Priceline Hotel: 3* Chicago (NMA-River North) Courtyard River North

[Brandie I]

Hello!

I am new to this forum and not very experienced with PRICELINE. My daughter and I are planning a trip to Chicago for her birthday 7/29-7/31. She really wants to stay downtown w/in walking distance of the Magnificent mile. * rating is not most important as long as we stay 3* or higher. My budget is topped at $100 / night. We plan to park at the Midway airport and take the subway to our downtown hotel. I've heard that parking downtown is very expensive, and I'm a little afraid of driving downtown chicago

I bid $80 for 4*, then $80 for 3.5*, declined of course.

Also is it true that your bids are most likely to be accepted the closer you are to the dates you want?

Any advise will be appreciated.

Thank you!

Brandie

[AaronJB]

Welcome to Betterbidding.

Congrats on her birthday! :)

There is no way to know if bids are going to be accepted closer to the dates; if there is an event going on, prices could continue to rise. Additionally, Summer in Chicago overall this Summer has been more expensive than the past one or two Summers.

The problem with these dates is the 7/30 night. There is a marathon on 8/1, and some runners may be coming in a day or two early; 7/29 should be relatively easy to stay within budget if looked at separately, but prices jump significantly on 7/30.

There are a number of less expensive suburban options, but they do involve a trip downtown on the train (and the Metra trains are very nice.)

If you try to your max and are still not accepted, you could consider splitting your stay and seeing if you can get a cheaper hotel on 7/29 and then spend more on 7/30 and hopefully bring the average within your desired budget range. Or you could try bidding for the Millennium Park-Loop-Grant Park area, although as I mentioned in another thread recently, some of the properties in this zone are either not optimally located in the business district and/or not family-friendly (especially a few at the 3* and 3.5* level.) Additionally, the Loop can be very quiet later in the evening, especially the South and West portions.

Is your desired max bid $100 "all-in" (w/taxes & fees included) or $100 + taxes/fees?

Let us know your thoughts and we would be happy to suggest ways to proceed.

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

[Brandie I]

We definitely want to stay in the Magnificent Mile area... and $100 + taxes/fees. We would prefer to stay in the same hotel both nights.

Thanks for your help!

[mlrodriguez]

I use priceline all the time and have used it all over the world. I am going the same dates and am running in the marathon. There are plenty of rooms available still . Most of the runners are from the chicago area and there are set hotels for the marathon. Additionally, with less than 2 weeks until the race, most have booked their hotels. I have gotten hotels that have been virtually full but for 2 or 3 rooms avaialble, a few days before events. The prices get cheaper everyday they have avaialability. I am pretty sure I will be able to get a 4 star in the downtown area for about $100. I just try bidding every day. I have noticed hotels go down by $10 a day (sometimes it will tell you if you bid $10 or $20 more you will get your price.) I was able to get a hotel in Miami for a reasonable price during the Superbowl.

[thereuare]

Did you want to bid up to $100 for a 4* hotel, then if rejected bid up to $100 for a 3.5* hotel, then if rejected try for a 3* hotel... or is your goal the least expensive 3* or better for this stay? (i know you stated above that star rating isn't that important, but you did try bidding 4* and 3.5* above first and as far as i can tell haven't tried 3* bidding yet... and given $80 was rejected at 3.5* and 4*, perhaps the extra $10-$15 is may cost for a higher rated hotel would be worth it??)

Let us know and we'll advise accordingly.

Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases.

[Brandie I]

I do think the extra $15 or $20 would be worth it for a 3.5 or 4*. I would be okay with a 3*, but I don't think I want to pay $100 for it. Above all, I am most concerned with being close to the mile.

Again,

Thanks for your help :)

Brandie

[AaronJB]

I'd recommend bidding up to $100 for a 4* and if that does not work, up to $100 for a 3.5*.

Given that there are 3*'s, 3.5*'s and 4*'s in the Mag Mile-Streeterville area and NMA-WT-GC area showing on HOTWIRE for $160-170 (and the Intercontinental for $219) when searching for 7/30 only, this may be difficult, but hopefully the bidding will be successful.

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

[Brandie I]

Thank you! Wish me Luck :)

[Brandie I]

You are right about the price difference when looking at the 29th by itself. It is significant on both PRICELINE and HOTWIRE. I am considering splitting my bid. I wonder how difficult it would be to switch hotels on Friday morning, given that our car will be parked at the Midway. Your site should be scoring points like crazy as I am using your links to hit both HOTWIRE and PRICELINE repeatedly... obsessing over finding a good deal!

[Brandie I]

I added a 3* to my search and got the Courtyard by Marriott. I bid more than what I would have liked for a 3*, but we are right where we want to be location wise.

I will be using your site in September, I am seeking lodging for two art shows, one in Omaha, the other Kansas City.

Thank you for your help.

Brandie

I'd recommend bidding up to $100 for a 4* and if that does not work, up to $100 for a 3.5*.

Given that there are 3*'s, 3.5*'s and 4*'s in the Mag Mile-Streeterville area and NMA-WT-GC area showing on HOTWIRE for $160-170 (and the Intercontinental for $219) when searching for 7/30 only, this may be difficult, but hopefully the bidding will be successful.

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

[AaronJB]

Congrats on your success.

While unfortunately more than you were hoping to pay, the Courtyard properties in this zone are really quite nice. Can you confirm which location you got, as well as price paid (before taxes/fees?)

We look forward to helping with your stays in the Fall! :)

Thank you for sharing your win and using the site's PRICELINE link.

Enjoy your stay.

[Brandie I]

We got the 30 E Hubbard and State Street Location. I thought we got the one right on the mile, but I was incorrect. It looks to be just a couple blocks from N Michigan Ave? though.

We are paying $110 per night, and watching the prices on Hotwire climb the last couple days, I think we did okay.

[AaronJB]

I actually think in some ways that this is a better location. It's a few blocks West of the Michigan Ave area, while the other location is a block or so East. This property, however, is in the River North area; there's a variety of very nice restaurants right nearby and this property offers easy access to a subway station (there's a station a couple of blocks North at State/Grand.) If you are coming in from Midway airport, you would take the Orange Line to Roosevelt, switch there to the Red Line and then go North to State/Grand (the stop is called just "Grand"). Or, if it's a nice day out, what you could do is just stay on the Orange Line into the downtown area and get off at State and then it's really not a far walk to the Courtyard from there at all. Either way works, and with the lack of switching trains, the Orange line route may work out to be a bit faster overall.

Transit map: http://www.transitchicago.com/assets/1/cli...map/200806D.htm

Any questions, please ask. :)

Thank you for the follow-up.