Hotwire Hotel: Chi--Dwntwn Areas, Oct. '06 Convention

[zzdocxx]

I haven't used Hotwire before, just Priceline. I am going to a big convention in October 2006 at McCormick Place.

I just want to double check about how it works, I will try Priceline as well.

Entering my info into Hotwire, it shows, for $93/nite, "4-star hotel in North Michigan Avenue - Water Tower - Gold Coast (Downtown Areas)" If I look on the list of Hotwire hotels in that area of Downtown, it shows several, eg. Sofitel Water Tower, Drake, Loew's House of Blues, etc. They all sound pretty nice.

It seems like good deal, though my top choice would be to stay at the Hyatt Regency McCormick, since that is right at the Convention Center. (That seems to be one of the Priceline hotels.)

Could anyone give me any input, tips, etc., on this subject? I am assuming that taking a taxi daily to the McCormick Center from anywhere in downtown would not be prohibitively expensive, though I do like the convenience of an on-site hotel (eg Hyatt Regency McCormick).

Thanks everyone, this website really helped me for the '05 meeting in Atlanta! (4* Omni CNN, $58/nite, Priceline)

[thereuare]

What are the date(s) of your stay and what are the full list of amenities that Hotwire is showing to be associated with the 4* hotel you are offered?

[zzdocxx]

Dear BB members:

I am going to a big meeting at McCormick Place, October 12 - 19, 2006. Before I start bidding, etc., I wanted to seek some counsel.

My preference would be to stay at the Hyatt McCormick for convenience. I think this is the only 4* hotel in the Priceline "Greater Chicago" area.

I am open to the other downtown areas, there will probably be shuttle busses available.

My strategy for Priceline would be to go with "Greater Chicago", then add "Skokie/Evanston", and then add "Midway Airport", as neither of those two areas have 4* properties PER THE PRICELINE WEBSITE today.

The recent wins at the Hyatt McCormick go from the $50 - 100 range, so I am not sure where to start.

Meanwhile, Hotwire has a 4* "North Michigan Ave - Water Tower Place - Gold Coast" hotel available for $93/nite. That might work for me as an alternative, I looked at the hotel list here on BB. But I can't count on that price to be available at a later date, right?

Just trying to figure out an optimal strategy.

Suggestions? Start bidding early, vs. grab the $93/nite from Hotwire, vs. consider 3* hotel? What price to start my bidding?

Thanks everyone for your help! :)

(PS I also posted about this in the Hotwire forum.)

[zzdocxx]

Hi thereuare, thanks for responding to my post!

My dates are Oct 12 through 19, 2006.

I have also put a post up on the BB Priceline forum, though my preference is to stay at McCormick Place, I realize I need to be flexible to get a good deal.

Here are the amenities as listed by Hotwire, (they also cite tripadvisor reviews):

===============================

This upscale establishment offers thoughtful features, quality rooms and a high level of service

Hotel Amenities

Restaurant(s)

Property offers at least one restaurant on the premises; hours and days of operation may vary.

Fitness Center

Guests have access to exercise equipment; an additional charge may apply.

High-speed Internet Access

Guestrooms are equipped with high-speed Internet access; an extra charge may apply.

Business Center

Business Center

Guests have access to business equipment and services; an additional charge may apply.

Customer Reviews

TripAdvisor

Traveler Rating3.5 out of 5(3.5 out of 5)

Based on:

20+ customer reviews

Last Reviewed:

September 2005

==============================

[zzdocxx]

Duh, sorry about posting both places, thanks for merging me!

[zzdocxx]

Hey thanks TUA for the subtle hint about the amenities.

I have finally figured out how to possibly know what hotel is being offered based on that. Not only that but the hotel list here even shows the amenities, I was just starting to go through the "packages" section of Hotwire to get the info I needed.

Looks like that $93/nite is for the Drake or the Omni Ambassador East.

Is a pretty good deal, or ??? Guess I will check the internet rate for those properties.

Meanwhile, still wondering how to approach the Priceline thing, before I jump in and start wasting bids.

[thereuare]

Note that the Westin has also has the same amenities as the Omni and the Drake, so that is also a possibility if you go with the above offer on Hotwire. (not all properties participate with the Packages product, so i wouldn't use that as a sole source for info)

We'll be happy to help with a bidding strategy, but which zone(s) do you want to bid?

