TrishD Posted April 6, 2012 Report Posted April 6, 2012 I am in Chicago August 7-12, 2012 and am interested in bidding (for the 1st time) for a 4 star Hotel along Magnificent Mile. I would like to reserve now but have never used this kind of reservation format before. Any help is greatlt appreciated.
AaronJB Posted April 7, 2012 Report Posted April 7, 2012 Welcome to Betterbidding. :)This thread: I've Never Used Priceline or Hotwire is recommended reading.In terms of PRICELINE, the River North-NMA area is the zone North of the river, which covers the Mag Mile area, as well as a couple of other neighborhoods, including River North and the Gold Coast. Would anywhere within the NMA-River North zone on the PRICELINE map be acceptable? What would be your desired budget per night and star rating?Thank you for using the site's HOTWIRE or PRICELINE links to star your purchases and searches.
thereuare Posted April 7, 2012 Report Posted April 7, 2012 Thank you for using the site's HOTWIRE or PRICELINE links to star your purchases and searches.... and please read your messages and click each of these PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links before replying.Thank you. Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases
TrishD Posted April 7, 2012 Author Report Posted April 7, 2012 Thanks for your reply. I am only interested in 4* Hotels and yes, only with walking distance of magnificent mile (tourist area for shopping). I've been to Chicago 3 times and I know that the main strip of Hotels and shopping along Michigan Ave is where I want to stay. If I booked a Hotel direct it would probably be the Conrad or the Palomar. This trip is a gift for my friend, so I thought I would finally try this avenue of booking and cut some costs. It would be great if I could get one of these 4* Hotels at less than $100/night including room tax or another Hotel of simialr standards.
thereuare Posted April 7, 2012 Report Posted April 7, 2012 At the moment it doesn't look like you'll be successful at a 4* hotel at $100 or under... especially not 'all-in'.What is the best rate you're able to find thru conventional booking channels for these dates? (try MAPS and HOTELS.com)Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases. Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases
TrishD Posted April 7, 2012 Author Report Posted April 7, 2012 I usually only book Hotels direct or through Expedia and Orbitz. Cheapest I have found is $170-$225/night. I also like the omni and several other Hotels. What price do you think I can win a 4* at for these dates? I just don't want to expand the neighborhood option because my friend has never travelled and I want her to have the best experience and be in the best location.
thereuare Posted April 7, 2012 Report Posted April 7, 2012 I am only interested in 4* Hotels and yes, only with walking distance of magnificent mile (tourist area for shopping).If you enter 'Chicago' and your dates in the search box on the top right of this board, zoom in on the map on the right side of the page... are you willing to stay anywhere within the boundaries of the NMA-River North zone?If not, if you do the same using the HOTWIRE search box on the top left of this page, look at the zone boundaries for any listing in the "Mag Mile-Streeterville" and the "NMA-Water Tower-Gold Coast" zones... are either/both of these zones acceptable?Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases. Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases
TrishD Posted April 7, 2012 Author Report Posted April 7, 2012 Thanks! Actually, any of those 4* Hotels will work! What is your suggestion for price to put a bid in? I think anywhere within this zone only is within walking distance to most things we will be doing and seeing. So I bid on this zone 8 only, for a 4* only, what is your price suggestion?
LegalEagle Posted April 8, 2012 Report Posted April 8, 2012 The American Bar Association has their annual mega-conference in this part of Chicago around that timeframe (the end of the conference will overlap with your travel window), so the nice hotels in the area will likely have limited availability for the first night or two you're looking to travel.I tried different bids from $55 going up in $5-increments up to $100/night for 4* and 3.5*, all without success. Will need to go higher than that.
thereuare Posted April 8, 2012 Report Posted April 8, 2012 What is your suggestion for price to put a bid in?Any strategy we suggest will start lower, but i'm guessing you're likely looking at ~$135-$160 bid amount to be successful for a 4* hotel in this zone... are you willing to bid this high?Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases.The American Bar Association has their annual mega-conference in this part of Chicago around that timeframe... I tried different bids from $55 going up in $5-increments up to $100/night for 4* and 3.5*, all without success.Thanks for the info. It would be appreciated if you started a NEW TOPIC for your own dates/failed bids so that others will be aware of the attempts for your specific dates, and please use the requested PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your future bidding and travel purchases.Thank you. Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases
TrishD Posted April 8, 2012 Author Report Posted April 8, 2012 Okay, is this possible?? If the 9000 person conference end on the 7th and I arrive on the 7th, could i not just put my bid in for the 8th-12th in hopes of a lower accepted bid and deal with my first night seperatly? Would that help me get in at closer to my price range? If not, I'm still fine paying the $150/night (including room tax) but that extra savings will help me with meals and activities for my friend. Thoughts? And thank you for all your replies. This is a really great forum!
thereuare Posted April 8, 2012 Report Posted April 8, 2012 ...could i not just put my bid in for the 8th-12th in hopes of a lower accepted bid and deal with my first night seperatly?Sure, it's what we refer to as SPLITTING YOUR PRICELINE BID and you can see the previous link for a discussion on the subject. However, i'm not sure how much that first nite is effecting rates for the complete trip, but you could certainly give it a try.Let us know your thoughts and we'll take it from there.Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases.PS- thanks for the compliments on the forum :) , we're glad to hear you're liking it! Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases
TrishD Posted April 8, 2012 Author Report Posted April 8, 2012 Okay, so when I'm ready to book all I need to do is click on your PRICELINE link and go from there... is there anything else required as well?
AaronJB Posted April 8, 2012 Report Posted April 8, 2012 Correct. Thank you for using the site's PRICELINE or HOTWIRE links, it's greatly appreciated. Please keep us updated and let us know if you have any questions. Looking at rates, I'm not seeing a particularly substantial difference between just 8/7 and 8/8-12. Unfortunately, this is just a busy period with Summer. HOTWIRE's regular rate section has a very good deal (for these dates) for the Hotel Dana and Spa for $149.10.Thank you for using the site's HOTWIRE or PRICELINE links to start your purchases and searches.
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