Priceline Hotel: help on chicago hotels

[kirikara]

hello

i be used priceline last january to get the millenium knickerbocker hotel and i need to book 3 rooms (and one for 3 people but i guess ill have to see that with the hotel later on.. by the way is it risky to do that or will they be ok? )

and i am wondering if the downtown or loop grant park area is better for tourists. knowing that we are want to see the modern art museum . i dont think my family is going to do much shopping but it will be nice to be in area with some restaurants (not overly expensive restaurants though..)

so what do you think?

and if i go for downtown how do i do to not get the holiday inn mart plaza which seems to be alittle bit out of the center to me?

thank you for your help?

oh.. and also i have nothing agaisnt getting a hotel through hotwire but we re going for cheap hotel.. $70 /night so if you have any good deal..theyll be welcomed!

marion :)

[AaronJB]

First, it's really impossible to offer specific suggestions without exact dates you plan to travel.

In terms of Priceline, the Holiday Inn Merch Mart is in the River North/North Michigan Ave zone on PL and the Mag Mile/Wacker Drive area on Hotwire, both offering it as a 3*.

If you plan to have more than 2 people per room, while some hotels will accomidate Priceline customers when it comes to more than 1 bed, some will not or not be able to.

The downtown area does offer quite a few attractions (the Art Institute, Sears Tower, Millenium Park, the Museum Campus just South of there), but it does get very quiet at night. If you're looking for an area that stays more active later into the night, I would concentrate your efforts on the area North of the river (Mag Mile/Wacker Drive or Water Tower/Gold Coast on Hotwire, or River North/North Michigan Ave on Priceline.)

[kirikara]

i keep forgetting about posting my dates...! i am sorry. so we are going to be 7 (3 couples plus my sister)

and we will be in chicago on the 22nd of may.

i ahve a real small budget of $70 per room counting on 3 rooms. i did go to the millenium knockerbocker in the mag mile area and eventhought it was nice ,it was just all about shoping mainly (at leasta round) and was real dead at night.

so ill be leaning more towards the river north area. i just dont realize how easy it is going to be for us to travel downtown.we do not want to have to use our car. but trolley or bus/subway is perfectly fine i guess.

any advice?

[thereuare]

Let us know when you decide upon your minimum star rating and zone(s) you are willing to bid... we'll then be able to suggest a strategy to follow.

[kirikara]

i felt like has started another post but i dont know what hapenned there.

basically i bidded last december on a 4 stars hotel for the the 01/06 to the 01/08 in the mag mile area. got it for $145 for the two night including taxes.

now we are goint to chicago on the 05/22 and we are going to be 7. we want to be in the same hotel and the question of a room for three is a guess a little tricky. bvut if we have to get another room i think it will still be cheaper than getitng a $110 hotel for all of us anyway.

i was advised that river north would be better for us since there is alittle bit more nightlife. we re not planning on going clubbing all night (going with my parents) but we would like to be able to find an affordable restaurant around. and maybe some bars since my dad cant live wihtout beer..

i dont really know chicago but i guess we will go aorund by bus or subway if we want to visit the town.

mag mile was nice but too much shops and nothing else really.

the ony thing is that i am totally lost in term of area. i cant understand what downtown really means on priceline.

we ahve a $70 max budget including taxes but my aprenst are not too bothered and were planning on going to the travelodge(2 stars) . but id like to get them something nicer if ican. or just not let them pay $120 for the travelodge.

voila!

[thereuare]

Your previous thred was proabably merged into this one, since it is for the same stay, correct? (as all the details and information seems to be repeated in your last post as what is written higher up the thread). Please keep all posts for the same stay in the same thread.

You can always find your recent posts by clicking the MY ASSISTANT link near the top right of the board. In the MY ASSSISTANT there is a link to get "MY LAST 10 POSTS". As well, clicking your name on the board and then the OPTIONS link on the top right of the ensuing screen will let you see all of your posts or all of your the topics you started.

You can figure out what zones you want by looking at Pricelne's map of the area and see the boundaries involved. As well, our own PRICELINE MAPS will likely help in this situation since you can zoom in/out and pick certain landmarks on the map.

Please let us know which zones you decide to bid, and your pre-fees/pre-tax maximum bid and we will suggest a strategy to follow.

[AaronJB]

Downtown on Priceline (Millennium Park/Loop/Grant Park) essentially means "South of the river."

Unfortunately, I don't think you'll be able to find anything on Priceline; Hotwire only has 1 hotel available for that night - a 2*.

The only reasonably priced hotel I can find downtown is the Red Roof Inn. Otherwise, most of the 4* hotels that are usually $150-250 are $350-550.

[GM Mike]

Note that the National Restaurant Show is May 20-23, 2006, at McCormick Place. It's either the #1 or #2 biggest convention in Chicago, as I recall.

It's going to be tough finding a room anywhere downtown.

If attendance is down this year you may see rates come down right before you want to arrive tho, when the room blocks are released. Perhaps also rooms will be released earlier if attendance is clearly not meeting expectations.

Have you considered staying out by the airport and taking the L downtown?

Good luck.