There is another option besides the secondary overflow hotel (yes, their first overflow hotel has now sold out). The Chicago Northwest Motel 6 is only about 1 mile away, according to MapQuest (less, as the crow flies). And its room rates are very cheap... I got a room for three people for $50/night (including tax).

NOTE #1: Do not confuse this with the Elk Grove Village Motel 6, which despite having the same town name as the official ACen hotel, is farther away.

NOTE #2: I am informed that Euclid Avenue forms an overpass above Route 53 (a divided highway), but I do not know for certain that this overpass includes a sidewalk or shoulder that is safe to walk across. I'd like to believe so, but I can't be sure. (This is important if you intend to walk to the con hotel, which is on Euclid Avenue on the other side of Route 53.)

DISCLAIMER NOTE #3: I have never stayed at this hotel, and I will not be held responsible if it sucks. If you stay there and are dissatisfied, you'll have to settle for the solace that Gryph, Zoner and I will be having the same bad experience. (That said, Gryph and Zoner have had good luck with Motel 6 in general, and another Eyrie author stayed there last ACen and thought it was just fine.)

Hopefully this info will be of some use to someone. :)

--truss.

If I recall correctly from last year, the hotel is a hellishly long walk from ANYWHERE. This was a hotel where cars were a necessity, and there was no bopping over to Mickey D's for breakfast. ^^;; The only thing nearby is the racetrack.

As a side note, there is one advantage to the con hotel losing your room reservations, forcing you to sleep with total strangers who are scary. The advantage is that the following year your group gets so paranoid they book a suite at the hotel 6 months in advance, with written and verbal confirmation from the hotel itself.

Overflow? Pah. :-)

--SG