notaclue Posted March 2, 2006 Report Share Posted March 2, 2006 Brand new to Priceline, and need some help...I'm taking my 2 girls (7 & 10) to the American Girl Place in Chicago. I want to stay somewhere close to or on Michigan Avenue. We'd like to stay somewhere nice but not too $$$. I hoped Priceline could get me in somewhere under $120 a night. What's the best strategy to use for a 4* in NMA for 3 nights, April 6 to 9? 3* is ok too, but not very excited about Boutique Ambassador East. Not too excited about the Millenium Knickerbocker either, but could live with it. Looks like 4* run about $219 to 368 per night during this time (ouch!!!). The Omni Suites (close and has a nice pool) would be my preference, but of course it's a crapshoot.... Link to comment
thereuare Posted March 2, 2006 Report Share Posted March 2, 2006 Welcome to BetterBidding!First you need to realize that Priceline only guarantees double occupancy... after that it's at the discretion of the hotel. In many hotels you will not likley have a problem, but in others 3 can be an issue, especially if the hotel you receive is notorious for small rooms. If this doesn't work for your needs, you can consider Hotiwre, which allows yout to search for up to quad occupancy, but also tends to cost a little bit more.Let us know your thoughts/questions regarding the above and we'll advise how to proceed from there. Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases Link to comment
notaclue Posted March 2, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2006 My girls are small...We'll be ok with one bed if neccessary. I checked Hotwire, but not much there for our dates of travel. Do prices drop as the date gets closer? I've also made a backup reservation (fully cancellable). Link to comment
thereuare Posted March 2, 2006 Report Share Posted March 2, 2006 So which zone(s) are you willing to bid? Just NMA/River North or will you also bid the Loop area?Where and how much is your back-up? Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases Link to comment
notaclue Posted March 2, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2006 I'd rather stay in NMA-River North if possible, although the Loop looks like a possible back-up. I have a reservation at the Omni Suites just off N Michigan Ave. With my Entertainment Book discount I was able to get $174 for the first and last nights and 233.10 for the middle night (the Entertainment rate was based on availability). I've also seen the Four Points Sheraton priced anywhere from $180 to 185 a night (depending what day you check the rate), but they are full on the 8th. I've even considered staying northwest of the city for the last night (the 8th) as we'll be driving back through Wisconsin on the morning of the 9th. Link to comment
AaronJB Posted March 2, 2006 Report Share Posted March 2, 2006 If you want to stay NW of the city, I would recommend staying at either the Residence Inn on 530 Lake Cook Road in Deerfield, IL or Courtyard Marriott down the road at 800 Lake Cook.Deerfield is a suburb NW of the city. I'm guessing you're coming in on the highway (I-94?) which goes right by that area (there's an exit about a mile away). There is also a Metra (larger commuter trains w/bathrooms) train station right there (I believe it's 600 Lake Cook; it's called the Lake Cook Road station), as well. That would be about a 45 minute train trip into downtown.Additionally, Northbrook Court, a high-end (essentially a suburban version of a Michigan Ave. mall) mall is about a mile East of there, and the Chicago Botanic Gardens (you could certainly spend half a day looking around there), which are really quite beautiful, is about 2.5 miles East on Lake Cook. There's another couple of malls right around where the hotel is, as well as a few restaurants, so it's definitely in a populated area.While this wouldn't be as optimal as being right downtown, it is a very suburban area and would allow you easy access to the expressway and public transit downtown.On Expedia, the Courtyard (Called Courtyard Marriott Deerfield) is $74 per night for your nights and the Residence is $89. Although it's not near the train station (it's about a 5-7 minute drive from where the Residence and Marriott are), the four-star Renaissance Marriott North Shore is $84 per night (Nonrefundable advance purch. rate) for your nights.Information:Metrarail (metrarail.com)Northbrook Court (http://www.northbrookcourt.com/)Chicago Botanic Gardens (http://www.chicagobotanic.org/)_______________________________________________Otherwise,If you do try for 3* River North/NMA, while you do have the possibility of getting the Holiday Inn Merch Mart, you also have the possibility of getting the Holiday Inn City Centre, which is in a great location and is quite nice for a Holiday Inn. Additionally, while there are *no guarantees*, the Holiday Inn City Centre is one of the few downtown hotels (it seems) that does have a lot of 2-bed rooms.While the Millennium Knickerbocker isn't one of downtown Chicago's finest 4-stars, it is better than the reviews give it credit for (it should either be rated boutique or 3*), and it is in a great location. Lot of history, too - once served as a prime hangout for Capone.The Ambassador East (formerly Omni until it was bought recently) is a nice hotel in the Gold Coast neighborhood. There's quite a few restaurants around, and Michigan Ave. is not far. A wall in the lobby area has signed photos from many of the movie stars that have visited from over the years. It's also on a tree-lined street in a residential area, so street noise isn't quite as much a factor there as other hotels. Additionally, if you wanted to walk from there to Lincoln Park Zoo, it's about a 15-minute walk due North. Link to comment
thereuare Posted March 2, 2006 Report Share Posted March 2, 2006 If you still want to bid the NMA (and Loop) zones this is how i would proceed. If you'd rather bid the other zones in light of the above information post back and we'll advise accordinlgy. However, lots of rooms are sold-out so this may be a very tough win.You have two re-bid zones at the 4* level in Chicago. If you're not familiar with re-bidding please read Priceline Re-Bidding Explained and feel free to ask questions and/or confirm your re-bid zones with the board before proceeding.Select 4* NMA...Bid $75, if rejected add re-bid zone...Bid $90, if rejected add re-bid zone...Bid $100, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously.Select 4* Loop...Bid $75, if rejected add re-bid zone...Bid $90, if rejected add re-bid zone...Bid $100, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously.Select 4* NMA and Loop...Bid $110, if rejected add re-bid zone...Bid $115, if rejected add re-bid zone...Bid $120, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously.If the above fails there is a 4* available on Hotwire for $165/nite (most likely either the Drake, Ambassador East, or Westin)... not sure how that compares to your other back-up hotels (although this wouldn't be a back-up since just like Priceline, Hotwire is non-refundable)Let us know how it goes or if you have any questions. Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases Link to comment
notaclue Posted March 3, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2006 Thanks for the great advice! I will try the 4* NMA/Loop strategy and let you know how it turns out. Link to comment
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