Hotels Near McCormick Place: Skybridge Hotels & South Loop Options

Last updated: October 13, 2026 · By Ronen, Stay Near The Venue

McCormick Place is at 2301 S. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in Chicago’s Near South Side, the largest convention center in North America.

Quick answer: stay at a skybridge hotel to stay indoors, especially in winter, or downtown near Metra for a 7-minute ride.

This article contains affiliate links. If you book through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Transport, perks and hotel details change, so always confirm with the venue and the hotel before you book.

See hotels near McCormick Place

Hotels connected to McCormick Place

• Hyatt Regency McCormick Place – skybridge to the North Building.
• Marriott Marquis Chicago – connected by skybridge.
• Hilton Garden Inn McCormick Place – skybridge to the West Building.
• Hampton Inn McCormick Place – skybridge to the West Building.
• Home2 Suites McCormick Place – suites with kitchens, skybridge access.

Compare hotels in the South Loop

Getting there

McCormick Place is at 2301 S. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, and it is made up of several large buildings, so check which one your show uses before you pick a hotel or a station.

• Metra Electric: the McCormick Place station is inside the Grand Concourse in McCormick Place South. Choose Chicago describes it as a direct ride of about 7 minutes from downtown.
• CTA Green Line: the Cermak-McCormick Place station is at 12 E. Cermak, roughly a 7-minute walk to McCormick Place West according to Choose Chicago.
• CTA buses: routes 3 (King Drive), 4 (Cottage Grove) and 21 (Cermak) serve the area, and route 1 runs at rush hour.
• Show shuttles: some events, such as IMTS, run free shuttles from official hotels on show days. Check your organizer’s transportation page.
• Taxi and rideshare: Uber and Lyft work citywide, and Chicago taxis can be hailed with apps such as ARRO and CURB.

Details change by show, so confirm with your organizer and with Choose Chicago’s getting-there page before you travel.

Parking at McCormick Place

If you drive, plan ahead: Pack Expo says most of its lots fill by 9 a.m. unless you have a prepaid reservation. For Pack Expo 2026 the organizer listed Lot A (West Building, 2301 S. Prairie Ave.), Lot B (South and North Buildings, 3050 S. Moe Dr.) and Lot C (Lakeside Center, Fort Dearborn Dr.), with a flat $18 daily rate at Lot B and $27 to $40 at the others depending on how long you stay. Those prices were set for that event, so check your own show’s parking page. The National Restaurant Association Show recommends booking in advance, including through SpotHero.

Major events at McCormick Place, 2026–27

Hotel prices around the venue rise sharply during large shows. These dates come from the organizers’ own pages and may change.

• PACK EXPO International: October 18–21, 2026
• RSNA Annual Meeting: November 29–December 3, 2026
• National Restaurant Association Show: May 22–25, 2027

Which area to stay in

Skybridge hotels keep you indoors between your room and the show floor, which is a real benefit in a Chicago winter. The South Loop is the next-closest option and puts you near the Green Line and Metra. If you stay in the Loop instead, the Metra Electric ride is short, which makes downtown a workable choice when prices near the venue spike.

Tips for show days

• Know your building. Hall-to-hall walks can be long, so pick a hotel connected to the building where you spend most of your time.
• Book early for the biggest shows. Rooms near the venue sell out for events such as PACK EXPO and RSNA.
• Check shuttle schedules. If your show offers hotel shuttles, they usually serve official hotels only.
• Dress for the weather. Between October and March, an indoor route can matter as much as distance.

Downtown, South Loop or near the lakefront: which fits you

McCormick Place sits south of downtown Chicago, so the first decision is how far from the venue you are willing to sleep. Staying in the South Loop or near the lakefront keeps the commute short and the evenings calm. Staying in the Loop or along the river puts you among more restaurants, theaters, and shopping, at the cost of a longer trip to the halls each day.

Think about the shape of your days. If you are an exhibitor with early setup and late teardown, a short trip matters more than nightlife. If you are an attendee with free evenings, being near dining and entertainment may matter more than a few minutes saved. If you are traveling with a group, choose one area so that everyone can share rides or meet easily. Whatever you choose, check the actual route in a maps app and read recent guest reviews for comments about noise, cleanliness, and how long the trip to the venue really takes.

