jsteph

It looks like my daughter would rather use Airmiles and have the extra cash for shopping. Go figure.

On Priceline the zone would be Downtown City Centre. It's a much bigger zone than I thought. I'm torn because I can get the 3* Best Western Europa with Airmiles and $50.10 for the two nights. It's not where I would usually stay, but I'm thinking I won't get a 4* for less than $120 a night. The location of the BW is great but the reviews I'm reading are so-so. Soooo conflicted.... do I save the $$ for shopping or pay more for better accommodations with the risk of being on the outskirts of the zone? O.o

We are looking to stay downtown in the financial district, the closer to central station the better. This is basically a back to school shopping trip. Funny, I was thinking the 3.5 might be Chez Swann. Thanks!

Booked last-minute Montreal getaway Aug 17-19 and now the fun part of securing a hotel. 1 adult/1 child (15yrs) Usually use Priceline but looked on Hotwire and found the following but not sure of the properties. In particular the 3.5* as I don't see an boutique hotels reported yet. Also, does it mean anything if the amenities are in green as opposed to black? 3.5* $123 Downtown Financial District area boutique hotel; 75% recommended (77 total reviews) Free Breakfast Free Internet Pet Friendly Boutique Hotel Fitness Centre Business Centre 4* $124 Downtown Financial District; 95% recommended (483 total reviews) Smoke free rooms Fitness Centre Restaurants Internet Access Thanks guys! PS For questions re: starting bids on PL should I start a separate thread on the Priceline forum?

Bid 5* up to $150 nothing. Mayfair/Bloomsbury/Westminster/Regents-NLA Bid 4* started at $85. Won the 4* Maide Vale @ $110 plus the 5% savings. $330 + $77.10 - $16.50 = $390.60 Now to research the hotel... FYI I do have a Marriott rewards # which I will casually mention in my confirmation email. Did wonders with our win for the Chicago Blackstone. Who knows? Can't hurt to mention ;) Of course I always link to PRICELINE from betterbidding. It's the only way!

Thank you, thereuare, for your insight. I am familiar with European lodgings, just not which properties participate in PRICELINE and HOTWIRE. This is a special anniversary trip for us (20 yrs!!) so I just don't want to be dismissed into a subpar room or treated like a second-class citizen just because we used PL. KWIM? The hotels in US and Canada have never made us feel like that :D So basically I wondered how others have been treated who have won London hotels, and if they were happy with their accommodation/experience. Will be looking at 4* possibly 5* if the price is right.

I've never bid outside North America so I'm not really sure on the stable of properties that participate in PL for London. Can anyone speak from experience to the quality of rooms they get using NYOP in London? I've never had a problem with rooms I've won in Canada and the US in terms of being less desirable. We do love the Bloomsbury area, though recommendations welcome. Has to be convenient to the tube. Any clues to PL rates for 4* or 5* at this date would also be welcome. I've been scouring online sites and direct with hotels but nothing's jumping out at me yet. No budget yet, per se. Obviously spending less than $200/night would be great. Many thanks, as always.

Hey there, Heading to London for 3 nights in September before heading to Ireland. I see a 5* Express deal for Regent's Park/NLA for $302. Guest rated 9/10; amenities: indoor/outdoor pool, restaurant, biz centre, fitness centre. Is this the Landmark? It's the only 5* I see on the Priceline hotel list. Also, if this is the Express price (plus I could get an additional 5% off with the Summer coupon) what would be a good bid for NYOP? Jen as a lark did some bidding for 4*/5* in Bloomsbury and Soho regions up to $102 and was rejected. (Was not expecting to win at those prices.) We usually stay in Bloomsbury.

Follow up: I went and booked the Fairmont deal offered on Travelocity. Didn't think there was anyway to beat that and didn't want the flights to sell out. So to summarize, return nonstop flights for 4 on United and 3 nights accommodations at the Fairmont Chicago Millennium Park for 2 adults, 2 kids. flight & hotel: $657.02 + taxes & fees = $810.89 CDN I'm very happy with this deal! :D

Yes, that price is "all in". the only extra would be the baggage fee for United at $25 a bag, of which we'll share, so 2 bags for an extra $50. So you think that's a good price then? I thought it was, but I have nothing to compare it to so I wasn't sure! I will use the PRICELINE links to book this package. I can't imagine rates getting much better than that... Edit: Forgot to ask if you think there's a better hotel choice I should look for? OK I realize there's a gazillion hotels, but maybe you have a particular one that is a must-stay, since it's not a blind bid situation. PS thanks for the food tips! Edit 2: on Travelocity I can get a room at the Fairmont for $811 incl flights

