Priceline Hotel: Is the weekend of 5/5-5/8 impossible in Chicago?

[cwoods13]

I've been stalking the site looking at all the wins for the 4* Hyatt Regency Chicago Millennium Loop in the $50-$60 range and keep bidding for the weekend of 5/5- 5/8 without success. I also saw that no one has reported wins for that date. Does that mean no one else is trying or no one else is succeeding? I just checked and it looks like there's a doctors conference with 22,000 attendees starting 5/7 through 5/10. I know there are tons of Chicago hotels, but that seems like a massive conference. Could that be what's throwing off the availability on priceline? Am I just trying too early?

I did see that the Hyatt is reporting $199 on hotel sites for the dates people seem to be winning in the $50-60 range and $329 for the weekend I'm looking for, so unless that goes down, I know I'll probably be $20-30 higher at least. Any other advice?

[thereuare]

Rates are date specific, and the $50's-$60's downtown wins are usually only available during times of very low demand... certainly not all time, and probably less and less as we leave the cold months and the Chicago weather begins to take a turn for the better. For you're particular stay, i'm sure the conference is having at least some impact on the demand (and therefore rates as well)

With the above noted, rates aren't that bad for these dates in the sense that there is availability (if you want to see what tough dates are like try searching downtown for 6/4-6/8), but it will likely take quite a bit more than in the $60's. What is your maximum bid for this stay? What is the best rate you're able to find thru conventional booking channels?

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

[jenerationx]

I've been trying priceline for similar dates and have gone up to $135 for 4* and $125 for 3.5* with no luck.

Given that this is Mother's Day weekend and a nice time of year, am guessing that that's also adding to the demand.

P.S. I should also mention I've been trying exclusively the NMA and Millennium Park areas.

[AaronJB]

Regular rates are looking on the high side for these dates (Hyatt @$329, and comparable properties at between $200-350 or so.), with rates in the NMA-River North area appearing SLIGHTLY less overall. Given the demand from the convention and the time period, hotels may not feel the need to aggressively discount.

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

[cwoods13]

Thank you to AaronJB and thereuare for your guidance on it and jenerationx for telling about your experience. I had a feeling other people might be going through the same thing with the dates, so I felt it provided value to discuss it with the Illinois priceline group.

I agree that the convention is probably making a difference, as well as Mother's Day, Cinco de Mayo, and May in general.

I think my next strategy is going to be to split the bids so I am looking at 5/5-5/7 instead of through Sunday, hoping that some of those convention people haven't arrived yet. And, perhaps as we get closer to the dates we'll be able to find better deals.

Good luck to everyone and thanks again for this helpful site!

[thereuare]

What is your maximum bid for this stay?

???

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

[cwoods13]

I haven't set a maximum budget yet. I still feel like I have some time, and I could always go down a star level or even look at another area. I just wanted to get a feel for whether others are having the same issues, and it definitely just looks like a busy weekend. I'll keep trying, and of course I'll use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links provided.

[AaronJB]

I would definitely be persistent and try every few days. The dates are not too terribly far away, and prices could trend higher or remain around these levels. If you are driving, the suburbs are definitely a more reasonable option (plus free parking at most hotels), but the weekend train schedule is definitely more limited and it's a bit of a trip (although a comfortable one on the metra trains) into the city. Hopefully more inventory will come online for these dates soon, but I would definitely be persistent. Most of the 3.5*'s in the NMA-River North area are nice or very nice, and I actually also like some of the 3*'s (such as the Indigo) quite a bit. In terms o fthe Millennium Park/Loop/Grant Park area, there are noticeably less 3*/3.5*'s and some of them are not conveniently located from a tourist standpoint.

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