choose to book Airbnb. There are also boutique hotels that offer a high-end, luxury experience that is more quaint and personal. They tend to be higher nightly rates than hotel chains, but they offer an experience that can be well worth it.
Hotels
The Marriott Bonvoy and Hilton Hotel brands are two of the top recommendations from steppers who are looking for a hotel stay and accommodations. Accommodation rates can range from $150 to more than $200 per night. I recommend trying the Hotel Tonight App for a chance at locking in lower rates at some of these hotels. They offer deep discounts on the night off for unsold hotel night inventory.
Hotel Tonight App
Boutique Hotels
Boutique hotels are small and intimate. Sometimes these are old mansions or lodges that have been rehabbed to beautiful architecture and antique furniture. A boutique hotel can be defined by its characteristics – relatively smaller and compact with 10 to 100 rooms. Guests can look forward to a sense of intimacy and privacy. Some of the boutique hotels that steppers love are the SOPHY Hotel and The London House. See other Stepper Recommendations for accommodations.
Airbnb
A modern, economic alternative for where to stay in Chicago for steppers is Airbnb. Airbnb offers a home away from home and a place to stay for travelers on any budget. Steppers can rent a room or an entire home for less than $100/night to well over $500/night. Certainly, if you have never booked an Airbnb, please visit their website and read about How Airbnb Works and Trust and Safety to learn more about how it all works. Some instructors and steppers in Chicago offer private accommodations for steppers in an Airbnb-type model. Inquire in your local stepping circuit or ask class instructors in Chicago that you know and trust about this option.
Other Resources
Check out StepintheChi’s recommendations for Chicago Airbnb and hotels from steppers on the circuit who have experienced Chicago firsthand in our article – Recommendations of Hotels and Airbnb’s for Steppers.