Best Lollapalooza Hotels

Essex Inn

This 254-room Essex Inn is a decent value pick across the street from Grant Park, near the Museum Campus. Some of the bright, comfortable (if chain-like) rooms have great views of the lake, and the huge indoor pool and state-of-the-art fitness center are both pluses. It’s true that leisure travelers can usually find comparable hotels farther north for similar rates, but the free Michigan Avenue shuttle to popular sites helps compensate for the South Loop location.

Hilton Chicago

The historic, 1,544-room Hilton Chicago once hosted presidents and dignitaries, but today it’s just a massive chain hotel in South Loop. The grand lobby still impresses, and faux old-world rooms have high-tech amenities (flat-screen TVs, digital concierges).

Congress Plaza Hotel

This historic, 851-room hotel across from Grant Park is the cheaper alternative to the neighboring Hilton Chicago — and you get what you pay for. The lobby is elegant, but features are few and rooms are basic.

The Palmer House Hilton Hotel

This 1,639-room historic hotel in the Loop has a storied past, and a breathtaking lobby with a painted ceiling and glittering chandeliers.

Burnham, A Kimpton Hotel

This 122-room boutique located in an 1896 building pays homage to its past with cool historic details, including wrought iron, mosaic tiles, and marble stairs. But as in many old buildings, the rooms are teeny tiny, starting at just 175 square feet. At least they come with 37-inch flat-screen TVs, Aveda toiletries, and bold, but stately, decor. Freebies like nightly wine tastings also help compensate.

Allegro Chicago Hotel

This 438-room Kimpton hotel is located in the heart of the Theatre District, and surrounded by the corporate offices of the Loop. The decor is bright and modern, and freebies include a nightly wine hour and in-room yoga accessories. Though some rooms are on the small side, all have modern amenities: 37-inch flat-screen TVs, iPod docks, Aveda toiletries and mini-bars. For bigger rooms and bathrooms (but fewer freebies), consider the nearby Fairmont.

Hotel Monaco Chicago

The 192-room Kimpton is located inside a former hat factory in the Loop, and its stylish decor is a mix of Art Deco elegance and bright, quirky boutique flair. Solid freebies, including evening wine tastings and morning coffee and tea, help to create an intimate experience. All in all, it’s one of the city’s best boutiques.

Fairmont Chicago, Millennium Park

This 687-room luxury hotel is in the Loop neighborhood, near Millennium Park and Lake Michigan. Big rooms have separate soaking tubs and showers (which even pricier hotels like the Ritz-Carlton lack), iPod docks and 42-inch flat-screen TVs. Add an excellent Asian restaurant, a wine bar, a spa, and stunning design by David Rockwell, and you’ve got one of Chicago’s most luxurious hotels in this price range.

Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago

This 339-room Trump is one of the top luxury hotels in Chicago, located in a modern glass tower right on the Chicago river and within easy walking distance of the Magnificent Mile. The sleek, glossy decor is subdued and tasteful, and every amenity — from the Michelin-starred restaurant, to the big indoor pool, to bright fitness center, to the spa — is first-rate. The huge, tasteful rooms have limestone bathrooms with soaking tubs and floor-to-ceiling windows (often with phenomenal views).

Allerton Hotel Chicago

The 443-room Allerton is one of the few hotels right on the Magnificent Mile, and its rooms -- with soothing blue-and-white color schemes, iPod docks, and flat-screen TVs -- are more modern and stylish than those at the neighboring Omni and Intercontinental hotels. But unlike its neighbors the Allerton lacks a pool, and its rooms offer significantly less space than the Omni's generic 2-room suites.