Hotels Near McCormick Place: A Chicago Guide for Congress Groups

Chicago's largest medical congresses take place at McCormick Place, the biggest convention centre in North America, on the lakefront just south of downtown. ASCO meets there every year, next from 4 to 8 June 2027, and RSNA runs from 29 November to 3 December 2026. For a delegate group, the key decision is where to stay.

We've booked hotel space in Chicago for ASCO groups, and the same questions come up every time: how close is close enough, how will delegates reach the first session, and when does the city sell out? This guide answers them.

McCormick Place at a glance

• Address: 2301 S. Lake Shore Drive, on Chicago's Near South Side.
• Size: more than 2.6 million sq ft of exhibit space across four connected buildings: North, South, West and Lakeside Center.
• Visitors: around 3 million a year.
• Hotels on campus: Hyatt Regency McCormick Place and Marriott Marquis Chicago, both linked to the halls by enclosed skybridges.
• Public transport: Metra Electric trains stop at McCormick Place station, about seven minutes from Millennium Station in the Loop. CTA buses 3 and 4 also serve the venue.

Medical congresses held at McCormick Place

Some of the largest meetings in medicine come back to McCormick Place every year:

• ASCO Annual Meeting (oncology), late May or early June. The 2026 edition ran from 29 May to 2 June; ASCO 2027 is scheduled for 4 to 8 June.
• RSNA Annual Meeting (radiology), late November or early December. RSNA 2026 runs from 29 November to 3 December, and RSNA 2027 from 14 to 18 November.
• AAN Annual Meeting (neurology), which was held at McCormick Place West in April 2026.

When one of these meetings is in town, rates rise across the city and the closest hotels fill first. Other events at McCormick Place in the same week can tighten availability further, so we check the venue calendar before we quote.

Where to stay: three hotel zones

1. McCormick Square, next to the halls

Hyatt Regency McCormick Place and Marriott Marquis Chicago sit on the McCormick Square campus, and Hilton Garden Inn and Hampton Inn on East Cermak Road are also connected. Delegates reach the halls without going outside, which matters in a Chicago winter at RSNA. These rooms go first, and the indoor walk to a far hall can still take 10 to 15 minutes.

2. South Loop

Hotels along South Michigan Avenue and near the Museum Campus are roughly 1.5 to 2 miles from the venue. Delegates can use the congress shuttle where one runs, a short taxi ride or the Metra Electric train. Rates are usually lower than on campus, and there are more restaurants within walking distance.

3. The Loop, River North and Michigan Avenue

Downtown has the widest choice, from business hotels to five-star properties, and it's the easiest base for dinners and advisory boards. The trade-off is travel time: 20 to 30 minutes each way is typical, more at peak times. Large congresses such as RSNA run free shuttles between their official hotels and McCormick Place, so we check whether a hotel is on a shuttle route before we propose it.

Planning tips for HCP groups

• Book early. For ASCO, we recommend securing a group block 9 to 12 months ahead. Hotels within a mile of McCormick Place fill first.
• Check the real journey time. A downtown hotel three miles away can take longer than expected on Lake Shore Drive at 7:30 in the morning.
• Match breakfast to the programme. Early sessions mean early transfers, so breakfast opening hours matter.
• Agree room block terms upfront. Cut-off dates, attrition and name-change deadlines should be clear before anything is signed.
• Stay within your hospitality rules. We work within the codes our pharma clients follow, such as EFPIA and PhRMA, and keep accommodation in line with them.
• Know who's official. Many US congresses have an official housing bureau. We're an independent accommodation specialist, not the official housing provider for ASCO or RSNA.

Getting to Chicago

Most international delegates land at O'Hare International (ORD), one of the best-connected airports in the US and about an hour from McCormick Place by road at busy times. Midway (MDW) is closer, around 30 minutes' drive, and mainly handles domestic flights.

After the sessions

McCormick Place is close to the Museum Campus: the Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium and Adler Planetarium are a 10 to 15 minute walk from the Marriott Marquis. Further north, the Art Institute of Chicago and Millennium Park are easy evening stops, and an architecture boat tour on the Chicago River shows the city in an hour or two. For dinner, deep-dish pizza is the local classic, and the Loop's Theatre District is close by.

Frequently asked questions

When is ASCO 2027?

The ASCO Annual Meeting 2027 takes place from 4 to 8 June 2027 at McCormick Place, Chicago.

Which hotels are closest to McCormick Place?

Hyatt Regency McCormick Place and Marriott Marquis Chicago, on the McCormick Square campus, are connected to the convention centre by enclosed skybridges. Hilton Garden Inn and Hampton Inn on East Cermak Road are also connected.

How do delegates get from downtown hotels to McCormick Place?

By congress shuttle where one runs from the official hotels, by Metra Electric train to McCormick Place station, by CTA bus 3 or 4, or by taxi. Allow 20 to 30 minutes from the Loop, more at peak times.

How early should we book hotels for an ASCO group?

Ideally 9 to 12 months before the meeting. Rates rise and availability near the venue drops quickly as the dates get closer.

Is CongressBookers the official housing provider for ASCO?

No. We're an independent accommodation and DMC specialist for life sciences congresses. We arrange hotels, transfers and on-site support for pharmaceutical companies and agencies attending ASCO and other meetings.