Priceline Hotel: 4* Chicago NMA/Loop Hotel

[soonerpride75]

Hi,

I tried using one of the recommendations posted earlier about bidding on hotels in the NMA/Loop area. I tried using the bid/re-bid method from $75 a night up to $110 a night. I would also like to add that I don't have a preference as to either location, since I'll be in town for a concert and to drive up to Green Bay for a Packers game. The wife however would like to shop on Saturday, hence the location. The method I used was as follows:

Select 4* NMA...

Bid $75, if rejected add re-bid zone1...

Bid $80, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously.

Select 4* NMA and re-bid zone2...

Bid $85, if rejected add re-bid zone1...

Bid $90, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously.

Select 4* Loop...

Bid $75, if rejected add re-bid zone1...

Bid $80, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously.

Select 4* Loop and re-bid zone2...

Bid $85, if rejected add re-bid zone1...

Bid $90, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously.

Select 4* NMA and Loop...

Bid $95, if rejected add re-bid zone1...

Bid $100, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously.

Select 4* NMA and Loop and re-bid zone2...

Bid $105, if rejected add re-bid zone1...

Bid $110.

All bids were rejected. I'm curious if anyone has any thoughts on how to improve my chances.

Thanks!!

[AaronJB]

What days are you bidding for exactly?

[soonerpride75]

Sorry, I had it in the subject header only. The dates were 09/15/2006 - 09/18/2006.

[AaronJB]

Oops, sorry didn't notice the header! :)

Those days are busy in the city due to a number of festivals taking place in the city and a handful of minor conventions. Several hotels already appear booked up.

A couple of questions - what is the maximum you are willing to bid? Would you be willing to split your stay between two different hotels?

[soonerpride75]

Thanks for replying so quickly. I really don't necessarily know what I'm willing to bid, to be honest. I was using the Westin River North that weekend as a gauge and I saw it booking at about $300 - 350/night. I was hoping to simply get the best value possible (i.e. if a room is normally $350, and priceline can book it for $150, etc.).

I'd prefer not to split the time between two different hotels. I am willing to move out of the NMA/Loop area though if that will improve my chances. Like I said, I'll be there for a Dave Matthews concert at I believe the Tinley Center, shopping on Saturday, and going up to Green Bay on Sunday. The only reason I selected NMA/Loop was because I thought it might be the most centrally located for the first two days.

I'm pretty open to ideas though. I'm not necessarily firm on anything with the exception of wanting to stay at a decent place.

Thanks for any help you can provide!!

[AaronJB]

Throwing out ideas (no particular order.)

1. Stay downtown 9/15-9/17 via Priceline, if you are able to get a winning bid. Since you have to head to Green Bay on Sunday the 17th (I'm guessing you're driving), you may want to consider staying North of the city. HOTWIRE has a 3* in the Northbrook zone (fitness/business/restaurant/pool/laundry/internet) for $53 that would be a likely match for the Radisson Northbrook. Very nice suburban area. You could also bid on Priceline for that area.

The listing that appears to be the Radisson is also available for 9/15-9/18 for $52 a night. However, I think it would only be best for the last night, if you didn't want to have to come all the way back into the city after going to Green Bay. Otherwise, Northbrook would not be the most central location for what you wanted to do (it's 30-40 minute drive from there to downtown and you could take the nearby train in Glenview, which is 2 miles from the Radisson. However, Tinley Park would definitely be further.) Worst case scenario that Priceline isn't coming back with anything reasonable for downtown for the three days, this would be a cheap option for staying outside the city. Gets good reviews on tripadvisor.

_____________________

2. Continue to increase your bid for River North/NMA and the Millennium Park/Loop/Grant park zone for all 3 days. It may take as much as $150, although I would work up towards that instead of bidding $150 right away.

_________________________

3. If Priceline doesn't come back with anything after bidding up to a reasonable max for those dates and Hotwire does not offer anything of interest for downtown, you could also consider west of the city near O'Hare, which would be approximately a 40-45 minute CTA "L" ride into the city. This would also be cheaper than staying downtown (Hotwire currently has a 4* for $70 for your dates, but you could bid on Priceline for a 4* in the area.)

