If you want more than just a cookie-cutter hotel, if you want a premier location right off of N. Michigan Avenue, if you want your every whim catered too (okay, maybe not on that one, but just about every amenity has been included), then Flemish House may be just what you are looking for.

When we got the dates for the get-together, I began to search right away for lodging in what I felt would be a good location, central to most of the activities that might be included. I found several promising hotels, but the price sent me into sticker shock. Anything that even came close to what I was looking for was in the vicinity of $300, a price I refuse to get accustomed to. I decided to look outside of the box.

After several Google searches and a look at Trip Advisor, I came up with Flemish House. My first choice was the basement suite. I admit it was my first choice because it was the least expensive. A quick email to Mike assured me that it wasn’t available, but the two lodgings on the first floor were. I opted for the less expensive, smaller rear suite. I can’t begin to tell you how happy I was with my choice.

First, let me say that owners Mike and Tom are the most accommodating hosts that anyone could ask for. They allowed me to leave our luggage on the day of our arrival at 9am, even though the room was not available until 3pm, and they even delivered our luggage right up to our room.

Our room consisted of a gorgeous wrought-iron canopy bed (with, I have to tell, the most luxurious pillow-top mattress I have ever slept on), two ratan chairs, plenty of lighting, a small table with three chairs in the dining area, and a full kitchen. The bathroom was large with a black-and-white tile floor, a tub with an attached shower (with a rain shower head), and plenty of storage.

Flemish House is not your typical B&B. There are no public areas, so you don’t get to interact with the other guests. You also don’t get a cooked breakfast, but you do get all the fixings to make your own. Everyday English muffins, flavored muffins, a pitcher of orange juice, coffee, cereal, oatmeal, hot chocolate, and milk are all available for you to fix for yourself. It is like having your own apartment with a housekeeper who cleans up after you.

The neighborhood is fantastic. There are loads of restaurants right down the street, a CVS drugstore, and a Dunkin' Donuts, and the L is only 3 blocks away. Cabs are plentiful and easy to catch, as is the bus on N. Michigan Avenue.

For all this we paid just a little more than half what a hotel would have cost—luxury at a bargain price.