Priceline Hotel: 4* Chicago (NMA-River North) Hotel Felix

[AprilBaby]

Hi,

My search for 9/16-9/19 Magnificent Mile 4 Stars (1 Adult) came up with $159/night.

Amenities: Smoke Free Rooms / Fitness Center / Pool / Restaurant(s) / Business Center / High-speed Internet Access

Any idea what hotel(s) this could be?

Thank you.

[AaronJB]

Welcome to Betterbidding. :)

My guess would be the Sheraton. This is an expensive time period and this Sheraton rate is the cheapest 4* on HOTWIRE or regular rate that I'm seeing. Personally, if you are flexible on which 4* in the River North-North Michigan Ave area you stay at, I would consider trying a bid for a 4* for $125 (and then up by $5' if $125 isn't accepted - $125, then $130 if $125 isn't accepted, then $135) in the NMA-River North area on PRICELINE and trying to get the Sheraton or one of the other 4*'s participating in the area for less than $159. Please let us know if you have any questions before bidding.

Please use the site's HOTWIRE or PRICELINE links to start your purchases and searches.

[AprilBaby]

Thank you for your help!

What would happen if I made a bid lower than $125 (perhaps $100) on priceline for a 4*? Would it just get rejected, or would I end up getting hotel other than the Sheraton?

[AaronJB]

There's no way to know which 4* you may get at any price point via PRICELINE. You could try bidding starting at $100 and working higher, but I think $100 being accepted is unlikely.

Please use the site's HOTWIRE or PRICELINE links to start your purchases and searches.

[AprilBaby]

I used the link here to access PRICELINE and started bidding at $100 for a 4* in the North Michigan Avenue Area, and my bid for $124 was accepted for Hotel Felix. While I am happy with its location, the reviews are very disappointing. Many reviews discuss various complaints about their stay and that the room does not qualify as 4* :( Any thoughts?

[AaronJB]

Sorry to hear you're disappointed with the result. :)

Nice rate for this property, which is in an excellent location. I haven't tried this property myself, but the main issue in the reviews is smaller rooms - this was an existing basic property that was taken over and renovated by the new owners; I'm guessing when the property was renovated, the pre-existing rooms may have been small and were not expanded. This property is newer though, and quite well-located. I will say that, from a price standpoint, this is an extraordinary deal for very busy period - Expedia is showing $322 per night for a regular room for these dates.

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

Enjoy your stay.

[thereuare]

In addition to Aaron's comments... reviews are often based upon expectations. Assume that you're a typical customer and pay $300 for a hotel room... you'd likely expect a lot and things to be near perfect, and if your expectations were not met, you'd likely write a negative review and have a negative perspective on the property. On the other hand, take that same guest and have them pay $125/nite for the same exact experience they had when they paid $300+... chances are they'll be able to overlook any minor shortcomings and label their stay 'great'.

Go with the viewpoint that you're paying $125 for a very nice hotel in the Downtown section of a major city and chances are, regardless if you feel the hotel is worth of the 4* rating, that you received a good value.

Enjoy your stay.

[AaronJB]

I'll also note there's also a really nice Whole Foods about a block and a half East - very nice option for a quick bite.

[dahl]

My friend just booked the Hotel Felix for $125 for labor day weekend. That seems to be the going rate. I don't know about the hotels ratings but will look into that now.