____________________________

4. Stay out closer to Tinley Park the first night (HOTWIRE has a 3* for $69 in the Oakbrook/Downers Grove area with the amenities Complimentary Breakfast, Fitness, Kitchenette, Business, Laundry. This is a possible match for the Staybridge Suites; the Oakbrook/DG area is very nice) and then try for something downtown for 9/16-18.

Coming up with additional ideas, but wanted to toss these out first. Please post any questions and I will respond ASAP.

[AaronJB]

You could also stay in Milwaukee, WI for the last night, so as to not have to drive all the way back to Chicago after the game (accidentially called it a concert in the last post) Milwaukee's a nice city and hotels in the downtown and surrounding area are cheap via Priceline/Hotwire.

[soonerpride75]

Sorry I didn't get back with you yesterday, but work kept me pretty tied up. Can you believe that bidding all the way up to $150 yielded no results??

I guess my next question sort of relates back to what you discussed in your previous post. Which area out of the Northbrook area vs. Oakbrook/Downer's Grove is of closer proximity to downtown and the concert site. I have to come back to Chicago after the game, because my flight leaves early the next morning from O' Hare. I'm also wondering if just staying out at the airport would be best?

[thereuare]

Those days are busy in the city due to a number of festivals taking place in the city and a handful of minor conventions. Several hotels already appear booked up.

Maybe not too surprising given the above (although i haven't looked at rates at other hotels for these dates).

[AaronJB]

Sorry to hear that bidding didn't work.

One more downtown suggestion - probably won't work, but I'll throw it out there: call (number from the website: 312-663-8910) the Buckingham Athletic Club downtown (http://bac-chicago.com/) and ask if they have any of their rooms available. Their rates are generally reasonable and you get use of the health club, according to the website.

As for regular rates downtown, unfortunately the cheapest I'm seeing are $200-250+ (Hilton Chicago $259, Palmer House $239, Holiday Inn Martplaza $226). Given the Palmer House and Hilton Chicago rates (both in the Millennium Park/Loop/Grant Park area), I'm kind of suprised that a $150 bid didn't get either of those, but I guess there was simply no priceline inventory.

In terms of Northbrook and Oakbrook, they were suggested because they were each towards one of the events - Oakbrook would be in the direction of Tinley Park and Northbrook is North of the city, so you wouldn't have to drive quite all the way back downtown (which is why Milwaukee was also suggested) after the game.

Northbrook is slightly further from downtown in terms of mileage, but the differences are fairly minor. However, If you have to be out towards Tinley Park and also, fly from O'Hare the final morning of the trip, then it would be best to stay around O'Hare. If you stayed around O'Hare, you could be right near (or attached to, in the case of the Hilton) the airport for a short trip to your flight, you could be near a blue line "L" station if you didn't want to drive into the city and close to the highway to take North up into WI. If you had to drive North, you'd also be starting further North by O'Hare than if you stayed in the Downers Grove/Oak Brook area, which is South of O'Hare. At O'Hare, you'd still be not far from Tinley Park.

There is a 4* listing for $70 on Hotwire with the amenities Shuttle, Restaurant, Pool, Fitness, Business in the O'Hare area, which would be a match for the reported information for either the Hyatt, Hilton or Westin O'Hare. (although more likely either the Hilton or the Hyatt; the regular rates for both of those hotels on these dates are around $140) You could also bid for a 4* for slightly less on Priceline to see if you could snag a better deal. However, if PL doesn't offer anything below $70 for a 4* O'Hare bid - or you just want to lock in something - this Hotwire offer is available.

One regular rate suggestion is the Springhill Suites O'Hare, which is $99 on marriott.com. Free parking (some of the airport hotels do charge), free continental breakfast and the room offers microwave and mini fridge. Additionally, close to (0.3M away) this (http://www.chicago-l.org/stations/cumberland.html) CTA station. Gets good reviews and, as far as I know, has not been reported as a possible priceline/hotwire hotel.

As always, any questions, please post and I'll respond ASAP.

[AaronJB]

While I know you don't want to move hotels, still thought I'd throw this downtown option out as it just appeared this evening:

HOTWIRE.com - 9/16-9/18

4* Loop Zone. Fitness/Pool/Business/Restaurant. $117 (Price you see may vary). Possibly either the Hilton Chicago or the Palmer House.

The O'Hare idea would still be very good (and cheaper), but wanted to throw this out if you wanted to be able to spend part of your time downtown.

Still nothing really for 9/15-18 downtown on HW.