<p>Has anyone stayed at the Hampton Inn next door to the Palmer House Hilton for Unifieds? Was it a total hassle to walk next door for auditions? It looks like we would save about $400.</p>
<p>It’s definitely a savings and it’s all of a block away literally, not next door. Not far at all. I had initially booked that hotel, but then realized that I had to work and wouldn’t be able to accompany The D as she headed to Palmer House and I didn’t want her walking alone, so I moved to Palmer House constantly checking for deals. I was able to get very close to Hampton Inn’s price with breakfast and internet included. If I didn’t have to work while there, we would’ve been fine at Hampton Inn.</p>
<p>We loved the Silversmith.</p>
<p>GSOMTMom is correct. If you keep checking back with Palmer House (call them directly, don’t go through Hilton reservations) and keep asking if they have specials/deals, you will probably get a price close to or possibly even better than Hampton Inn. Having said that, there are some people who liked getting away from the chaos of the Palmer House at points during the day by staying at a different hotel. For us, we got a great rate for Palmer House the summer before Unifieds by prepaying the entire stay upfront. We did like the ease of most auditions being in the same building as we were staying. But more and more schools are holding some or parts (especially dance calls) of their auditions away from the Palmer House anyway, so staying close by should work just as well. One nice perk of Hampton Inns is free breakfast. So factor that in your costs too.</p>
<p>We did not stay in the Palmer house - in part b/c we wanted to be away from some of the chaos (D likes to step back away from tension and drama) and in part b/c 3 of her 5 unified auditions were not AT the Palmer. We chose a location centralized between the 4 hotels we needed to visit- and took it from there. Bonus was that we were just south of the River from the “Magnificent Mile” shops/restaurants of Michigan avenue. I have shared this before, but one of my favorite memories from last year was D and a couple of friends meeting up after auditions and trying on prom dress (never to early to start) in all the fabulous stores. </p>
<p>If you’re flying, also check Southwest flights + hotel deals - we had HiltonHonors points, but friends we traveled with got a fantastic deal buying their flight & hotel together (was 2 years ago…).</p>