[VIDEO] Explore Chicago: Arlo Hotel, Chicago’s Gem

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Facts About Chicago

  • Chicago is the largest city of Illinois and third largest city of the United States after New York City and Los Angeles.
  • Chicago has various nicknames including “Chi-town”, “Windy City”, “Second City,” the “City of Big Shoulders”, and “American of big cities”.
  • A unique downtown Chicago feature is its multi-leveled streets, the most well-known of which is Wacker Drive. This double-decker street comprises an upper-level riverfront boulevard and a lower-level roadway for commercial and through traffic.Chicago’s downtown area is known as “The Loop,” which refers to the area encircled by the Chicago Transit Authority’s elevated (‘L’) train tracks.The CTA operates the nation’s second largest public transportation system. In an average year, the CTA provides more than 450 million bus and train rides.

Source: choosechicago.com

It took awhile for me to find a hotel to stay in Chicago but I managed to find the best hotels that perfectly suited my itinerary. There’s always been a question about safety in Chicago and this is the first thing I checked before I visited it. There’s a mix of different feedback. Some are backed by facts and some are based on people’s opinions and experiences. People who live Chicago and a lot of tourists who visited the place.

Based on my research, it seems that Chicago is safe for tourist with the recommendation of staying in the loop area, travelling in groups if possible and avoiding certain places. It is a given that wherever you visit no matter how safe the place is you have to take precautions especially if you are travelling alone. I had travelled alone before, quite a few times and even longer trips than this so travelling solo is not a new thing for me.

When it comes to where is the best area to stay, The Loop is one of the top recommended area. The loop is basically the downtown district where a lot of the tourist attractions are located and business and commercial spaces.

This is where I decided to find a hotel. I stayed in Chicago for a week. Normally, I would stay in one place the entire duration but for this trip, I decided to stay in 2 hotels.

Why so? I like the idea of experiencing different hotel, plus the two hotels I selected are both close to the attractions I want to visit. Let me show you a tour of the first hotel that I stayed at, Arlo Hotel.

How to get to Downtown from O’Hare International Airport via Train

But before that, we need to get there first 🙂 Here is a short video on how to go to downtown Chicago from O’Hare International Airport, have a look.

Both these 2 hotels are located in the loop or downtown area. I decided to create 2 separate posts are there are quite a Loy of photos I would like to share with you, especially the CitizenM Hotel. For now, let us start with Arlo Hotel, the first Hotel that I stayed for 3 days.

General Information

The first hotel I stayed in was Arlo Chicago (formerly Julian Hotel). It was a 5 minutes walk from the Washington station, at least that was what google showed but it took me more than 5 minutes but in the end I managed to find it and that is what is important. Let’s go have a tour of the hotel. 

Hotel Restaurant : All About Knife Steak Bar (ALK)

This here is the restaurant in the ground floor. It does look nice but unfortunately I wasn’t able to dine in this place as there are quite a lot of places that I would like to try. It is a good option though if you are short of time to go somewhere else. If you happen to try this place, please leave a comment and share you dining experience.

Hotel Entrance

Once you enter the entrance door beside the restaurant the entrance lounging area. I love how they use the wall as a decorated bookshelves. I have to point out the wood side table is very pretty :) The sofa chair is comfortable and quite spacious.

Hotel Lounge

Then they have this second lounge close to the check in counter. I love this area as it feels more cozy to hangout here. This was my favourite spot to hang out whenever I am back early at the hotel. It has a very homey feel to it especially at night when the lights are dimmed.

The side wall is also a decorated bookshelves but in this side they used yellow and green books. Very artistic and elegant.

Bed Room

This is a single room with king size bed. It was a decent size but definitely far from what they have shown in the website. The important thing for me is that it was clean and comfortable and the location was perfect! The only thing I hoped that they have in the room is a coffee pot. They do have the Nespresso but I am more of a tea drinker so having a coffee pot to heat the water is a huge thing for me but that is not a deal breaker at all for me to stay here again.

