CLUB QUARTERS

One of the great things about Knox is how close it is to Chicago, but it can be difficult to take advantage of the city because of the expense of staying in a hotel. Through ACM's membership in Club Quarters, Knox faculty and staff can stay in either of two Club Quarters hotels in Chicago for very reasonable rates (as low as $60 for a single room on a weekend; weekday rates are higher). This is a great perk! Club Quarters also has hotels in New York, Washington, Boston, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Houston, and London; rates vary by location. Club Quarters caters to business travelers—hence the discounted rates available on weekends (when space is available).

The Chicago hotels are very conveniently located in the Loop. One is at 111 W. Adams (an easy walk from Union Station, where Amtrak trains arrive) and the other is at 75 E. Wacker (just west of Michigan Avenue, the better location if you're driving, as a good parking lot is only a block away). The rooms in the hotel are small but comfortable and well-kept, and there is free internet access on computers in the lobby and business center.

To see more about the hotels, go to: http://www.clubquarters.com.  To make a reservation online, you'll need the ACM password, which you can get from the office of the Dean of the College (x7216).  Use the password to sign in on the Club Quarters website;  then to get room information, click on "Make Reservations." The rates displayed for the various sizes of room are the standard rates. Go ahead and make your reservation online with those rates, and then call the main reservation number to ask for the special weekend discount (if you will be there Friday, Saturday, or Sunday nights): (212) 575-0006. (Or you can do the whole thing over the phone.) You may have to call in again closer to the time of the reservation to get the discounted rate, as they wait until they see how booked up the hotel is. I have found the discounted rate to be available most of the time. (Penny Gold, 8/07)