Priceline Hotel: 3.5* Chicago (NMA-River North) Doubletree

[TerryP]

Hi there. As discussed in a previous thread, I am going to Chicago for 4 nights from October 21 - 25. I have already bid successfully on priceline for part of the stay (October 23 - 25) and got the Holiday Inn Chicago Mart Plaza. I now need a room for October 21 - 23. I would prefer to stay in the River North-NMA zone, especially since I have to move to the Holiday Inn on the 23rd.

I am bidding on a 3* and have already bid up to $146 with no luck. Can you suggest a strategy? I don't really have a price ceiling, since I absolutely have to find a room, but would like to get the least expensive 3* that I can get for those 2 nights.

[AaronJB]

Great deal for the Holiday Inn, which is next to an "L" train line that goes South to the Loop (which is just on the other side of the river) or North to the North neighborhoods (Lincoln Park, etc.)

In terms of 10/21-23, I would definitely not go aggressively higher from here - HOTWIRE has a 3.5* in the Mag Mile/Streeterville area (likely the Doubletree, which is a 3.5* on PRICELINE) for $172. I'd suggest bidding at the 3.5* level for $147, $150 if $147 isn't accepted, $153 if $150 is no, etc. I think you're likely quite close to a win. I'm a little surprised at $146 wasn't accepted for a 3*, as rates are not terrible - I'm guessing something (convention?) is going on during these dates that's causing hotels to be less aggressive with discounts.

Please let us know if you have any questions.

Thank you for using the site's HOTWIRE or PRICELINE links to start your purchases and searches.

[TerryP]

Thank you! I was successful at $149 for the Doubletree:

Room Cost (avg. per room, per night): $149.00 (USD)

Number of Rooms: 1

Number of Guests Per Room: 2

Number of Nights: 2

Room Subtotal: $298.00 (USD)

Taxes and Fees: $56.10 (USD)

Total Room Cost: $354.10 (USD)

A little more than I wanted to spend, but getting the second two nights at only $100/night makes it totally worthwhile.

[AaronJB]

Congrats on your success. :)

Unfortunately expensive, but a good deal for this Doubletree in comparison to HOTWIRE and regular rate (which is $249) for busy dates. This is also a very nice area between the Lake (a few blocks East) and Michigan Ave (a couple of blocks West.) I'll recommend Fox and Obel Market and Cafe (a couple of blocks SE on the corner of Illinois and McClurg - nice cafe for breakfast/lunch/dinner and gourmet market.) Some rooms at this property may have nice partial views of the surrounding area, especially on higher floors. There's also a large grocery store on the opposite corner (to get snacks/drinks cheaper than the hotel.)

Thank you for sharing your win and using the site's PRICELINE or HOTWIRE links to start your purchases and searches.

Enjoy your stay.