If you are determined to stay in the town, one of the only places is the Majestic Star Casino. It offers gambling and a 300-room hotel with lake views. Accommodations offer a choice of double bed or king beds rooms, smoking or non-smoking. Some rooms have Jacuzzis. Four restaurants offer guests a choice of dining options. The on-site Lakeshore Lounge offers live entertainment with free admission on Friday and Saturday nights. Nightly room rates run well below $75 (as of January 2011).
Less than a 20-minute drive south from downtown Gary, the Courtyard Merrillville offers rooms right off the highway. Guests may stay in non-smoking rooms with their choice of queen or king with a sofa bed or two double beds. Some rooms come with whirlpools. Free high-speed Internet access is provided. The area surrounding the motel is rife with dining choices including Asparagus, a half-mile away, to the Café Fondue. Two golf courses are just west of the hotel. Plan to spend around $150 for a night in the best room with breakfast (as of January 2011).
About five miles from the waterfront of Lake Michigan, the Country Inn and Suites is located just east of Gary, in the town Portage, Indiana. Guests can choose a variety of accommodations from standard rooms to suites at a rate range between $120 and $160 per night (as of January 2011). Enjoy the indoor pool and fitness center and free high-speed Internet access or borrow a book from the on-site library. Complimentary hot breakfast is served daily. Walk across the street to the Quaker Steak and Lube restaurant for wings and steaks. Or for an elegant experience, drive 10 minutes south to the Abstract Café for gourmet dining and wine bar. Gary, Indiana's Marquette Park on the shore of Lake Michigan is a 15-minute drive away.
Just west of Gary on Route 6 is the Best Western Northwest Indiana Inn in the town of Hammond, Indiana. Non-smoking and smoking rooms with double or king beds are equipped with high-speed Internet and cable television for about $100 per night (as of January 2011). The hotel has an on-site restaurant and pub. Gary/Chicago International Airport is a 12-minute drive away.
