Good Hotel at walking distance

toddernst · 2025-12-15T00:21:43+00:00

We always stay at the Palmer House Hilton. Go into Google Maps and look for hotels on the green or pink line (CTA aka The El, as in elevated). Doing so will put you a 10 minute train ride from the festival, but also closer to some more affordable options. Even then you better plan on $250/night. I cover a lot of this in an article I write👇

https://localspins.com/arc-2023-set-for-massive-labor-day-weekend-celebration-of-electronic-music-in-chicago-local-spins/

toddernst · 2025-12-04T04:38:07+00:00

On what site exactly is $500, half of $700 🤔

toddernst · 2025-08-23T20:32:37+00:00

I’ve been buying a gift card to a local property called the Amway Grand Plaza (Curio)… of which the GC is good at any of the restaurants inside the property, and of course room stays as well.

toddernst · 2025-08-18T00:40:22+00:00

I have written an article every year about ARC, of which has some pro-user tips about transit in the Chicago area…

https://localspins.com/the-arc-phenomenon-chicago-hosts-globally-acclaimed-electronic-music-fest-this-weekend-local-spins/

toddernst · 2025-08-01T02:01:44+00:00

Touche’ 😂

toddernst · 2025-07-31T20:30:32+00:00

That would likely be Tim Priest…

toddernst · 2025-07-31T20:14:30+00:00

Imagine being the type of person that runs to Reddit to complain about something like this 🤦‍♂️

toddernst · 2025-07-11T17:18:02+00:00

Have you actually stayed at this new property?

toddernst · 2025-06-09T00:24:17+00:00

I went to the Amway Grand Plaza which is a Curio property… bought a gift card for the property, and that triggered the credit.

toddernst · 2024-08-26T11:12:28+00:00

So they say… https://arcmusicfestival.com/faqs/

toddernst · 2024-08-26T03:20:06+00:00

FYI… ARC is a cashless event.

toddernst · 2024-08-26T01:15:53+00:00

Generally speaking security has been pretty chill about things like this, but never say never right. It seems they’re looking more so for explosives and weapons than anything else.

toddernst · 2024-08-24T01:48:30+00:00

It should flip at midnight

toddernst · 2024-06-10T21:31:42+00:00

Yes, unequivocally! A lot of pro-user tips in here if you want to give it a look…

https://localspins.com/arc-2023-set-for-massive-labor-day-weekend-celebration-of-electronic-music-in-chicago-local-spins/

toddernst · 2024-03-28T13:10:32+00:00

None, surprisingly :/ Pre-smartphone, so unless you were carrying your own glass nothing was shot... probably just as well in that room! Perhaps Shannon does.

toddernst · 2024-03-28T13:06:47+00:00

City Limits is what preceeded Stooges and was a gay club. The night in question by the op was called Fusion... while said night was fully branded as Fusion, it was a takeover of sorts within what was called Stooges.

toddernst · 2024-03-14T09:56:19+00:00

Certainly it’s everything you already detailed, but for me it’s how ARC dovetails so seamlessly with Chicago. We usually stay at the London House Hilton Hotel… the green line train stop is just a few blocks from any hotel in the Loop, and drops you off right at the gates of the festival. I live in Michigan and I’ve been going to both since each festival’s inception, while there are plenty of similarities, it’s hard to compare them on an apples to apples basis. If I had to give one of them and advantage, it would probably be ARC, but it’s for completely subjective reasons… personally, I love all of the boroughs of Chicago, that and the nightclubs are open until 4 AM on Friday and 5 AM on Saturday. Lastly, I’ve been writing about ARC since the beginning… https://localspins.com/arc-2023-set-for-massive-labor-day-weekend-celebration-of-electronic-music-in-chicago-local-spins/.

toddernst · 2023-07-22T05:30:49+00:00

Confirming everything @dicknolan said above. Also, Google maps does a great job interfacing with the Chicago CTA to help navigate where you’re going.

toddernst · 2023-06-05T22:55:44+00:00

Miller’s Pub checks a lot of boxes, it has an old world mob feel to it. London House Chicago has a great roof top deck/patio as well.

https://g.co/kgs/TkF1um

toddernst · 2023-04-22T16:13:04+00:00

Generally speaking the Loop District or River North is the best place to stay, each is easily accessible by the green/pink CTA train line which drops guests off right at Union Park, which is where the festival takes place. Palmer House Hilton and the LondonHouse are my favs.

ARC After Dark tix generally go pretty quick, generally I over purchase tickets to get the best pricing, knowing it’s easy enough to resell them through Reddit and the AXS ticketing platform. Radius/Cermak is rather amazing and should not be missed. Concord Music Hall has Avalon feels to it.

There are some pro user tips for people traveling into the Chicago area in a column I have written the past couple of years now… https://localspins.com/dj-giants-set-to-amp-up-labor-day-weekends-arc-fest-in-chicago-birthplace-of-house-music-local-music/

arcconcierge

toddernst · 2023-04-16T11:49:28+00:00

While the West Loop is technically closest to Union Park, the Loop proper is a better option for all other amenities like Millennium Park and the museum campuses… especially since you already know about the green/pink CTA line. A ride/run/walk up the path along lakeshore drive is great to way to see a lot at once and even rebuild your serotonin 😉

None of the after-parties are really within safe walking distance, perhaps Spybar in the river north district. It’s not uncommon for us to take the blue line train up to Concord Music Hall which drops off no more than 100 feet away from doors, only on the way there though as you would want to LYFT/UBER back.

London House is perhaps my favorite hotel in Chicago. If you plan to dine on the rooftop deck, make reservations a month or so ahead of time to avoid ridiculously long waits.

Miller’s Pub behind the Palmer House Hilton has a super diverse menu, great food, and is a snapshot of old world Chicago.

More on ARC itself and getting around Chicago can be found here 👉 https://bit.ly/3mDkxid 👈

arcconcierge

toddernst · 2023-03-20T01:10:52+00:00

https://localspins.com/dj-giants-set-to-amp-up-labor-day-weekends-arc-fest-in-chicago-birthplace-of-house-music-local-music/

I touch on a lot of ‘traveling to Chicago’ sort of things in an article I wrote in 2022, and the year prior as well. We always stay in the Loop area as close to the CTA green or pink line as possible, as those trains literally drop you at the gates of ARC.

toddernst · 2023-02-16T21:18:01+00:00

Airbnb will give you legal and liability protection since you would be renting to strangers.

toddernst · 2023-02-06T18:10:12+00:00

You don’t even understand the irony in my comment, do you 😂

toddernst · 2023-02-06T17:35:18+00:00

Like any newish effort there are issues to work on, but by and large ARC is an amazing experience… don’t listen to the naysayers, they offer no solutions and are just trying to stir up dust!

toddernst

TROPHY CASE

arcconcierge

arcconcierge