They do have microwave in 5th floor which I was able to find in my last day of stay 🙂 They also have ice machine in 15th and 5th floor and that was really nice. Bottled water in any tourist attraction is quite expensive so bring your own water bottle if you can.

Washroom

The washroom was a decent size. It was clean which is the most important thing for me. I like that the basic toiletries were provided in a dispenser rather than in small bottles, that is a real plus for me.

ok, that is all I have for you at this hotel. I hope you find it helpful 🙂

Nearby Attractions

  • Millenium Park – Situated across the street from Arlo Chicago, Millennium Park is one of the most celebrated public spaces in the world. Millennium Park is home to architect Frank Gehry’s landmark Pritzker Music Pavilion, and a wide range of public art including Sir Anish Kapoor’s breathtaking sculpture ‘Cloud Gate’ – known locally (and lovingly) as The Bean. 
  • 360 Chicago – Soaring 1,000 feet over Michigan Avenue, 360 CHICAGO is one of the city’s most iconic attractions. Located on the 94th floor of the John Hancock Center at 875 N. Michigan Avenue, 360 CHICAGO offers breathtaking views of Chicago’s skyline, the lakefront and four neighbouring states.
    • Address: 875 N Michigan Avenue, Chicago IL 60611
  • Water Tower Place – Located along the Michigan Avenue’s Magnificent Mile®, Water Tower Place is a 758,000-square-foot shopping mall and 74-story skyscraper located along Chicago’s premier shopping district. 
    • Address 835 Michigan Avenue, Chicago IL 60611
  • United Center – United Center is an indoor arena located on Chicago’s Near West Side. The home to National Basketball League’s Chicago Bulls and the National Hockey League’s Chicago Blackhawks, the United Center is also one of the city’s premier venues for live concerts and family-friendly events like Disney On Ice.
    • Address: 1901 W Madison Street, Chicago, IL 60612
  • Navy Pier – is a 3,300-foot-long pier on the Chicago shoreline of Lake Michigan. Its many attractions include rides, games and amusements that feature the Centennial Wheel, which offer unparalleled, 360-degree views of Chicago and Lake Michigan from 200 feet up. There are also restaurants, cruises, live entertainment and more.
    • Address: 600 E Grand Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611
  • Museum Campus – Chicago’s Museum Campus, located in the South Loop, is home to the Shedd Aquarium, one of the premier aquariums in the country, the Field Museum, one of the world’s preeminent Natural History Museums, and home to Sue, the largest and most complete Tyrannosaurus Rex fossils in the world, and Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum, the first planetarium in the United States.
  • The Art Institute of Chicago – Founded in 1879 and located on Michigan Avenue in Chicago’s Grant Park, the Art Institute is one of the oldest and largest art museums in the United States. Along with many of the world’s most recognized art works, and international art exhibitions, the museum hosts approximately 1.5 million guests annually.
    • Address: 111 S Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60603
  • Chicago Symphony Orchestra One of the world’s most celebrated symphony orchestras, the CSO performs well over one hundred concerts each year at its downtown home, Symphony Center. You can also enjoy its performances at the Ravinia Festival on Chicago’s North Shore.
    • Address: 220 S Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60604
  • Grant Park – Grant Park is a large, lakefront park located just east of the Loop business district. Extending from Millennium Park to the Museum Campus, the park plays host to Chicago’s many music festivals and features the iconic Buckingham Fountain and the famed Art Institute of Chicago.
    • Address: 337 E Randolph Street, Chicago, IL 60601
  • Maggie Daley Park – Located just down the street from Arlo Chicago, this park is recognized as one of the most innovative public spaces in the city. Offering a range of innovative attractions for young and old alike, including a climbing wall, skating ribbon, a children’s playground and more this 20-acre gem is a must-see experience. 
    • Address: 337 E Randolph Street, Chicago, IL 60601
  • Starbucks Reserve Roasterya –  spectacular destination. An ever-changing collection of rare coffees. And a space to bring your event to life in a uniquely memorable way.
    • Address: 646 Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611

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