Chicago Vacation Rental on the Magnificent Mile

One of the most difficult aspects of travel is finding suitable ccommodations, especially if you're traveling with kids. One such way to circumvent standard hotel rooms is to look at vacation rentals, i.w., a condo or house, fully furnished, in a neighborhood (possibly with a yard!).  We recently spent a week in Chicago and searched high and low for a great rental in a good neighborhood or with a view. Luckily, we found www.chicagotopvacationhomes.com! They have three locations in Chicago - a rental condo on the Magnificent Mile, and family-friendly houses in Locan Square and the Diversey area.

Downtown Chicago Vacation Rental

We were lucky enough to stay at the downtown Chicago location, and truly enjoyed the great benefits of being right in the thick of things, within walking distance of museums, parks, shopping, theatre, trains, the river, Lake Michigan, and more.  Located at 160 E. Illinois Street, the condo is adjacent to the Intercontinental Hotel on Michigan Avenue (also known as the Magnificent Mile), and includes parking (an incredible money-saving bonus).  The luxurious contemporary rental condo is located on the 19th floor, and looks out over the heart of the city.  It is deliciously muffled with fog during rainy weather - the seagulls flying by are excellent neighbors. What a view!

One of the best aspects of this location in town is the proximity to all of the happenings - the river is a block away; the theater district, a few blocks southwest; and you're right in the middle of the action for all of the shops that line the Magnificent Mile. Who can resist shopping at all of these famous (and incredible) stores? We spent plenty of time at Disney as well as Borders books.

Two blocks north is the best Thai restaurant in Chicago, as well as a fantastic gelateria (I recommend the pistacio).  One can easily walk to a plethora of excellent restaurants (fine dining or inexpensive good eats) - or to Trader Joe's, and eat at home. The kitchen is fully stocked, with china, cooking equipment, a lovely coffeemaker, dishwasher, and more. There was a wide variety of tea, coffee, snacks (our 6-year old daughter loved the chocolate bowl, complete with Frangos!), and champagne.

The master bedroom is beautifully decorated, and boasts an extremely comfortable bed. The master bathroom is very large and has both a glassed-in shower and an extremely deep tub, complete with bath gels and more.  There were plenty of towels (and new pillows), something that vacation rentals do not often have. There was also a dining area, a large living room, a second bathroom, and plenty of closet space. The living room couch pulls out into a queen bed. There is an extremely large-screen TV, replete with dvd player, mp3 player plug ins, and more.

One of the best parts of this rental accommodation is the friendly doorman. There is 24/7 security at the front door, and they were very kind and able to help with directions, questions, and more. They were like our personal concierge, something I did not expect from a vacation rental.

If you're headed to Chicago and looking for a place to stay, please consider one of the three properties at www.chicagotopvacationhomes.com - you'll be sure to find something to fit your budget, family style, needs, and location.