Priceline Hotel: 4* Chicago (Millenium-Loop-Grant Park) Swissotel

[Cru]

Flying to Chicago morning of Dec. 3 for a one night weekend Holiday shopping visit with my wife. Desire a 4* in either North Mich. Ave./River North or MP/Loop/Grant Park areas.

Last year in early December I got the Hilton across from Grant Park for $99.

Started bidding this morning with North Mich. for $69. Rejected

Continued bidding by adding Grant Park area, same price. Rejected.

Continued bidding by adding Boutique Hotels and raising bid to $79. Rejected.

Now waiting for 72 hours to expire. I have a reservation through Marriott Rewards at the Marriott Renaissance for $159 so I'm trying to come in under that--preferably at the $100 level or less like last year.

Suggestions for next round other than raising the bid?

[cakobau]

Cru, be sure to read this thread to learn about rebidding using zones you don't actually want to stay in...

http://www.betterbidding.com/index.php?act...=ST&f=173&t=16&

For example, if you want a 4* hotel in the North Michigan Ave area, you might start with that zone ONLY at $80. (You know that $79 has been rejected, after all.) If $80 fails, then select the Midway Airport area as well, and raise your bid, say, to $85. Do NOT add other star-levels. There are no 4* hotels in the Midway airport area, so you are effectively getting a free rebid, since Priceline won't put you in a hotel at a star level lower than what you are bidding for.

4* in the Chicago area has two free rebids right now -- Midway Airport and Skokie/Niles/Evanston.

If you add ANY other area other than those two, you run the risk of getting a hotel in one of those areas.

If you want to rebid right now, try a new bid (don't go back to your old one) with 4* and check the North Michigan and Midway zones. I'd start at $80. (Priceline will not let you redo a bid of JUST the North Michigan zone right now; you would have to wait the 72 hours. Including Midway, which you didn't do before, makes this seem like a completely different bid...) If $80 fails, add Skokie and raise your bid. If THAT fails, wait 72 hours and try again. OR, if other 4*zones are okay with you, start a NEW bid with, say, the Loop, at 4*, $80. If that fails, add Midway, raise the bid, etc.

Let us know how it works out.

[Cru]

Succeeded on 11/27/06 in obtaining a 4* room for 12/1 and 12/2.

Swissotel.

$100/night.