Chicago is a fun, unique city full of cool things to see and do. On a recent trip in November 2021, we used free nights and hotel status to stay for free at the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place
Choosing Which Hotel to Stay At in Chicago: Location!
Hyatt is our favorite brand, and there were quite a few choices in The Windy City. We knew we wanted to use our Hyatt points and free nights for this trip, so we didn’t consider any other brands for this trip. In Chicago, most major hotel chains have multiple hotels in various locations. If you’re trying to save money, staying outside the city and paying for all day parking when in the city or using public transportation might be a good option as well.
The location was one of the most important things to consider for us when choosing a hotel. The Hyatt McCormick Place hotel is located in the South Loop, closer to some of the museums on the South side and farther from Millennium Park and the Pier on the North side. It is next to the convention center and walking distance to the lakefront beaches and Soldier Field where the Bears play. We also have friends who live in this neighborhood 5 blocks away, and that’s one of the main reasons we chose this hotel over others. It was an easy drive to activities in Chicago and we didn’t have to fight traffic or deal with loud evening noises. And because it’s a convention hotel and conventions are slow, cash rates would be potentially lower than the other hotels, and we were able to be upgraded.
How We Paid For Our Stay
The Hyatt Credit Card comes with an annual free night stay. Both Ben and I have the card and both had free nights that were expiring. The annual fee for this card is $95, so any hotel night that costs more than that is a good value for having the card. The rate for the hotel was $192 a night (12k points). Sometimes, you can get a value of $400-$500 a night using that free night. There are also other ways to earn free nights including through credit card purchases and staying a certain number of nights. We have used free nights in Sedona, AZ, New Jersey, and more.
To book our stay, I had to call into Hyatt to book under my name using Ben’s and my free night so that I could get credit for the stay and build towards more benefits. You can earn Hyatt points from Hyatt stays, Hyatt credit card, and Chase points which can be transferred to Hyatt. Learn more about points here.
Our Suite
We have the highest loyalty status for Hyatt, which is Globalist, that we earned through nights spent and credit card purchases. Because of this status, our room was upgraded to a suite. There were multiple couches and a larger space to spread out. There wasn’t a separate bedroom like other suits, but the space was great for all of us. Read more about the benefits of suites for sleeping here. The kids had separate couches and we had a king bed on the other side of a divider. The views from the 21st floor were spectacular!
Facilities: There was a small indoor pool that the kids enjoyed and a large fitness center in the same area with numerous machines and weights.
Parking
Parking is pricey in this hotel and in all other Chicago hotels downtown. The hotel gives free self-parking (normally $36 a night!) when you have Globalist status and use points or free nights. I was able to speak to the manager and get free valet parking (normally $50) by asking nicely and being pretty pathetic looking with sleeping kids and a broken Ben (He had a stress fracture on his foot and was on crutches for this trip). Make sure when you’re measuring out the costs of different hotels and deciding on points or cash to include the cost of parking.
Restaurants: Market Breakfast
None of the restaurants were open except a market with snacks and drinks to purchase and limited options for more substantial meals. There is usually a special club on-site for Globalist members. These clubs are more common internationally, although we visited a club during our visit to Maui. Because of our status, the hotel gave us a $40/day room and dining credit that we used for breakfast! I was not impressed with the offerings and although that sounds like a lot of money, we easily used it with our kids. Sometimes, the Hyatt Place breakfasts feel like more value because we don’t have to be picky about our options, and they have hot breakfast like eggs and bacon that they didn’t have here. We had some pastries, fruit, coffee and breakfast sandwiches.
Final Thoughts
We would choose this hotel again. Although many in the travel community would say that there is more value to be found in using free nights and point stays in the more expensive hotels in the middle of downtown, this hotel’s location was perfect for our Chicago activities and visiting with friends.