[zzdocxx]

What I really want is "Greater Chicago" so I have a chance for Hyatt McCormick. But I know I need to consider other areas such as NMA-North and Millenieum/Loop/Grant.

I have also started thinking that 3.5*, 3*, and 2.5* would be worth considering if the cost is significantly less.

In terms of my price range -- in Oct. '05 I got an unbelievable deal at Omni CNN in Atlanta, $58/nite. I don't think I will find that this time, but if I could get the Hyatt McCormick for around $95/nite, I guess I ought to be happy with that.

So those are the variables that I am working with.

[thereuare]

Rates at the Hyatt McCormick for these dates are at $300+ per nite, so your chances of receiving this property are very slim.

Does this change your perspective of which zones you want to bid?

One of our Chicago locals may be able to answer this better, but mass transit (bus?) straight down Michigan Ave to McCormick may be an easier trip than if you ended up in the western section of the Greater Downtown zone.

[zzdocxx]

My thinking was that the only hotel shown on the BB list is the Hyatt McCormick, and in winning bids that is the only 4* shown.

Are you suggesting that I could end up with some other property that is off the beaten track?

I had not considered that possibility, and now I am starting to wonder how likely that might that be.

Glad I read this, I was about to go and start bidding. You are absolutely right, I would prefer to stay in one of the other downtown areas rather than further away in the "Greater Chicago" area.

Hmmm, guess I have to rethink this.

My first maneuver was going to be to bid 4* Greater Chicago consecutively up to $105 - 125 range, then pause and start thinking other areas and stars.

[zzdocxx]

OK, I just re-read the caveat in the hotel list posted here on betterbidding:

============

" This list is NOT a complete list of all hotels that Priceline offers in this area, it is ONLY a compilation of hotels that have already been reported on this forum. Hotels are added/removed by Priceline all the time, and star ratings can change at ANY time. As well, the geographic boundaries of an area are subject to change, so it is always a good idea to look at the Priceline map before purchasing. DO NOT USE THIS LIST to determine what areas to add when attempting to bid again within the 24 hour window (CLICK HERE for information on how to add cities in order to bid again).

In light of the above, you MAY get a hotel that is NOT on this list, or get a hotel on this list but at a star level you didn't expect (if the star rating has changed)."

============

So I see your point. Looks like I have to re-think this.

I am open to suggestions, might any Chicago locals or frequent visitors have some ideas on this?

[thereuare]

Since this stay is so far off i'd give it a couple of days, as i'm sure that board member AaronJB (and others?) will have some thoughts once he sees this thread.

[zzdocxx]

OK thanks for the tip TUA, I will just hang fire.

[AaronJB]

Hi! :)

If you plan to be mostly at McCormick for your stay while the convention goes on, then I would recommend attempting to look for the Hyatt McCormick on Hotwire or trying for it on Priceline. Although I don't seem to be seeing it on Hotwire right now, maybe it will show up at a future date.

If you plan to be spending at least a fair amount of time browsing around the city - and October is a very nice time to browse around Chicago, as it's not warm and not really cold yet - I would recommend considering one of the hotels in the loop, such as the Palmer House or the Chicago Hilton and Towers as, while not right at McCormick, would be a fairly short cab ride away from it. I don't know about the specific convention, but I often see shuttle busses going to McCormick from the Palmer House, as it's a big convention hotel.

As for the possible Omni Ambassador East, while it's in a nice area, it would be a bit too far in my opinion, as it's a bit North of the Water Tower area. While there are definitely transit options from there to McCormick, it would be farther than going from the loop to McCormick Place, forcing you to leave earlier (if you had to be at McCormick early in the AM) and costing more (if you took a cab). Essentially, I'd recommend staying South of the River.

On Hotwire, the best option that I currently see for 10-12 to 10-19/06 would be what *appears* (not guaranteed) to be the Hotel Monaco for $160 (4 star, Loop, Boutique/Restaurant/Fitness). If it is in fact the Monaco, it would be quite a savings over what the hotel currently is priced at for your dates. While it wouldn't be quite as close to McCormick as the Palmer, for example, the hotel's location right on the South side of the river would still be reasonable by cab from there to McCormick.

