There are over 100,000 hotel rooms in Chicago, but a much smaller number within walking distance of the Donald Stephens Convention Center, home of this year’s National Sports Collectors Convention. The NSCC reserves large blocks of rooms within a mile or so of the facility but if 2017 is anything like 2015, some of the prime locations will fill up before the show opens July 26. For those who stay multiple days, a hotel close by the facility is a welcome convenience.
The National uses ConferenceHousing.com to reserve h
otels for guests, dealers and others attending the annual five-day event. Rates are generally lower when booked through the NSCC than by using other available discounts. Bookings were opened this week but one of the hotels directly across the street from the convention center is no longer available. The Embassy Suites, a popular choice among show-goers, says it has no rooms left to offer.
Of hotels located within a short walk of the show, only the Hyatt Regency, Doubletree, Hilton Rosemont and Aloft Chicago were available for bookings as of Tuesday afternoon. That’s not to say there may not be plenty of rooms left by early summer but if you definitely plan to attend the show and don’t want to drive from a mile or more away each day, it might not be a bad idea to book your room(s).
There are several hotels within a mile or two of the show site, some of which offer complimentary shuttle service to the convention center and O’Hare International Airport.
In the wake of the Cubs’ first World Series title since 1908, it’s likely that interest among Midwestern collectors and fans will be at a high level.
The show runs through July 30.