ohaio

I won the Hilton Rosemont/Chicago O Hare for $59/night; Aug 18th one night Started bidding for ORD South 3.5* @ $51. Used 3.5* rebid zones in $4 increments. Very happy with results.

Thanks for the info. I'd like to stay around $75 total for hotel and parking. I've seen 3.5* Hyatt ORD Rosemont for $51 but that was a while ago. Aaron, I'm seeing parking listed as $32 at 4* Hyatt Regency ORD. Is the $18 parking offsite? There's a 3* HOTWIRE for $68. Do you know which hotel this would be? Amenities Free breakfast Free Internet Free parking Fitness center Self-service laundry <dead link removed>

We will be attending a concert at Rosemont Theatre on August 18th. Need a hotel within walking distance (pay hotel parking) or one nearby with free parking (pay event parking). I see Hyatt Rosemont is often won. There's a PRICELINE EXPRESS Deal for $94 which seems expensive. Is that the Hyatt Rosemont? Thx

We decided to stay in Rapid City and go for a 3* hotel. Always seem to have better luck with that rating. I was afraid of getting the Washington Inn in Mt. Rushmore since it got bad reviews in tripadvisor. Started bidding at 60 and with 4 rebid zones I figured we'd be able to get something in our budget. Next bid of $65 was accepted which was surprising. The Express Deal for 3* was $85. I also needed two more rooms for my brother and starting bidding at $62 with $1 increments. He also got his rooms for $65. So far we are happy with the win. Best Western Ramkota Hotel 3 star Rapid City 2111 North Lacrosse Street, Rapid City, SD 57701 Used your PRICELINE link for both wins. Keep up the good work!

We are flexible on the date but right now looks like Sunday, June 22nd, for one night. Thanks

Hello, I'm planning a trip to Mt Rushmore for the end of this month. We want to stay in Keystone (Black Hills/Mt Rushmore Area) but the hotel list is slim. Express Deal has a 2* hotel available. Do you know which one this could be? I'm hoping to be in the $60-70 range for 2*. Worst case we could do $100 for 3* in Rapid City. Here're the amenities: Guaranteed Amenities: Free Internet in room Indoor Swimming Pool Free Parking Pets Allowed Restaurant I used the PRICELINE link to browse.

I forgot to mention that the pl Express Deal was $69. I can usually save a few bucks by bidding so this is by far the biggest margin. Your referral link definitely helped with the PRICELINE EXPRESS price. Maybe priceline knows that people coming from BB are smart shoppers so they get right down to business. :)

We like staying in Skokie because it's less expensive and free parking. Hoping the Doubletree is still as nice as when we stayed there a couple of years ago. There's only one free re-bid zone in Chicago for 3* but any of the downtown zones can be used too...unless you are really "unlucky" and get a 3* in downtown for less than $60. :) Started bid for Skokie 3* $47 - Rejected add Franklin @ $52 - Rejected add Lincoln Park @ $55 - accepted p.s. I used the QuickQuote link again for this purchase...keep up the good work.

Price is high because of the Mini-Marathon downtown. East-side 2.5* Express deal was $62. Bid $52 but rejected. Added only 2.5* free bid zone Indy Northwest and won at $57. Hotel seems nice...will see.

Success! Had to stay outside of downtown but with Shameless's suggestion we got a good alternate location. Thanks again Shameless, I really appreciate your help. I enabled email notifications of replies so if any one has questions, I'd gladly pay it forward. The PRICELINE EXPRESS Deal was $88/night and didn't show Free Parking but they do allow Pets. So I think the difference in amenities for Hilton and Sheraton in Markham is free parking. I used the 5% off coupon which expires today. The $82/night is before coupon. I don't why they keep making you re-enter the coupon code for each bid. Maybe it's to trip up BBers who have 10+ rebid zones. :) Hilton Suites Toronto/Markham Conference Center And Spa 3½ star Markham 8500 Warden Avenue, Markham, ON L6G 1A5 Check-In: Sat, Aug 3, 2013 / After 04:00 PM Check-Out: Sun, Aug 4, 2013 / 12:00 PM Rooms: 2 rooms / 1 night $82/night FYI: I tried for DT North and South today with no luck up to $132 for 3.5*+ thereuare: thanks for the insight into PRICELINE. Express Deal prices seem to fluctuate a lot. My suggestion is to jump on the Express Deal if it's close to your target price. I missed a deal for Saturday night in Niagara that I wish to get back. It flashed once but I hesitated and was too late clicking it. The deal never came again.

