annieg Posted July 29, 2005 Report Share Posted July 29, 2005 My dear, but procrastinating brother/sister in law are hoping to get to Chicago THIS WEEKEND, and since they rarely travel, I volunteered to help them out with finding the least-expensive DT Chicago option. I'm a travel junkie and love the thrill of the chase, but this is ridiculous. The usual suspects (quikbook, hotrooms) are all coming up steep, so I'm going to give Priceline a shot. They are not fussy about what hotel, or even exactly what area, so at least I have a good bit of flexibility there. I'm a Priceline rookie, though, and can't afford to make a rookie mistake, I'm hoping I can get a bit of guidance from those of you who have successfully used it in the past. Here are the specifics:3 NightsSat/Sun/Mon (7/31--8/2)Millennium Park/Loop/Grant Park OR North Michigan Avenue/River North2* and up (pretty much anything better than a flophouse!) Do I have a shot at this late date? What's my best bid strategy? Thanks very much in advance for any suggestions. Link to comment
friend Posted July 29, 2005 Report Share Posted July 29, 2005 You have to bid by midnight tonight to avoid being locked out of some zones when you bid 'same day.'Your dates are not clear. You say 3 nights Sat/Sun/Mon but then you say 7/31. Do you mean check in Sat Jul 30 and check out Tue Aug 2?I checked Hotwire for those dates I mentioned and South and West of Loop has 3-1/2* for $88 "Best Value." I would think Priceline would be able to beat this. Anything downtown is $120+ on hotwire.Best is probably to pick a couple of areas your brother might be interested in, check conventional rates at hotels (using the lists at the top of the category) then bid accordingly. Start your bidding for a higher star level though since you can always add a lower star level later, but can't go up to a higher star level (well, you can but you have to start a new bid, be careful when using rebids, etc).Generally I bid 35-40% of the lowest conventional rate as a start. But for this last-minute bid, I would probably start higher, especially at the lower star levels where you have little or no free rebids.Good luck.John Link to comment
thereuare Posted July 30, 2005 Report Share Posted July 30, 2005 Welcome to BetterBidding!What is their maximum bid to stay in the areas you mention above? Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases Link to comment
annieg Posted July 30, 2005 Author Report Share Posted July 30, 2005 Thanks for the welcome and suggestions. In a moment of clarity, I decided to split their visit--one night near O'Hare (where they could then leave their car), then two nights downtown. I used a combo of reservations---Hotwire instead of Priceline as it seemed a little more intuitive. I'll post my info on the rate properly ($58 for Hyatt Regency). Link to comment
annieg Posted July 30, 2005 Author Report Share Posted July 30, 2005 4* Customer FavoriteRestaurant, Fitness Center, Business CenterMade this last minute bid on a Friday night for a Sunday/Monday stay. Link to comment
thereuare Posted July 31, 2005 Report Share Posted July 31, 2005 Glad it worked out well... looks like a very good rate and much better than they were expecting.Can you please add a NEW TOPIC for the O'Hare win (assuming that too was via Priceline/Hotwire).Thanks! Hope your brother/sister in law in enjoy their stay. Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases Link to comment
annieg Posted July 31, 2005 Author Report Share Posted July 31, 2005 Nope, the O'Hare wasn't either Priceline or Hotwire. Just got a cheap stay/park package directly from a hotel. Link to comment
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