American Girl store Chicago-any suggestions

[mommytobug]

I am taking dd in January. Does anyone have suggestions on where to stay so that we take a car to hotel from airport and be able to walk wherever.

 

[tink20]

My sister and niece went there last year, I'll ask her when she returns home, she is in Bermuda. Her and her daughter had a wonderful trip. She won't be home until Monday.

 

[tink20]

Oh I just remembered something, wherever they stayed at, they (the hotel) put a doll bed in their room for my niece's doll. My sister said it was so cute and my niece was so excited.

 

[mom2princessj]

Well if you want to walk to AG store it would be best to stay on or very close to Michigan ave but its not really cheap to stay down there. And it's going to be COLD walking down there in January brrrrrrr But the new store from what I've heard is well worth it. We are going down there in November without dd so I can shop and I can't wait. I'm as excited as she would be. Have a fabulous time and good luck finding a place to stay!
Store is in water tower place and the hotels if I remember correctly on Michigan Ave are a few blocks down. Now I don't ever stay down there because its only an hour drive in for us so hopefully someone that either lives down there or someone that stays down there will reply and give you info on where is a good place to stay that is relatively close.

 

[Tam1067]

There are lots of hotels within walking distance. The Marriott a few blocks away has a special package where you get a bed for your doll, and it's just a few blocks from the store.

When you're searching for a hotel, you want to look in the North Michigan Avenue or River North area. Look on a map, too, because you want to be able to walk (it'll be freezing though!).

I was in the new store on Saturday. It's very nice.

 

[mommytobug]

Thanks everyone!! I just looked at the Marriot and I had looked at the Hyatt. They are about 200 difference in price. I want to be close enough to walk so I am willing to pay more. I also like that they have American Girl packages. Are there other things we can walk to from there? Thanks again!

 

[FatElvis]

I've gone to Chicago a couple of times for girls' weekends and we stayed at the Seneca. It's right behind Water Tower Place, so it'd be a super close walk. It's a smaller hotel and we all really enjoyed it both times.

http://www.senecahotel.com/

 

[mom~of~2]

Thanks everyone!! I just looked at the Marriot and I had looked at the Hyatt. They are about 200 difference in price. I want to be close enough to walk so I am willing to pay more. I also like that they have American Girl packages. Are there other things we can walk to from there? Thanks again!

There's lots of fun shopping that you can walk to (including a few indoor "mall-type" places). As others have said, it will be crazy cold and windy in Jan. The CTA is great - there are always buses running down Michigan Avenue. The #151 makes many stops. You can ask the concierge at your hotel for more info. You can also always jump in a cab.

 

[irene_dsc]

I hadn't realized there was a new AG store on Michigan Ave - is it far from the old one?

I've only stayed at one hotel downtown - The Allerton. It is usually the cheapest of the ones on North Michigan Avenue, I think. I first heard of it when my then-boyfriend was doing his Peace Corps training, and that's where they stayed. Then, a group of us stayed there for my bachelorette party.

There's a ton of shopping there, as everyone has said. The museums are mainly a bit farther away. My kids especially like the Museum of Science and Industry (quite a bit farther south, but worth the trip). There's a Children's Museum at Navy Pier, which I haven't visited, but it would be much closer.

 

[Princessbaby]

I've gone to Chicago a couple of times for girls' weekends and we stayed at the Seneca. It's right behind Water Tower Place, so it'd be a super close walk. It's a smaller hotel and we all really enjoyed it both times.

http://www.senecahotel.com/

What is the parking rate like at this hotel? All I could find was they had valet parking. Looks like a great place to stay!

 

[Wild Rider]

We stayed at the Homewood Suites, 40 East Grand. Good breakfast buffet, and a pool the kids liked.

Great trip--DD4 loved the Children's Museum at Navy Pier. Everyone enjoyed Shedd Aquarium (esp. the dolphin show) and the Field Museum. Our girls liked the miniature rooms at the Art Institute, too. And the boat tour of Chicago architecture was fun.

We got the Go Chicago card, which got us in just about everywhere. I liked paying once up front and then having the incentive to go out and see all the sights to get our money's worth--which we definitely did.

 

[mom2princessj]

I hadn't realized there was a new AG store on Michigan Ave - is it far from the old one?

I've only stayed at one hotel downtown - The Allerton. It is usually the cheapest of the ones on North Michigan Avenue, I think. I first heard of it when my then-boyfriend was doing his Peace Corps training, and that's where they stayed. Then, a group of us stayed there for my bachelorette party.

There's a ton of shopping there, as everyone has said. The museums are mainly a bit farther away. My kids especially like the Museum of Science and Industry (quite a bit farther south, but worth the trip). There's a Children's Museum at Navy Pier, which I haven't visited, but it would be much closer.

If you remember the old AG store was not on Michigan ave it was on a side street (can't remember which one) just off the mag mile. It is really just a block down but in water tower place on Michigan ave now. You can't miss it...its a HUGE store with a great window display. I haven't been but there was all kinds of hype leading up to it through the media here and the window display looks awesome!

 

[momz]

I took my DD(7) there recently. It was cold and windy and this is October. I can't imagine January. If you are walking...bundle up!!!!! Also, this is an incredibly busy area, be prepared to be in a crowd. It is shoulder to shoulder on that sidewalk. The store however was great. It's big enough to accomodate a crowd. I'm so glad that we went. It was such a sweet memory.

 

[bigfish2215]

Don't forget to go to the Hersey Store its right around the corner from the Old Watertower. Last time I was there it was for my son's b-day and the lady behind the counter was making a huge cupcake and asking everyone what she should put on it. And she gave it away to my son. The store is a blast. Hersey kisses in every size Yummmmmmmmm