shameless, thanks for the information. I was really leaning towards the airport. Guess it was the cheapskate in me seeing the $60+ for 4*. Why won't you recommend the airport? Markham looks to be the equivalent of Skokie in Chicago. There was a PRICELINE EXPRESS Deal for 3.5* in Markham for $104 including free parking. But when I clicked on the link it said no longer available. Now it's $126 without the free parking. Do these Express Deals move that quickly or is it priceline's way to get you to act??? Not knocking PL since it's the only reason I can enjoy 4* hotels. That mall looks cool. Might be dangerous with wife and kids...any savings from hotel will go towards shopping spree. :) I tried for 4* DT North and South and rejected at $125. Also failed for 3.5* at $125. Even 3* rejected at $105. I'll give DT another try before moving to Markham. Edit: A little more digging suggests that the Express Deal I saw was for the Sheraton Parkway. They allow pets and always have free parking. The Hilton Suites Markham has a nominal parking fee and not sure if they allow pets.

At this point, I'd take the 30 minute drive to save $150 off 4* hotel. There is a PRICELINE EXPRESS deal for Airport East @ $66 4*. But the airport has a parking fee so I would pay double parking for airport and downtown. How bad is parking for downtown on a weekend? We have a large group so not sure a bus pass would be good.

Spent more than I wanted for the Niagara hotel. Now trying to stay within budget for a Saturday (8/3) night stay in Toronto. With the Caribbean festival, downtown doesn't look like it's possible. What other zones are good for $75/night and possibly free parking, 3* minimum? Something like a Skokie in Chicago.

Finally got a hotel for Niagara. It was a lot of work since this is our first time there. Kept an eye on Express Deals to see when prices went up/down. I bid in $5 increments til reach my max... Bid Date / Express Deal / Bid 7/13 / ? / $125 - rejected 7/15 / ? / $130 - rejected 7/17 / $147 ; 7.0+ / $135 - rejected 7/18 / $150 ; 7.0+ / $140 - rejected 7/19 / $168 ; 8.0+ / $140 - rejected 7/25 / $192 / $145 - rejected; getting nervous 7/26 / $192 / didn't bother 7/27 / $174 / didn't bother 7/28 / $188 / didn't bother 7/29 / $152 - 7.0+ / $145 - ACCEPTED ; List View for Hilton was $173 Hilton Niagara Falls Fallsview Check-In Friday, August 2, 2013 at 04:00 PM Check-Out Saturday, August 3, 2013 at 11:00 AM I think the price fluctuations were more related to inventory of 7.0+ and 8.0+ hotels. Probably could have saved a few more bucks if waited til Wednesday but I still need to get the Toronto hotel for this trip. Wish me luck :)

I'm trying to find a hotel for this Saturday in Toronto. There's a Caribbean parade that day which wraps up a month long celebration. Not sure how big of an event this is but downtown hotels are pretty expensive. I was thinking of staying at the airport 4*. Can you clarify your recommendation? I haven't been to Toronto in a long time. TIA

I checked the maps again and it works to show the future dates for +/- 3 months. Not sure why it didn't pick up the Sept dates before. But good to know it should work that way. I've given up on a solo Saturday night stay. There is a PRICELINE EXPRESS Deal for 4* 7.0+ at $147 for Friday night. Guaranteed Amenities: Indoor or Outdoor Pool Business Center Fitness Center I tried my luck bidding but was unsuccessful up to $135. So looks like you can only save less than $10 by bidding versus PRICELINE EXPRESS. Yesterday I tried $110 for 3.5* Friday night but rejected. I'll keep trying since we are still 2.5 weeks out.