Looking around the major travel sites, I don't see too many options, as prices seem sky-high for your dates. One option would be the Buckingham Athletic Club, which is a smaller hotel with a limited number of rooms. From the Hotels.com description: "Overlooking Lake Michigan, The Buckingham Athletic Club is quietly hidden between layers of financial strata on the 40th floor of the Chicago Stock Exchange building, an exclusive property that caters to corporate executives and entrepreneurial." The Buckingham Athletic Club is in the South Loop, and would not be a far cab ride to McCormick at all. It is $180 per night on Hotels.com or Expedia, and one of the least expensive loop regular rate options out there for your dates. There are only 21 rooms in the hotel, and the famed restaurant Everest is also in the same building (on the same floor, I believe). The Palmer House is $269 for your dates, which seems awfully high for that. Somewhat more reasonable (although you may want to read the reviews before considering it) is the Hard Rock on Michigan Ave, just South of the River, for $209 on Orbitz. The Hyatt seems very high at nearly $290.

You may also want to consider bidding for a 4 star in the loop (Milenium Park, Loop, Grant Park area), as any of the potential 4 star MP/Loop/GP properties on Priceline (see the list on this site) would be in a good location for a cab ride to McCormick - a more reasonable distance than some of the River North/North Michigan Ave potential hotels. The only problem is that you may have difficulty winning a bid this far in advance, not to mention for as many dates in a row. You may want to get a refundable reservation right now, then wait for something to come up down the road a bit on Hotwire or trying PL. Given that those are busy dates (I could be wrong, but I think the Chicago marathon happens around that time, as well), if you don't manage to get something else via PL or Hotwire, then you'd at least have something to fall back on.

Based on the rates (and I could be off on this, but someone will correct me, hopefully), I would say you would have to start bidding at $91 for 4* Millennium Park, Loop & Grant Park Area and then go upwards in small amounts (by $5)

Otherwise, the 4* Hotwire, which would hopefully (but not guaranteed) be the Monaco would be a fine choice.

[zzdocxx]

Wow, thanks Aaron for all the useful information.

Our annual meeting usually has over 20,000 registered participants, probably that doesn't count spouses, families, etc.

My first pick would be the Hyatt McCormick, my only hesitation at this point in bidding on it is the question of whether I could accidentally wind up with something that is out of the way. My thinking was to bid for 4* in "Greater Chicago", then if that didn't pan out, start looking elsewhere. At the prices you mention, I may even drop down to a 3* or even 2.5* level. The Hilton Garden in San Mateo, CA, is pretty nice, as is the Marriot Courtyard in Vegas. I will look for reviews on those and the others that are on the list.

Haha, I am spoiled after $58/nite at the Atlanta Omni CNN this last October, guess I was just lucky!!

Again, I haven't seen any 4* or any other hotels listed in "Greater Chicago" besides the Hyatt McCormick. Just don't know how squirrely Priceline might be in terms of suddenly putting an off-beat selection into that area. Not that I have much chance of getting that anyway!

With a consensus on this I probably would try Priceline for the Hyatt McCormick up to ~$125, then start looking at less expensive alternatives. At some point, if those didn't pan out, I might try Hyatt Mc again up to ~$180. I realize there aren't any guarantees, but your expert opinions are very helpful.

This is a "working" (ie. educational) meeting for me, so being close is a priority. They did have shuttle busses to the main hotels in Atlanta and I expect the same will be true for Chicago.

[zzdocxx]

Hope this isn't too off-topic here, but, what do you guys think of this as an option? Just scanned through the listings, this seemed to have a good combo of price and location, note that it is across the street from the Palmer House.

http://www.vrbo.com/73240

This is a one BR condo that would cost $750 for the week, also has washer/dryer which would be very convenient.

Hope it is not against the rules to post that link here, feel free to delete me if necessary.

[AaronJB]

Trying for the Hyatt McCormick up to a reasonable point this early on sounds like a good plan, especially if you need to be close by. I can't think of any other hotels in that area (there aren't many to begin with. as the majority of the city's hotels are in the loop or NMA area) that would be 4*, and I don't think I've ever seen another hotel in that area come up as a 4* win. As with anything Priceline or Hotwire, no guarantees, but the Hyatt is likely the only 4* in that area.

However, I would not bid below 4* in the Greater Chicago area, as I believe the Holiday Inn Downtown (a Holiday Inn in the South Loop), which gets very mixed reviews and is in what many consider a not-so-great area, is also in that area is (I think) either 2.5* or 3.

