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The Best Hotels for First Time Visitors in Chicago

Where to Stay on Your First Trip to Chicago

Chicago Chicago

If it's your first trip to Chicago, Illinois for the activities and sightseeing, then you're in for a treat. But the biggest question is often where to stay for a first time visitor to Chicago. With so many amazing hotels to choose from, it can be tough to make a decision to make the most of your first trip here. That's where we come in! In this comprehensive guide, we'll help you find the best hotels for first-timers in Chicago. After analyzing all of the hotels based on price, location, amenities, ratings, and more, we have come up with our list of the best hotels in Chicago for first time visitors. We'll cover everything you need to know about these hotels, including the amenities, location, prices and ratings. So, whether you're traveling solo, with family, or as a couple on a romantic getaway, you'll find the perfect hotel if you've never visited Chicago beofre. So check out these terrific hotels, many of which have sparkling swimming pools, delicious restaurants, and top-notch amenities, along with the perfect balance of comfort, location, and affordability. So, let's get to it and discover the best hotels in Chicago for your first trip!

(Prices are listed in U.S. Dollars.)

The Ritz-Carlton Chicago

5-star Hotel with prices starting at $554 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Among the Best Places to Stay for a First Visit to Chicago
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.
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Located at 160 East Pearson Street, The Ritz-Carlton Chicago has great rooms from $554 (before taxes). It offers room service, a restaurant, a fitness center, a bar, and parking. It has a terrific 8.70 rating out of 10 from previous guests who have stayed here. Only 3.6 miles from the city center, first time visitors will especially love rooms with kitchens, child care, laundry services, pet-friendly rooms, and city views at this relaxing hotel. The kitchen in the room is great, because you can cook your own meals to save time and money.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Room service
  • Parking
  • Kitchen
  • Spa
  • Indoor pool
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Babysitting / Child Care
  • Laundry service
  • Pets allowed
  • Hot tub
  • Bicycle rental
  • Family rooms
  • Coffee shop
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator
  • Breakfast in the room
  • Kids' club
View Prices and Reviews


Hyatt Regency Chicago

4-star Hotel with prices starting at $152 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect Hotel to Make the Most of Your First Visit
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for 4-star hotels.
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.
  • Family-Friendly
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A great place to stay is Hyatt Regency Chicago which has nice rooms starting at $152. Offering room service, a restaurant, a fitness center, a bar, and parking, it also has a great guest rating of 8.60 out of 10 from many previous guests. It's located at 151 East Wacker Drive. This convenient hotel is also nice because it offers child care, laundry services, city views, kids meals, and car rentals which visitors will enjoy. Also, it's just 3 miles from the city center. The service at the restaurant is terrific, and so is the food. It's also less than the average price for first time trip hotels, so it's a great value.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Room service
  • Parking
  • Airport shuttle
  • Family-Friendly
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Babysitting / Child Care
  • Laundry service
  • Bicycle rental
  • Family rooms
  • Coffee shop
  • Refrigerator
  • Breakfast in the room
View Prices and Reviews


The Langham Chicago

5-star Hotel with prices starting at $499 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Great Hotel for First Time Visitors
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.
  • Family-Friendly
  • Heated pool
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We found The Langham Chicago to be a great place to stay, and the price starts at $499. We loved that is has room service, a restaurant, a fitness center, a bar, and parking, and it also has a terrific guest rating of 9.50 out of 10 from previous guests. It's located at 330 North Wabash Avenue. You'll also find child care, laundry services, pet-friendly rooms, city views, and a hot tub which travelers will love. And this fun hotel is just 2.9 miles from the center of town. It's always nice having a heated pool to relax in.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Room service
  • Parking
  • Spa
  • Indoor pool
  • Family-Friendly
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Babysitting / Child Care
  • Laundry service
  • Pets allowed
  • Hot tub
  • Game room
  • Family rooms
  • Heated pool
  • Coffee shop
  • Breakfast in the room
  • Kids' club
View Prices and Reviews


Waldorf Astoria Chicago

5-star Hotel with prices starting at $535 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect for Your First Visit to Chicago
  • Family-Friendly
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With terrific rooms from $535, Waldorf Astoria Chicago, at 11 East Walton Chicago Il Us 60611 provides room service, a restaurant, a fitness center, a bar, and parking. Its terrific guest rating is 8.50 out of 10 from previous guests staying here. New visitors will really like this amazing hotel which also offers child care, laundry services, pet-friendly rooms, city views, and cooking classes. It's located just 3.6 miles from the city center, too. The indoor pool here is terrific, and makes for a great place to relax and have fun no matter what the weather is like.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Room service
  • Parking
  • Spa
  • Indoor pool
  • Family-Friendly
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Babysitting / Child Care
  • Laundry service
  • Pets allowed
  • Hot tub
  • Bicycle rental
  • Family rooms
  • Coffee shop
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator
  • Breakfast in the room
View Prices and Reviews


Four Seasons Chicago

5-star Hotel with prices starting at $460 (before taxes) - See All Prices
A Good Stay for Your First Trip
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for 5-star hotels.
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.
  • Heated pool
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Four Seasons Chicago has a great guest rating of 9.20 out of 10, and offers room service, a restaurant, a fitness center, a bar, and parking. The great rooms here start at $460 before taxes and depending on the season. It can be found at 120 East Delaware Place. Furthermore, it also offers child care, laundry services, pet-friendly rooms, city views, and a hot tub, which is nice for first time visitors. Just 3.6 miles from the city center, this fantastic hotel is a terrific choice. You'll enjoy unwinding in the hot tub, too.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Room service
  • Parking
  • Spa
  • Indoor pool
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Babysitting / Child Care
  • Laundry service
  • Pets allowed
  • Hot tub
  • Bicycle rental
  • Family rooms
  • Heated pool
  • Refrigerator
  • Breakfast in the room
  • Kids' club
View Prices and Reviews