I played with the Maps a little more and it incorporates the data from calendar which is very helpful. One thing I noticed on the TimeFrame selector. The "next 365 days" shows future dates. The +/- 3 months only shows past dates. Does the "+/-" mean the dates are approximately 3 months timeframe? I was thinking it would show 3 months in the future (+) and 3 months in the past (-). If it could do that, this would be the ideal 2in1 tool. As is, I could still see starting all of my trip planning from this map tool. GREAT JOB! Edit: I was working on this reply when you added your response. I'll check out the new link. Do you ever sleep? :)

That Priceline Maps is awesome. Thank you for pointing it out. So much easier than googling each hotel and trying to remember where each is relative to tourist spot. I'll have to explore this site to find more hidden gems. I did see the Priceline and Hotwire Calendar of Wins but not as useful as map since the number of hits on a 14 day window is low for Niagara Falls. Not sure why the 14 day maximum but when I'm looking for a target price, I look for bids in the month before and after. Chicago had lots of hits so calendar is perhaps more informative for a busier city. Based on the map, any of the 4* hotels would work. Even the 3.5* are good locations. I tried bidding last night with no success. Went up to $130/night for Saturday. Then switched to bid up to $125/night for Friday. Was really hoping to at least get a Friday night stay for $125. Will give 4* a few more tries before going to 3.5*. I think I'm close...at least I hope. Once I get the Niagara Falls hotel, I'll bid on Toronto. Toronto seems like it will be easier to get and the price seems the same whether Fri or Sat.

The main thing we want to do in Toronto is eat fresh asian tropical fruits. Being near Chinatown would be convenient for that purpose. Not sure what else to do in Toronto. Is there an extreme thrill boat ride like Chicago's Seadog? The younger kids weren't too impressed by the slow architectural tour boat. Would like to stay in the $100~125/night range for 4*. With around ten 4* hotels in that zone, I hoped prices were lower. May need to drop to 3*+ to get the price we want.

Sorry, I wasn't clear. I wanted to confirm if the current list of 4* hotels are near the Falls and offer falls view. I don't want to bid for a 4* hotel and possibly end up a mile from the Falls. I would consider the Friday night Express deal if I could be certain of the hotel's identity. I'd pay the premium if the hotel has a view of the Falls and within walking distance (1/2 mile) of the Maid of Mist dock. I know, I'm asking a lot but you guys are enabling a 4* lifestyle on a 1* budget. :)

Ok, do you think the 4* priceline hotels in the zone have falls view? I would be willing to pay the upgrade, just want to make sure I at least have the opportunity. Worst case, I walk to the common area to view the falls. I'd like to stay around $125/night. The express deals are cheaper for Friday night than Saturday. I could switch Toronto and Niagara Falls around. I'm also looking for (2) rooms so not sure if that's important to know. Friday night express deal: 4 Star Hotel in Niagara Falls, ON Area for $166/night Rated 8.0out of 10 (or higher) Guaranteed Amenities: Free Internet Indoor or Outdoor Pool Restaurant Business Center Fitness Center Check In: Fri Aug 2, 2013 Saturday night express deal: same rating and amenities as Friday express deal 4 Star Hotel in Niagara Falls, ON Area for $218/night

Whoops, that was a typo on the priceline zone. I am looking for a DT South hotel and the express deal is for the area I want. Yes, I would like to bid to get a lower price since I saw that others were able to get 4* rooms for around $85. These were for June-July dates but hoping prices don't change that much for August. I used the BiddingHelper.com, do you get the same credit as the direct links? I like BH because the tabs are so convenient to quickly go from site to site.

I started a different post for the continuation of our Canadian trip. Planning our first visit to Niagara Falls on August 3rd and would like a room for one night. Are there any nice priceline hotels on the Canadian side which has a direct view of the falls? What is the typical price range? Missed the groupon deal for Marriott Fallsview. :(

Hi guys, me again. The stay from our priceline winning bid at the Chicago Sax Hotel was excellent. Easy walk to the free Navy Pier trolley. Decided to go with the Wendella tour based on your recommendations. Overall very nice mini vacation. We are now planning a trip to Canada. Looking for a 4* Toronto Downtown North South checkin August 2nd for one night. Saw the express deal for $162/night...seems high. Any idea which hotel this might be? 4 Star Hotel in Downtown Toronto South Area for $162/night Rated 7.0 out of 10 (or higher) Guaranteed Amenities: Free Internet Indoor or Outdoor Pool Restaurant Business Center Fitness Center Thanks

Thanks guys, really great info. Now leaning towards Wendella. They offer the lowest cost and longest tours. I see what you mean with the good deals drying up. Saw many 2for1 or 50% off deals that expired last year. Oh well, can't win them all.