Booking early and keeping your options open

Chicago hosts large conventions throughout the year, and the best-located hotels can sell out when a major show is on. Reserve as early as your plans allow, and prefer rates with free cancellation so you can adjust if your schedule changes. Look carefully at the cancellation deadline, since some rates lock in several days before arrival.

If the event you are attending offers an official hotel block, compare it with other options, but do not assume it is the best fit. Block rates may come with their own terms, and an open-market room can sometimes suit you better on location or flexibility. Also check whether the room price includes taxes and any daily fees, so you can compare totals rather than headline rates.

If you are staying extra days to see the city, price the whole trip. Sometimes it is easier to book the show nights near the venue and a separate stay in a neighborhood you want to explore afterward.

Using the lakefront and Museum Campus around your show schedule

McCormick Place is close to Chicago’s lakefront, which gives visitors a pleasant option for a break between sessions. The Chicago Lakefront Trail runs along Lake Michigan and is popular for walking and cycling, and the Museum Campus, home to the Field Museum, the Shedd Aquarium, and the Adler Planetarium, lies north of the convention center area. Check each institution’s website for current hours and ticket requirements before you plan a visit.

These attractions are worth building into your trip if you have a free afternoon or an extra day at either end. They are also useful for guests who travel with a partner or family who are not attending the event. Keep in mind that weather on the lake can change quickly, particularly outside summer, so pack layers and a rain jacket. Always confirm opening days, because many attractions have seasonal or holiday schedules.

Arrival, luggage and departure day tips

If you arrive before check-in time, ask the front desk to hold your luggage so you can go straight to registration or a meeting. If your badge can be collected ahead of the opening day, doing so can save time in the morning rush. Pack a small bag with chargers, a change of shoes, and any documents you need so that you do not have to return to your room midday.

On departure day, check out early if you can, and plan the trip to the airport with a generous buffer. Whether you head to O’Hare or Midway, allow for the possibility that traffic or transit will run slower than usual when a show ends and thousands of people leave at once. If you have trade-show materials to ship, ask your hotel about packages and the carrier’s pickup deadlines.

Questions worth asking a hotel before you book

A short list of questions can prevent unpleasant surprises. Ask whether the hotel provides a shuttle to the venue or recommends a particular transit route, and what the typical journey looks like during show hours. Ask about the accessibility of rooms and entrances, about quiet rooms away from street noise, and about luggage storage. If you drive, ask what parking costs per night and whether in-and-out privileges are included.

Winter visitors should ask how the hotel handles snow and ice around its entrance, and summer visitors should check that air conditioning is reliable. Ask about breakfast hours too, since an early show start can make a standard breakfast window useless. Save the answers in your booking confirmation email so that you can refer to them if something is not as promised.

How we checked this guide

The “Last updated” date at the top of this page is when we last reviewed it end to end.

• Parking rates, shuttle fees and transport times are taken from the port’s, venue’s or operator’s own published pages and from each hotel’s own website — not from aggregator sites.
• Distances and journey times are the figures the venue or transit operator publishes, not our estimates. Where we give a distance, we say what it is measured to.
• Hotel amenities (breakfast, shuttle hours, pet and parking policies) come from each hotel’s own site. These change more often than anything else here, so confirm them when you book.
• Room rates are deliberately not listed anywhere on this site. They move daily, and a price written one month is wrong the next. Our links take you to live pricing instead.
• We have not stayed at every hotel we write about. Where we contacted a property directly, the guide says so and gives the date. Where a figure comes from a third-party report rather than an official source, we say that too.

Found something out of date or wrong? Tell us and we will fix it.

FAQ

Which hotels connect to McCormick Place?

Hyatt Regency McCormick Place, Marriott Marquis Chicago, and the Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton Inn and Home2 Suites McCormick Place are connected by skybridges.

Is there a train to McCormick Place?

Yes. The Metra Electric line stops at McCormick Place, and the CTA Green Line stops at Cermak-McCormick Place, a short walk away.

How long does it take to get from downtown to McCormick Place?

Choose Chicago describes the Metra Electric ride as about 7 minutes direct from downtown.

Is parking at McCormick Place expensive?

Rates vary by event. For Pack Expo 2026 the organizer listed $18 to $40 per day depending on the lot, and said lots fill early without a prepaid reservation.

More venue guides

Theme parks: Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Universal Orlando, Universal Studios Hollywood.

Convention centers: Las Vegas Convention Center, Javits Center, Orange County Convention Center. Also see our stadium hotel guides, festival guides and cruise port hotel guides.

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