Where to stay

The Loop, also known as Chicago Central Business District or Downtown Chicago, is an inner-city neighborhood well-worth a visit and maybe a stay. Densely packed with government buildings, great hotels and fantastic restaurants, accommodations here will place you in the middle of the action. Stay a few blocks away in West Loop, where many of the city's Michelin-starred dining spots maintain acclaim year after year. On a more humble level, Chicago claims the best pizza in the country - a mouthwatering deep dish stuffed with cheese, fillings and sauce. Book accommodations in South Side, Lincoln Park or River North and do a taste test at different pizza parlors every evening.

The Magnificent Mile area in Downtown Chicago has hundreds of stores and restaurants and dozens of hotels, making this neighborhood a perfect spot to stay when shopping is part of the travel itinerary. If that doesn't provide enough retail options, nearby Rush Street and Gold Coast offer even more shops. Book accommodations in Wicker Park to browse one-of-a-kind boutiques, trendy shops and local coffeehouses. Or stay in the Chicago suburbs of Schaumburg or Rosemont near Chicago O'Hare Airport, where outlet malls offer big discounts on high-quality products ranging from fashion to home furnishings.

Chicago is filled with museums, galleries, theaters and other cultural venues. Hotels in the South Loop and Near South Side neighborhoods are among the best to access the attractions of the huge lakeside Museum Campus, including the Field Museum of Natural History, the Adler Planetarium, the Shedd Aquarium and the Lakeside Center of McCormick Place. See the Chicago Bears play football here at Soldier Field. Stay in Streeterville to visit the Museum of Contemporary Art, or reserve a room in the neighborhood of Bronzeville, where public art and African American music mix with mansions from Chicago's Victorian era. Book accommodations in the Loop to be in the heart of Chicago's Theater District and near the Art Institute of Chicago as well as Cloud Gate, the city's beloved Bean sculpture.