Change of plans... on a lark I looked on PL for combo flights out of Buffalo with hotel. (We are an hour away from Buffalo, vs a 7.5 hour drive to Chicago) Anyway, turns out the 4 of us can fly non-stop on United, arriving 8:30am Friday, leaving 7pm Monday with a 3-night stay at hotels for about a grand. To me this is totally worth it, we get more time in Chicago and don't have the whole parking hassle. Can you give me your advice on the hotels? I'm leaning toward the Hotel71 due to the location. Here's the rates of some, all in: Hotel 71 $929.94 (2 queen beds, river view) Springhill Suites $953.14 (incl breakfast, 2 dlbs & sofa bed) Palmer House $1,055 (2 queen) Hyatt Regency $1,006.68 (2 queen) They offer most hotels, some $100-$300 more. I'm just not sure which hotels are worth spending more on. Let me know what you think! Thank you!

Thanks for the advice. That's why I asked the pros ;) Still undecided on one room vs two. I guess if a single room could accommodate a rollaway, that would work. As always your advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks for bearing with me while I figure this out! lol I will for sure use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin my travel purchases when the time comes.

The April date looks better for us than the May long weekend. Groupon has an offering for the Allerton right now. I could get a Superior Suite for $471 + tax for the April dates. But I read so many unfavourable reviews on that hotel it makes me sorta nervous. Your thoughts? I just noticed this appears to have a 48-hour cancellation. HOTWIRE or PRICELINE

Thanks for the speedy reply!! After looking at the kids school sched I think I might switch the weekend to April 26-29 (they have a PA day in there). Rates look to be much cheaper then, plus it saves us crossing the border on a holiday Monday! haha! How's Chicago weather in late April?? Will keep you posted. Because we're flexible due to driving, no flights, I might take your earlier advice and try to PRICELINE 2 rooms. As always will let you know. THANKS! :lol:

Thought I'd check since it's a new month. :) Today I see a 4* Mag Mile North/Water Tower going for $175 ("Super Savings" comparable $355. 90% recommended). Searching for 2 adults, 2 kids. May 17-20 Smoke Free Rooms Fitness Center Restaurant(s) Business Center High-Speed Internet Access Accessible for the blind Accessible for the deaf Accessible path of travel In-room accessibility Wheelchair accessible Accessible bathroom Roll-in shower Thanks! HOTWIRE or PRICELINE

Thanks! Bid for 2 rooms to $105 with no luck (if I pursue this, I'll start a thread on the Priceline board). I think I'll just keep looking on and off. Based on the wins I saw last year, I think it's still early since most wins were posted in April. Who knows? Maybe blocks will get released closer to the date if the convention doesn't provide the numbers they were expecting. Although the Hotel 71 looks tempting based on reviews and the fact that the rooms have 2 queen beds... I'll keep you posted to the outcome and any bidding. (It is somewhat addictive, isn't it!) Cheers, Jen HOTWIRE or PRICELINE

I didn't realize I was searching for quad vs 2 adults/2 kids. Interesting. Other than a possible price difference is there a size difference as well? As for our rate at the Springhill Suites: $1,059 for 3 nights in a studio w 2doubles and a queen pullout, incl. breakfast and all taxes etc. Obviously the bed for each teen is very appealing. but $$ :o I will be sure to use the site's HOTWIRE or PRICELINE links to start my purchases and searches. edit: Will hotels allow 2 teens a room of their own, if I decide to try the 2 room option?

Thanks for the advice. I agree that is a great savings. However, we're driving in from Ontario and we're set on staying downtown for this visit so we can walk everywhere and have a close base to regroup and rest. I don't mind paying extra for convenience... it is a holiday. :) I do have a reservation at the Springhill Suites that can be cancelled, simply because it offers us the convenience of space. It is quite expensive though and I've been reading a lot of neg reviews about the noise so I haven't given up on HOTWIRE Also when I compared wins to this weekend in 2012 the prices seemed much lower. Is it worth waiting do you think? today I see a 3.5* for $188 that I think might be Hotel 71? (Mag Mile/River North $322 other sites/95% recommended) Free Internet Boutique Hotel Smoke Free Rooms Fitness Center Restaurant(s) Business Center High-Speed Internet Access Accessible for the blind Accessible for the deaf Accessible path of travel In-room accessibility Accessible bathroom Handicapped parking Roll-in shower As always, Thanks for your time and input.

My hubby and I had such a great time last spring in Chicago, we're going to take the kids (14, 17) for a May long weekend this year. I usually have great luck using this board with Priceline, but since we're a group of 4, thought I'd look at Hotwire. My kids are tall, so basically we need to accommodate 4 adults. Is that even possible? Searching today came up with a 4* for $205 Indoor pool business centre fitness centre restaurant. I can also get the double room at the Silversmith for the 3days at $649. Has anyone stayed there? We won the Blackstone last year and loved it, but it's too pricey for the 4 of us. We will be driving this time. So parking will be needed. Any tips welcome. Thanks in advance!

