Preparing to meet a friend for dinner at Carlucci's in Rosemont, I knew right where to go since the intersection at River Road and Touhy is a landmark. There's a waterfall out of nowhere for no reason which serves as a counterbalance to a monolithic water tower that's painted to look like a giant rose looming from behind the Rosemont convention center. Since Carlucci's is conveniently located next door to the Marriott Suites, I decided I'd stay there for the night as my flight back was early the next morning and the hotel is minutes from O'Hare.
When the desk clerk told me the room rate was $179, I was stunned. For a simple, single room at a relatively simple hotel on a Sunday night, this was out of the question. Even though my husband had promised when we moved away from Chicago that I could go back anytime I like and stay anywhere I wanted, my mid-western frugality gene kicked in as it always does if I'm asked to pay for more than I either need or want (he knew that when he made the deal, I'm sure). So, a cell phone call turned up another Marriott Courtyard just one-half mile up River Road for a mere $79.
After driving past the hotel twice, as it was set back from road quite a bit and the sign is easy to miss at night, I found two very courteous desk clerks offering to make life easy for me immediately.
The restaurant was closed by then, but a gregarious gang had set up shop in the lounge area where they were making their own party. All the hotel rooms surround the courtyard where a charming little lighted gazebo gives the small hotel in an urban setting the illusion of a vacation village. It was too cold to sit outside that night, or I'm sure the gang would have been whooping it up in the hot tub. I declined the invitation to join them and made use of the indoor pool and exercise room. Not surpringly, I had it all to myself.
Once in my room, I found the promised data port and high-speed internet connection, and the comfortable desk, sofa, coffee maker and ironing facilities that make life on the road bearable to frugal frequent flyers. A tape loop was playing on the TV with Mike Ditka extolling the many virtues of his fair city along with "inside" tips for where to go around Chicagoland.
This was the end of the line for me for this visit to Chicago, so I'd have to pass on the temptations offered at Water Tower Place, Michigan Avenue, Gino's East, and Steppenwolf Theater. But it's good to know that Morton's, Carlucci's, Nick's Fishmarket, Gino's, Augie Doggie's, Giordano's, and Harry Carray's are all located within one mile of the Courtyard Des Plaines/O'Hare. All this and free rides to the airport! As my friends in Chicago would say, "such a deal!"