Any Chicago folks have hotel recommendations for that area before I book?
I recommend River North, Streeterville, and Mag Mile north of the river. I'm staying at the Residence Inn River North. Other great options are The Wade on the lakefront near Navy Pier, Embassy Suites, Sheraton Grand, Marriott on North Michigan Ave, Hilton Suites. Nice places just south of the rive too, such as Hyatt Regency, Trump, or another very cool Hampton Inn built into the old Chicago Auto Club building.
A lot depends on what you want to do during your spare time on Friday and Saturday. For instance, if you like baseball, you might want to stay near Wrigley Field or right on a train route. If you want museums and parks, then stay south of the river on Michigan Avenue (Palmer House and Chicago Hilton are iconic). There are tons of places in nearby neighborhoods too, but read the reviews as neighborhoods can vary greatly.
Evanston is also a great area for restaurants and uppity university culture. And you can take a L train past Wrigley Field to downtown.
One other thing to watch on prices is parking. Many are valet only and expensive. Others have a per day fee, but may not have in/out privileges. If you are just parking your car to sit for a few days, there are usually better options nearby than the hotel parking.