The Westin Chicago River North

4-star Hotel with prices starting at $292 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect for Your First Time in Chicago
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.
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The great guest rating of The Westin Chicago River North is 9.00 out of 10. This place has room service, a restaurant, a fitness center, a bar, and parking. Prices for the terrific rooms are from $292, and it's located at 320 North Dearborn Street. We also love the laundry services, pet-friendly rooms, city views, a spa, and bowling which are great for visitors. And since it's just 2.8 miles from the center of the town, the location is great, too. Nothing says relaxation like having room service delivered.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Room service
  • Parking
  • Spa
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Laundry service
  • Pets allowed
  • Bicycle rental
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator
  • Breakfast in the room
View Prices and Reviews


Thompson Chicago

4-star Hotel with prices starting at $196 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect for First-Timers
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.
  • Family-Friendly
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A cool place is Thompson Chicago because it has great rooms that start at $196. It has room service, a restaurant, a fitness center, a bar, and parking, it also earned a great guest rating of 9.00 out of 10 from people who have stayed here before. It's found at 21 East Bellevue Place. Only 3.7 miles from the city center, travelers will especially love child care, laundry services, pet-friendly rooms, city views, and laundry facilities at this convenient hotel.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Room service
  • Parking
  • Family-Friendly
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Babysitting / Child Care
  • Laundry service
  • Pets allowed
  • Bicycle rental
View Prices and Reviews


Hotel Blake an Ascend Hotel Collection Member

3-star Hotel with prices starting at $162 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Among the Best Places to Stay for a First Visit to Chicago
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for first time trip hotels.
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.
  • Family-Friendly
View Prices on Kayak
See Location

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Hotel Blake an Ascend Hotel Collection Member offers room service, a restaurant, a fitness center, a bar, and parking which we really like. The terrific rooms here start at $162 (before taxes). It's located at 500 South Dearborn Street and has earned a guest rating of 9.00/10. This fun hotel is also nice because it offers laundry services, city views, laundry facilities, a tour desk, and a multi-lingual staff which new visitors will enjoy. Also, it's just 2 miles from the city center. It's a great value, too, because it's less than the average price for first time trip hotels.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Room service
  • Parking
  • Family-Friendly
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Laundry service
  • Coffee shop
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator
View Prices and Reviews


Park Hyatt Chicago

5-star Hotel with prices starting at $584 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect Hotel to Make the Most of Your First Visit
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.
  • Family-Friendly
View Prices on Kayak
See Location

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Located at 800 North Michigan Avenue, Park Hyatt Chicago has great rooms from $584 (before taxes). It offers room service, a restaurant, a fitness center, a bar, and parking. It has a terrific 8.90 rating out of 10 from previous guests who have stayed here. You'll also find rooms with kitchenettes, child care, laundry services, pet-friendly rooms, and city views which first time visitors will love. And this amazing hotel is just 3.5 miles from the center of town. We find the kitchenette here to be a great way to get a good breakfast and save time and money.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Room service
  • Parking
  • Spa
  • Indoor pool
  • Airport shuttle
  • Family-Friendly
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Kitchenette
  • Babysitting / Child Care
  • Laundry service
  • Pets allowed
  • Hot tub
  • Bicycle rental
  • Family rooms
  • Breakfast in the room
View Prices and Reviews


Marriott Marquis Chicago

4-star Hotel with prices starting at $222 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Great Hotel for First Time Visitors
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.
View Prices on Kayak
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A great place to stay is Marriott Marquis Chicago which has nice rooms starting at $222. Offering room service, a restaurant, a fitness center, a bar, and parking, it also has a great guest rating of 8.90 out of 10 from many previous guests. It's located at 2121 South Prairie Avenue. Visitors will really like this fantastic hotel which also offers a kid-friendly buffet, hiking, laundry services, city views, and bowling. It's located just 1.5 miles from the city center, too.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Room service
  • Parking
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Kid-friendly buffet
  • Hiking
  • Laundry service
  • Bicycle rental
  • Tennis
  • Coffee shop
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator
View Prices and Reviews


Also, take a look at the First Time Trip hotels in nearby destinations: Schaumburg, Lake Geneva, Naperville, and Lincolnshire.

For more terrific hotel ideas in Chicago, make sure you also see Best Family-Friendly Hotels in Chicago, Best Cheap Hotels in Chicago, Best Luxury Hotels in Chicago, Best Pet-Friendly Hotels in Chicago, Best Hotels for a Weekend Getaway in Chicago, Best Hotels for One Week in Chicago, Best Hotels for One Night in Chicago, Best Romantic Hotels for Couples in Chicago, Best Business Hotels in Chicago, or Best Party Hotels in Chicago.


How much do hotels for first-time visitors cost in Chicago?

Chicago Average First Time Trip Hotel Price
$183

After analyzing 146 first time trip hotels in Chicago, Illinois, we found the average first time trip hotel price to be a remarkably economical $183. Naturally, this destination has many fantastic first time trip accommodation options with a variety of prices. The price will vary by the hotel's amenities, available dates, and the general location. If you're interested in more information about hotels here, see our guide to hotel prices in Chicago.

The average prices of our suggested first time trip hotels by star rating:

  • 5-star hotels: $473
  • 4-star hotels: $185
  • 3-star hotels: $154
  • 2-star hotels: $142


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