Priceline Hotel: Bidding help needed; Loop or N Mich; 6/7-6/10

[knac0006]

Heading to Chicago 6/7 to 6/10. Love priceline and these boards- particularly love getting deep discounts on the highest star level possible. Have stayed at Allerton in '06 over Presidents Day Weekend for $100 a night. In '09 stayed at Conrad Hilton over Labor Day weekend for $90 a night. This time our first choice is N Mich, 4 star. Would include Loop, and 3.5 star.

I just now tried bidding- think I'm forgetting something. I bid:

4 star N Mich $60 denied

added rebid zone Loop denied

added rebid zone Lincoln denied

4 and 3.5 star N Mich $60 denied

added Loop $60 denied

Then I tried to start over with $65 and it said I had to wait 24 hours.. clearly I'm forgetting something about the rebid zones. How should I proceed? I will bid up to $100/night. Thanks much for the boards!!

[thereuare]

Welcome to BetterBidding!

What is your goal for this stay... are you willing to pay more for a 4* vs. a 3.5* OR is your goal the least expensive 3.5* or better for this trip? If you bid for a 4* in the NMA zone first and that is rejected, is your preference then a 3.5* in the NMA zone OR a 4* hotel in the Loop?

Also, when biding 4* in Chicago you have SIX re-bid zones, are you able to identify all six of them? (see Priceline Re-Bidding Explained and if you're confused let us know and we'll break it down further for you)

Let us know the above and we'll take it from there.

[AaronJB]

Unfortunately, this is a very busy period in the city - downtown 4*'s (and some 3.5*'s) are slightly-to-moderately over $200 on HOTWIRE. What would be your desired budget per night for this stay?

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

[knac0006]

I think given the chances of getting a 4 star under $100 are weak, I'd better shoot for the least expensive 3.5* are better. I also think I'd prefer NMA over Loop, even if I have to surpass a potential 4*, unless someone thinks otherwise. The last time we went to Chicago we stayed in the Hilton in the Loop- while it was a lovely hotel, we had nothing to do at night and ended up wandering aimlessly looking for some signs of life.

So- the six rebid zones- I guess I was hesitant to pull the trigger on these. It appears I can rebid in any zone where there are no 4*; i.e. all zones except Loop, NMA, and O'Hare. Is this a surefire thing- I would hate to be surprised to end up in a 4* in Skokie!

Lastly- I did try bidding again last night with my husband's account- went up to $80/3.5* and no dice in NMA or Loop. So this will be a tough weekend!

[knac0006]

On second thought.. our flight out on Sunday is quite early (8am) so it perhaps it makes sense to stay our last night around O'Hare... I'd be fine with this option as well.

[thereuare]

It appears I can rebid in any zone where there are no 4*; i.e. all zones except Loop, NMA, and O'Hare.

No, this is not correct (and to avoid any confusion please least your re-bid zones, not the ones which are not re-bid zones)

Try this:

1) Use the PRICELINE search box on the upper right of this page, enter 'Chicago, IL' and your dates, and click "GO".

2) List each zone that is offered in this region.

3) Next to each zone list the highest star rating offered in the zone. The way to determine the highest star rating offered in the zone is by selecting the first zone i the list, then scrolling down to see the highest star rating selectable (ie- not greyed out). NEXT UNcheck the selected zone, place a checkmark in the next zone, and repeat the process for each zone in the region. Each time you take note of the highest star rating in the zone, make sure that only ONE zone is selected above.

4) post your findings and we'll take it from there

If you don't follow the above just post back and we'll break it down further.

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