Amazon Prime Day hotel sale gives Chicago tourism a boost

The latest: Hotel discounts will be offered through Amazon's Prime Day Travel Deals platform, with bookings fulfilled through Expedia.

• Hotels, including the Fairmont, LondonHouse, Curio Collection by Hilton, The Emily Hotel, Moxy Downtown and the Westin River North are part of the sale, offering up to 20% off rooms.
• Travelers can book participating hotel rooms through the first quarter of next year.

What they're saying: "By partnering with Amazon, Chicago is being showcased to millions of consumers during one of the most influential shopping moments of the year," Choose Chicago's CEO Kristen Reynolds said in a release.

• "This is the type of innovative, high-visibility opportunity that allows us to compete more aggressively on the global stage."

Zoom out: Choose Chicago plans to use the promotion to spotlight upcoming attractions and tourism draws, including the Obama Presidential Center and the city's ongoing Route 66 centennial celebration.

Yes, but: Chicago is simultaneously asking visitors to pay more. The city recently raised its downtown hotel tax to 19%, the highest among major U.S. cities, to fund tourism and marketing initiatives.

The bottom line: As Chicago asks visitors to pay the nation's highest downtown hotel tax, it's also finding new ways to get them through the door.

Of note: This deal is only available for Amazon Prime members.