My son moved to Chicago last year, and we plan to visit him there over Mother’s Day weekend. I have only been to Chicago once and am looking forward to exploring.
I love planning trips that allow me to be bougie on a budget. Spending less on the hotel and transportation costs without sacrificing luxury and leaving plenty in the budget for dining and entertainment.
Choosing Hotels
When I started thinking about hotels, I considered what “tools” I have available. We belong to 3 hotel loyalty programs. I am saving my IHG and Hilton points for a trip to France next spring and my husband’s Hilton points for a winter getaway.
Then I remembered that we have a Hyatt free night certificate that will be expiring soon. Since Hyatt also has a Bonus Journeys points promotion running right now, they seem like the perfect hotel choice for this trip.
I searched Hyatt properties in Chicago (there are a lot) and narrowed it down to 3 intriguing retro-style properties that are located close to our son. I ended up ruling out one of the hotels which left The Thompson Hotel Chicago and The Hotel Lincoln.
I used our Free Night Certificate to book Saturday night at The Thompson which is listed as a Chic Midcentury modern hotel in the historic Gold Coast Neighborhood.
I could have booked Friday night there as well, but I really wanted to check out The Hotel Lincoln too.
The Hotel Lincoln looks fun with its kitschy vibe and rooftop bar. It is also located very close to both my son and Lincoln Park.
Ways We Are Saving
- Using our Free Night at The Thompson will save us $440 plus a $17 Resort Fee!
- Booking Friday night at the Hotel Lincoln is $200 cheaper than spending two nights at The Thompson. So it made sense to split the stay and use our Free Night at the more expensive hotel.
- Additionally, using our Hyatt card to pay for the reservation will earn us 7 points per $1 spent during our stay.
- Splitting our trip into 2 separate hotel stays also fulfills a Bonus Journey challenge so we will earn even more bonus points.
- Hyatt also has an ongoing Brand Explorer program for Loyalty members. For every 5 different types of Hyatt properties you stay at, you receive a Free Night Award. Staying one night at each hotel checks off 2 more brands edging us close to that award.
Final Thoughts…
Although I would usually prefer to stay in just 1 hotel for a weekend trip, I’m looking forward to checking out both of these properties. Splitting up the nights lets me access both hotels for future stays and take advantage of multiple Hyatt promotions. In the end, we will save money and earn lots of points toward our next trip!
Stay Tuned for the Hotel Reviews and our Fave Chicago Foodie Finds!
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