Chicago Suburb Offers Easy Air Access, Low Costs

<I>Rosemont, Ill.</I> - For business travelers heading for suburban Chicago addresses, this midwestern destination has a surprisingly large number of plusses.

Chain hotels can be as much as 50 percent cheaper than Rosemont's larger urban neighbor; it's easily reachable by highway, air and rail; and it boasts one of the nation's largest conference centers.

For example, on Jan. 2, the single rate for Hyatt's downtown Chicago property was $159, while the Rosemont Hyatt cost $99. On the same day, Marriott's downtown property featured singles for $139 while Marriott Suites-O'Hare charged $94.

Room inventory shouldn't pose a serious obstacle for travel managers in a community where the number of hotel rooms exceeds its permanent population-10 properties with 4,700 rooms and 3,995 residents.

The hotel roster includes the Best Western At O'Hare, Clarion, International/Quality Inn At O'Hare, Holiday Inn O'Hare International, Hyatt Regency O'Hare, Marriott Suites-O'Hare, Radisson Suite Hotel At O'Hare, Sheraton Gateway Suites, Hotel Sofitel and the Westin Hotel, O'Hare.

But location is at the heart of Rosemont's appeal. A short cab or subway ride from Chicago's O'Hare Airport-part of which is in Rosemont-the town is a perfect base for travelers doing business north or northwest of the Windy City. And because it's enveloped by key interstates, the destination is convenient for board or sales meetings where participants must either drive or fly to a central location.

Travelers with appointments in Chicago can take Chicago Transit Authority trains to the downtown area for $1.25; the trip takes half an hour.

For group travel, Rosemont ranks high among domestic destinations. Conference facilities include the 4,200-seat Rosemont Theatre, available for corporate functions; the Rosemont Horizon, an 18,000-seat sports arena featuring everything from DePaul University basketball to concerts; and the Rosemont Convention Center.

Now in the midst of a $10 million, 100,000-square-foot expansion scheduled for August completion, the convention center will offer 700,000 square feet of exhibition space, room for 3,000 booths and 52,500 square feet of meeting room space. The Center hosts between 85 and 110 trade and consumer shows each year, attracting 1.35 million delegates.

For accommodations, the 7,000-foot enclosed Rosemont Skybridge Network connects the Convention Center with the Hyatt Regency and Hotel Sofitel, and two parking facilities with a total of 6,375 spaces.

"Rosemont is nothing like Dallas/Ft. Worth Airport, where hotels can be five miles apart," said Amy Regan, executive director of the Rosemont Chamber of Commerce. "Here we have a convention center and four surrounding hotels, two of which have direct covered walkway connections."

Because the town is just 17 miles north of America's third-largest city, and easily reached via plane or car, it increasingly serves as a focal point for smaller executive gatherings, Regan said.

In addition, the area around O'Hare is a major corporate base. Firms within easy driving distance of Rosemont include Sprint, Comdisco, Orthopedic Surgeons, the Central States Pension Fund and New York Life.

"While we have everything large groups or associations might want for larger meetings and conventions, each of our hotels also is well prepared to effectively stage small-business functions," Regan said.

In the future, movement within the city will become even smoother when a federally funded Personal Rapid Transit system debuts in 2000. Connecting key Rosemont locations, the PRT will feature small vehicles riding atop a monorail-style guideway. Passengers will input their destinations, with the unit bypassing stations in between. The vehicles, which seat up to four, will provide on-demand 24-hour service.

Plans call for the PRT to connect to the CTA Blue Line rapid transit at the Rosemont Station, and also provide transit to and between the convention center, theater, parking decks and four or five hotels.