3* Loop would possibly get you either of the Club Quarters hotels (small rooms, but fine locations) or the Allegro (a bit out-of-the-way in the West Loop, but wouldn't be a bad taxi ride, especially if you walked a few blocks East to State St.) I don't know what the 2* Loop hotel is, unless the Hotel Blake (formerly a Hyatt, now an independently owned hotel that gets mixed reviews) in the Printer's Row area has been downgraded from 2.5, but no guarantees there.

3* River North/North Michigan Ave area would put you on the North side of the river. These hotels include either of the city's nicer Holiday Inns (Merchandise Mart or City Center - the former more West, right on the North side of the River, the latter more East, by Navy Pier) or The Allerton (up Michigan Ave, just a few blocks South of Water Tower)

Also, if you stayed downtown in the loop area, you could take the Metra electric line from one of the downtown stations to McCormick Place. I haven't done it myself, but here is the information on the Metra McCormick Place station:

http://metrarail.com/Sched/me/mccormick.shtml

Here are the two downtown stations:

http://metrarail.com/Sched/me/van_buren.shtml

http://metrarail.com/Sched/me/chicago_randolph.shtml

It appears to be $1.85 each way.

Just another option to consider, and it looks like the McCormick station would be right at McCormick.

Let us know if you have any other questions at all, and we'll be happy to help. My email is [email protected].

[zzdocxx]

Wow, incredible information, it would have taken me several hours to figure that out on my own.

I am going to start bidding on the Hyatt McCormick.

Meanwhile, what do you think of the condo rental that I mentioned above?

Thanks!

[AaronJB]

I've never tried renting a condo so I don't know how it all works, but location and price-wise, it looks good. Too bad there are no pics.

If you stayed there, one of the Metra Electric stations would not be terribly far, so you could take that for $1.85 instead of a taxi in the neighborhood of $5-6 each way.

[zzdocxx]

Thanks, I am off to the races!

I asked if the lady could email me some pics, we'll see what happens. She went ahead and put my name down as sort of a reservation, so at least I have something in hand. It has 1BR, plus LR and den, cable TV, etc., so it actually sounds rather comfortable.

I will report back for sure!

[zzdocxx]

The more I look at this condo deal, the more it appeals to me. I like the idea of the full kitchen amd laundry. It is in the Mentor Building, a little web research reveals that it was renovated into condos in 2002, that is still pretty recent.

Aaron, by any chance are you familiar with this building?

Photo of exterior from net: http://www.emporis.com/en/il/im/?id=114251

Developer webpages: http://www.josephfreed.com/property_detail...id=36&state=&t=

http://www.josephfreedhomes.com/establish.htm

[dahammer]

I am going to a big meeting at McCormick Place, October 12 - 19, 2006. Before I start bidding, etc., I wanted to seek some counsel. My preference would be to stay at the Hyatt McCormick for convenience.

Our annual meeting usually has over 20,000 registered participants

it looks like several shows are exhibiting at the McCormick Place during your dates of travel, so why would the Hyatt offer cheap inventory to Hotwire or Priceline when they will probably be near full occupancy or sold out at $300 a night? I like the idea of a Condo for a week, so please post your results if this is the way that you go. This listing is being offered by the owner on the "Vacation Rentals By Owner" website, I might also check with a realtor or agent to see if they have any other condos. What would you do if there was a problem at check in or during your stay? You may want to find out if the Palmer House is a hotel that is associated with the trade show or convention then they will most likely have a free shuttle bus running from the hotel to McCormick place. You can take the El train from McCormick to a station about a block away from the Palmer House (LaSalle Station?) and save about $40 or so in cab fare, during rush hour, the El is faster than a cab anyway

[zzdocxx]

I called again today to confirm for the condo on State Street.

The input here about the location was helpful, as was learning from the net that the renovation was done in '02.

I am waiting to hear back with details about finalizing the arrangements. Mostly for me that means something that will assure me that the condo will be ready and available when I get there Oct. 12.

I will keep you guys posted with the details as I learn more.

[dahammer]

You can take the El train from McCormick to a station about a block away from the Palmer House (LaSalle Station?)

my bad, I meant to say that you can take the El from O'Hare to a station near the Palmer House.

[zzdocxx]

That is a worthwhile point about taking the El, thanks! There is a pinned thread on tripadvisor on taking the El in Chicago, probably you guys have seen it already:

http://chicago-hotels.tripadvisor.com/Show...o_Illinois.html

BTW I haven't heard back from the lady handling this rental yet, she was going to talk to the owner or something. Good thing I have plenty of time! :)