Hi, we're back from our trip and I'm happy to report the Blackstone hotel was spectacular, the weather rocked and we had a great time in Chicago... though we need to go back as there's just so much to do that can't be done in a mere 2.5 days. As for the hotel, we had no problem taking the train from Midway and walking the few blocks. At check-in the hostess called up our reservation and then promptly announced with a smile that she was going to "put us in a nicer room." We ended up on the 19th floor with a king room overlooking the park! We were so thrilled! I don't know if this has anything to do with the call I made months ago confirming our reservation and casually mentioning we were Marriott Rewards members (the woman on the phone indicated that with Priceline stays that didn't matter) But who knows if they made a note of it or not? Either way, we felt like we really lucked out and were in no way treated differently than any other visitor. The hotel is lovely, the staff are friendly and attentive, and the location is right across the beautiful park. We walked everywhere. It really didn't take too long (I had imagined the walk to be impossible before getting there based on others comments, but in reality you're in the thick of things within 10-15 minutes of walking up Michigan Ave.) The only time we took the train was to and from Midway. It was super hot this weekend so all the walking just meant more pub stops for a cool pint! Can't wait to go back to Chicago and will definitely use this site and Priceline again. Thanks to all who offered tips!!

KatiesMom: Thank you for the advice! I will do that for sure and report back after the trip how it played out. AaronJB: Thank you! I greatly appreciate you taking the time to help us and offer advice. I will absolutely take you up on your offer to come up with some itinerary ideas. About us: We love to walk (weather permitting of course), we love history and learning about it, we love to eat and drink well, we try to stay away from fast food or "family style," though we do love a good pub, especially with live entertainment. Does that help?

Thanks AaronJB. What are your thoughts with the festival being in the park, as I'm not familiar with exact locales, venues and sizes. i.e. will it be directly in front of the hotel and crazy? Be honest!! Also, we have a Marriott member rewards card. Do you think if I inquire, the hotel would consider a request for a higher floor, perhaps a lake-view room? We're not opposed to venturing out to find places to eat/drink. My favourite area in NYC is Murray Hill; last year we won the Kitano, which many would consider very quiet, but we loved the location and the hotel. Most nights we went out to other neighbourhoods to eat/find entertainment, then made our way back on the subway. No problem. Reading the boards I get the feeling most people take cabs in Chicago, not the train? The hotel does look absolutely stunning, and I figured we saved over $200 from the posted rates for our stay so that's all right I guess. I just hope the weather cooperates so we can explore a lot on foot, otherwise I might regret not sticking with only the NMA zone.

Won the 4* Blackstone Renaissance for $170. Total bill for 3 nights $607.05. ($170x3 + $97.05 taxes/fees) Started bidding today at $128 up to $165 (+ $5 bonus cash) with NMA as the only 4* with no luck. Then closed the browser and started again at $144 to include the Mill/Loop/GPA and got the Blackstone at $170 (+$5 bonus cash). Certainly not the crazy discount I was hoping for, but based on the other prices I'm seeing for these dates I'm pleased. The reviews I've read sound great. Also the location seems very good for the Blues Festival at Grant Park so I'm happy with that as we're not really that into shopping. Plus apparently there's a Starbucks, so hubby will be pleased! :) I'll be interested to see how others fare closer to the date. But for me, I'm glad having this out of the way and can now focus on planning our days there. :D Thanks for all the advice. Any restaurant recommendations gladly accepted. lol Cheers, Jen

That bookit rate is non-refundable. I don't see the HOTWIRE hotel for $181 available anymore. From the searches I've been doing this weekend is not going to be cheap. Looks like the rates are really high on the Sunday for a lot of places, which I can only assume is driving up the cost of my weekend. My gut feeling is that rates will not go down closer to the date. Perhaps I should just raise my ceiling now and avoid being stuck closer to the date? I also have not booked a refundable backup either. Would it be better to do that first rather than raise my bids this early? Thanks, as always, for your advice (and patience! lol) Jen PS bid up to $161 on PRICELINE this morning and nada. Though at $159 it did give me the message that they were looking and to check the status in 15 minutes. Alas, rejection.

Interesting and good to know! Thanks. I'll definitely look into the hotels you mention. What do you know of bookit? According to that site I can get a comfy king room at the Dana for $179 after promo codes. Total for 3 days with fees/taxes $642.79. Is that a reliable site? I read some horrible reviews so I'm thinking it's not.