Priceline Hotel: 3.5* Chicago (Skokie-Niles-Evanston) Hilton Orrington

[1337]

I'm planning a trip to Northwestern University in Evanston, IL from 1/9/10 to 1/15/10. Based on past BetterBidding threads, $45 seems to be a common rate for the Hilton Orrington in Evanston.

I'd prefer as close as possible to Northwestern, so the Orrington looks ideal. According to the BetterBidding Priceline Hotel List, the Orrington is the only 3.5* in the Skokie-Niles-Evanston zone. The Hotel List also states that the DoubleTree Skokie North Shore was formerly a 3.5* but is now a 3*. However, all of the recent postings on the BetterBidding Illinois board seem to list the DoubleTree Skokie North Shore as a 3.5*. Does anyone know if this DoubleTree is currently 3* or 3.5*?

I've got my fingers crossed that the DoubleTree is a 3*, so that the Orrington is the only (known) 3.5* in the zone.

EDIT: this thread's topic should be "Help - Hilton Orrington," not "Hotel Orrington." If I understand correctly, Hilton recently acquired this hotel.

[thereuare]

The DoubleTree Skokie North Shore is currently rated 3* by PRICELINE... is has been downgraded since the last time (4 months ago) that it was reported to the board. Keep in mind that while the Orrington is the only 3.5* property reported to the board, there could always be others not yet know and you could be the first to report a new property to the board.

If you let us know your maximum bid for this stay we'll suggest a strategy for you to follow.

Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases (and your searches too!)... please click this PRICELINE link before replying.

Thanks.

[1337]

thereuare,

Thanks for the help! I'd be willing to bid up to $60/night.

[AaronJB]

Interesting that the Doubletree has been downgraded to 3*; having the Orrington as the only known 3.5* in the zone (I can't imagine there are any others) makes 3.5* in this zone a very compelling bid, I think.

Not saying that's a bad Doubletree, but if one could be relatively assured (although some slight risk) of the Orrington being the only possibility at 3.5*, that could be a solid alternative for those looking to stay outside the city during expensive periods, given the Orrington's easy access to both CTA and Metra trains (both stations are two blocks away.)

Additionally, while it seems entirely unlikely, PRICELINE should consider separating this zone - the Doubletree is a pretty significant distance from the Orrington (which was an independent hotel for quite some time, although became a Hilton this Fall.)

Finally, while it is a little chain-y, I do like Flat Top Grill around the corner from the Orrington, which is all you can eat stir fry (you make up your stir fry, they fry it up for you and then they bring it to the table; if you pay for the unlimited, you can keep going back.) There's also a Whole Foods a couple of blocks from the Orrington and a wealth of other restaurants. I'm also a fan of Foodstuffs (which has very good soups) and the Spice House, both of which are on Central Street in Evanston.

All that said, unfortunately, there is no guarantee that the Orrington will have PRICELINE inventory for these dates (and again, there could always be a different 3.5* that hasn't been reported to the board, although I really can't imagine what that would be), although rates do certainly seem on the low side in Evanston. $45 would seem like a very reasonable starting point, given the retail price I'm seeing.

If something happens and you're not able to get a win at the 3.5* level in Evanston, I'd be happy to suggest quite a few other options in the area, as well. If you are driving, there are a number of very nice hotels in the North burbs w/free parking. If you are flying in, downtown actually looks pretty cheap for these dates and you could take the Metra to Evanston (just to offer a couple alternatives.)

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

[thereuare]

At the 3.5* level in this area you have FOUR re-bid zones. 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 3.5* Skokie...

Bid $45, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $48, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $50, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $53, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $55

I'd start with the above and take it from there.

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

Let us know how it goes or if we can be of further help.

[1337]

Thanks for the help! I'll give this a try.

[1337]

Your Offer Price Per Room, Per Night: $60.00

Subtotal: $360.00

Taxes & Fees: $66.18

Total Charges*: $426.18

Bidding history:

Day 1, 3.5*

$35 Skokie-Niles-Evanston

$37 Skokie-Niles-Evanston + Franklin Park Area

$38 Skokie-Niles-Evanston + Hyde Park

$39 Skokie-Niles-Evanston + Lincoln Park

$40 Skokie-Niles-Evanston + Midway Airport North

Day 2, 3.5*

$41 Skokie-Niles-Evanston

$42 Skokie-Niles-Evanston + Franklin Park Area

$43 Skokie-Niles-Evanston + Hyde Park

$44 Skokie-Niles-Evanston + Lincoln Park

$45 Skokie-Niles-Evanston + Midway Airport North

Day 3, 3.5*

$47 Skokie-Niles-Evanston

$49 Skokie-Niles-Evanston + Franklin Park Area [offer to raise price to $64]

$51 Skokie-Niles-Evanston + Hyde Park [offer to raise price to $66]

$55 Skokie-Niles-Evanston + Lincoln Park [offer to raise price to $70]

$60 Skokie-Niles-Evanston + Midway Airport North

Used the PRICELINE link.

Some threads show wins for the Orrington at $45. It's hard to tell why it cost more this time--ideally it's just a busy set of dates instead of Hilton jacking up the Priceline minimum bid for all dates. In any case, I've visited the Orrington before, and I'm a fan. Looking forward to a good trip!

[AaronJB]

Congrats on your success. :)

Quite the nice deal for this Evanston property! Glad you are pleased with the result and are looking forward to another stay at this hotel.

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

Enjoy your stay.

[1337]

I was very impressed with the Hilton Orrington. The hotel was less than a block from many restaurants, boutiques, and other businesses. I found some free parking a few blocks from the hotel and only used my car a couple of times all week. (The Orrington's valet parking is $22/day.)

The hotel itself was grand, clean, and tidy. The room came with a large TV and--my favorite surprise--a keyboard, mouse, and ethernet cable ready to plug my laptop into.

All in all, this stay was worth every penny. Thanks to thereuare and AaronJB for helping with the bidding strategy for this hotel.

[thereuare]

Glad you enjoyed your stay... we were happy to have helped! :)

[2dwell]

Just tried the following to get the Orrington from May 7-10. No luck... :) :)

Bidding history thus far:

Day 1, 3.5*

$35 Skokie-Niles-Evanston

$37 Skokie-Niles-Evanston + Franklin Park Area

$38 Skokie-Niles-Evanston + Hyde Park

$39 Skokie-Niles-Evanston + Lincoln Park

$40 Skokie-Niles-Evanston + Midway Airport North

Day 2, 3.5*

$41 Skokie-Niles-Evanston

$42 Skokie-Niles-Evanston + Franklin Park Area

$43 Skokie-Niles-Evanston + Hyde Park

$44 Skokie-Niles-Evanston + Lincoln Park

$45 Skokie-Niles-Evanston + Midway Airport North

Day 3, 3.5*

$47 Skokie-Niles-Evanston

$49 Skokie-Niles-Evanston + Franklin Park Area [offer to raise price to $64]

$51 Skokie-Niles-Evanston + Hyde Park [offer to raise price to $66]

$55 Skokie-Niles-Evanston + Lincoln Park [offer to raise price to $70]

$60 Skokie-Niles-Evanston + Midway Airport North

Used the PRICELINE link.

[AaronJB]

2dwell,

Sorry to hear that your bids weren't accepted. If you need assistance with your stay, please start a new thread.

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

[1337]

Sorry to resurrect an old thread. Just wanted to thank AaronJB for his advice to go to Flat Top. We did indeed eat at Flat Top, and it's probably the best Flat Top franchise that I've been to. :)

Oh yeah, and we also visited the Whole Foods.