STChicago: JenBro & I are staying outside the city, at the Hyatt Place in Itasca.
It's about 30 miles from downtown but neither of us mind the drive. This is my usual hotel when I go to Chicago. When the interstates into downtown get backed up I use my GPS to take local streets. It takes longer but is more scenic (using a broad definition of scenic).
AAA rate that weekend is $98. You get free parking (for those who are driving), free WiFi and free breakfast. There is also an indoor pool. Plus, they have a small bar for cocktails & Starbucks.
Hotel prices downtown are way too high when you have to also pay for parking. The least expensive I could find was around $170 before taxes and parking. (Diva's link, when I clicked it, said there were no rooms available for that weekend so I don't know what rate she's getting.)
I just checked and parking downtown near the Art Institute is $30 for 8 hours. That makes staying at the Hyatt a bargain since we'll share the cost of downtown parking.
We're happy to share the ride with anyone who doesn't mind the travel time to & from downtown.