valencia

I have warned my family NOT to book yet until I see the 85% satisfaction come back.

Several family member are getting together in Ft. Wayne and the best solution for us was Hotwire. Now that I have booked one room, the others can see what hotel it is and either book it at the hotel website with free cancelation until they decide to come, or go ahead and compare all amenities and trip advisor and Hotwire satisfaction levels to make sure it is the same hotel. I used your HOTWIRE link here and hope that others will, too. There seems to be a lovely golf course, Autumn Ridge, very nearby where our group can enjoy a QUIET non-chain restaurant meal or drinks overlooking the 18th hole. This hotel was $84, and $75 (AAA/AARP) on their webiste plus 14% tax so I am happy to save the $20. The amenities in bold red were Free parking, free breakfast, free internet, and above it said indoor pool, pool(s) business center... but then when you opened "see all" the list was the long one as mention below in another post. Tripadvisor 4.5/ Hotwire 85%. the other day when I looked but it says right now is "we are still gathering reviews". I am starting to wonder if this hotel has already changed to another one since I cold swear when I looked at the beginning it said 85%...

thanks for the info

So you were upgraded to a 3.5*? ( Since the Courtyard is only 3*..) Just curious as I will be going to FW soon

I cannot find this hotel on your hotel list yet.

You don't have to raise your bid. When you drop down a star rating feel free to lower your bid next time. Or close browser and start completely new bid to give yourself more options/combinations, taking care to recognize new/fewer free re bid zones.

Was trying for 3* up to $50. No grabs. Dropped to 2.5*. Was offered hotel at a $58 bid when my bid was at $49. Opened new bid, added free bid zone, and raised just one dollar and got County Inns and Suites Thank you for the site. I bid through your PRICELINE link here.

I have read sad stories of hotels not giving two beds, PLUS charging for the extra persons.. so I would NEVER do that unless you are willing to have to get a second room at the last minute or pay for extra people. Good luck.

thanks!

Lombard, Illinois Amenties are Free parking, HI speed Internet access, Free Internet 2* $43 4.0 tripadvisor Could it be the Stay Inn? Thanks if you have any insight. Looks like a good deal. We already have a cancelable reservation at Stay Inn, but this would save the group close to $100.

A fantastic and informative post. I am sure this will help many families have a better and less "draining on the wallet" stay in Chicago while still having all the fun.

Thanks for your opinion. Will post my results here. We will be staying downtown the first three nights, then getting a van and moving out to suburbs for three nights for other activities with family and friends in Western suburbs..

It's been a long time. We are planning a trip to Chicago September 21-24. I see Hotwire prices are "high" for those dates NOW.. in the $150+ range. I could not find any wins yet for September dates on your calendar of wins. Since the Ryder Cup is in town at Medinah, is it logical to assume Priceline accepted bids will be "a certain percentage" of those prices? How much cheaper are accepted Priceline bids compared to Hotwire buying in general. I'm just curious if this has been "deciphered". We haven't started bidding yet, but I am just trying to figure out an estimated budget, hopefully a better scenario than what I am seeing on Hotwire!! I am using betterbidding to make all my searches and will definitely purchase through your links. Thanks again for this great website.

I am not a moderator but you need to be realistic about amounts. Check the Priceline and Hotwire Calendar of Wins to see what is the average price for this area. $52 sounds very low to me, but I haven't followed the Chicago wins. You can do that in a search. Also, check HOTWIRE.com through the link here. You may find something you are happy with in that area without bidding or if bidding fails. A PRICELINE bid may be lower than Hotwire prices but not usually half price or anything. Maybe 20% or so.. just a guess. So, I see the Hotwire prices around $125-$140 for a 4*. read up on free bids at Priceline Re-Bidding Explained. This way you will be able to make more bids and combinations of bids to max out your possibilities. ( that is an area that at the moment of bidding has no hotels in the star level or above that you want.. so you can add that to your zone and get another bid). Be SURE to understand this before using it. I hope the experts come on soon to give you a plan!

The ONLY way to be guaranteed the same hotel is if you bid together.

This situation certainly is worrisome for me as I use HOTWIRE when we are more than two adults. How can a hotel /hotwire say that 4 adults in a King bed should pose no problem? I hope this gets resolved so those who use Hotwire for family stays can feel assured we will not encounter something similar. Good luck. I obviously think you are right. Please post your win.

Same day bidding thorugh the PRICELINE link here. First bid 3.5* at $36. Rejected. Added free rebid zone and bid $39. Rejected. New bid. at 3* Ft wayne $39. Counteroffer at $47. New bid 2.5* Ft Wayne at $39. Same counteroffer. I had to accept it as I was uncomfortable dropping to 2*. I am here now. Nice enough hotel. No elevator but they had a main floor room for my elderly mom. Thin floors though. The late check in upstairs kept us awake for awhile. They sounded like elephants traversing the room back and forth for 20 minutes.

If you see that another area is better for you, why not try it? once you try to extend the stay, it is a done deal if they accept it. If you like the place and price, then try it, but now would be the time to try for 5 nights elsewhere closer in to the river if those areas interest you at all. Look at the Priceline and Hotwire Calendar of Wins here to get an idea what has been coming up. take a look at HOTWIRE, too, through the link here.

and the amenities on both of them which should be on your purchase page.

anything on hotwire ? If you put in three adults you will be given two beds.

Congratulations! One note about extending the stay. You will not know if it is at the same price until you actually press to buy those nights again. Sometimes the hotel accepts it, ( it is like a new one time bid but only at your hotel) and sometimes they come back with a higher price which at that point you can deny and not accept. Good luck, but try not to leave trying that extension too near the end as that will not give you much time for Plan "B" in case the hotel offers you a price too high for your liking.

To always be SURE the "free rebid" zone is STILL a zone with no hotels at the * rating you really want, I like to make a new bid and click my free rebid zone FIRST to RECONFIRM and not rely on previous info.. and THEN add my desired zone. A higher starred hotel CAN be added to Priceline at any time of day or night so be careful As mentioned, these zones may change in their star levels.

For newbies reading the bids I made, those added zones did NOT have any 5* hotels in them when I checked before making my bid. I always check, and check the free rebid zone before I add my correct zone so as not to make a mistake. Priceline can ADD a new* hotel to any zone at any time so do NOT rely on a list you made this morning or last week. Read up on free rebids (Priceline Re-Bidding Explained) so you do not have to wait for 24 hours to continue bidding. Once, suddenly, a higher star level appeared while setting up a new bid. Fortunately I had clicked and checked the "undesired" zone ( with no hotels as high as my desired zone) before adding my desired zone. Good luck everyone. It looks like London prices are coming down a bit.

Now this was fun and a great ending to a quick bidding session. My daughter has been looking at a nice weekend with another couple in London, and the Intercontinental on Hotwire for $190 has been a big temptation . So we tried bidding first . Seeing the good results that were recently posted, and the lower than normal official webpage price at Intercontinental: we started Mayfair/soho at $155. Rejected but received $188 counteroffer. Added Wembley$157.. same co New bid: Mayfair/The City... $159..same co Mayfair/Kensington...$161...same co Then May/Kens/The City...$163...ACCEPTED Total incl. taxes and fees: $1,192.00 our Priceline results versus $1,373 Hotwire. We used your PRICELINE link here. Thank you. Looks like London in November can be very luxurious if you give it a try. We are VERY happy with the results. Thank you.

Congratulations!