doconner Posted August 9, 2006 Report Share Posted August 9, 2006 I know it's way early, but I was just trying my luck out.I started way low at $60, and used the following rebid strategy:$60 Link to comment
doconner Posted September 4, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 4, 2006 I tried another rounding of bidding for these dates, and this time I was rejected up until $104. Hotwire has the "Hotel Allegro" for these dates at $87. However, I've read reviews saying tbat this hotel has exceptional small rooms. The fact that this trip is going to be with me and 2 other guys, I'm not sure I'm ok with booking this. (Although, I realize that priceline is only going to gaurentee me a room with 1 queen size bed, as long as there is floor space to sleep on, we'll be fine).Anyone have any feedback on 3 people booking the Hotel Allegro through Hotwire?Here is my most recent unsuccessful bidding strategy on priceline for a 4-star hotel.$60 Link to comment
doconner Posted September 5, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 5, 2006 More failed bidsI read reviews of 3* hotels in the North Michigan Ave area and decided I'd be willing to try those out.$75 bid for NMA$82 free rebid for NMA + Skokie Both failed.oh well, i'll try again next week. Link to comment
AaronJB Posted September 5, 2006 Report Share Posted September 5, 2006 The Allegro is an older hotel with a mix of rooms, although most are on the smaller side. You will encounter this to some degree in several of Chicago's older hotels, including: The Palmer House, the Millennium Knickerbocker, the W City Center and the Allerton.Personally, the issue I would bring up with the Allegro is that there's just not very much going on directly around it. Not a bad area, just not many choices for things to do right there. However, State St. is a short walk and the Art Institute/Millennium Park are not much further continuing East. The Allegro also does boast a wine reception at night.The best win out of what generally comes up for 3* NMA would be the Holiday Inn City Centre - nice, standard hotel in a great area. Link to comment
doconner Posted September 12, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 12, 2006 More failed bids. I've cut a day off of the end of the trip so these are new date ranges:New Date Range - 11/3-11/74-star $60 Link to comment
AaronJB Posted September 12, 2006 Report Share Posted September 12, 2006 There do not appear to be any major conventions during your dates, although prices appear to be mildly higher than normal. Hopefully it's an instance where rates will drop (and priceline inventory will open up) closer to the dates. In terms of 3* River North/North Michigan Ave commonly seen Priceline hotels, either Holiday Inn would work fine, but you may run into small rooms if the Allerton is the win. Link to comment
doconner Posted September 19, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 19, 2006 yet another day, and yet more failed bids:---------4-star $90 Link to comment
AaronJB Posted September 19, 2006 Report Share Posted September 19, 2006 If you would like to make a refundable back-up reservation (so that you have something in case Priceline/Hotwire doesn't work out), http://www.easyclicktravel.com has the Whitehall for $150 for your dates. That hotel is in a great location - literally half a block from North Michigan Ave. shopping and the Hancock. Link to comment
thereuare Posted September 20, 2006 Report Share Posted September 20, 2006 Does the back-up of the Whitehall thru EasyClickTravel work for you?If so/not, what is your maximum bid at the 4* level? At the 3* level? Did you not bid the Loop above at the 3* level because you are trying to avoid a specific property in that zone?Based upon your previous bids, i assume SPLITTING YOUR PRICELINE BID is ok? Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases Link to comment
doconner Posted September 22, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 22, 2006 I just booked the Whitehall for the dates mentioned a backup. (Clicked through from the Support PageMy max 4* bid is $175. My max 3* bid is $130I want to avoid the Club Quarters in the loop, I stayed in a Club Quarters last year in NYC, and while I enjoyed the hotel I don't think it'd be a good fit for 3 people.Splitting the bid is acceptable.Duane-O Link to comment
thereuare Posted September 22, 2006 Report Share Posted September 22, 2006 So a 4* in NMA or Loop or a 3* only in the NMA zone?Do you want to try for a 4* up to your maximum before trying for a 3* (as you did above?)Do you want to split your bid for a 4* before trying for a 3*, or is splitting your bid only an option after failng for a 3* continuous stay? Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases Link to comment
doconner Posted September 22, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 22, 2006 I've been exploring my options of splitting the dates on Hotwire, and they bring back all sorts of solutions. All much higher than I used to spending in Chicago. Although this is the first time I've tried to stay in Chicago in November.I think to my friends that I'm staying with (who will be traveling in from London, UK) it'd be preferrable to have a contiguous stay. So I should probably bid up to my max for both 4* and 3* and then explore options for rebidding.Being European, their acceptance of hotels is a bit more forgiving than mine. I think they'd prefer to have the 'luxary' of not moving mid-trip if we could avoid it.So assuming a max-bid at 3* that still fails, what would be a good suggestion for splitting the bid. The dates are Friday -> Tuesday, with the Chicago Bears playing on Sunday.Thanks for your help,Duane-O (dancing around the fire, but without a video camera) Link to comment
AaronJB Posted September 22, 2006 Report Share Posted September 22, 2006 If nothing works with Priceline, the Whitehall may not be a bad keeper, as it's a smaller, European-style boutique, which your guests may enjoy. I'm rather stumped as to why your dates are so expensive, as it's one of the few sets of dates in Oct./Nov. in Chicago where convention traffic in the city seems very light.It may be an instance where prices go down closer to your date. Link to comment
thereuare Posted September 23, 2006 Report Share Posted September 23, 2006 Adjusting prices from your previous 4* bids:$100 Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases Link to comment
doconner Posted October 6, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 6, 2006 Well, I finally got around to bidding again. I only had to do the following bids 3 bids:$100 NMA$100 Loop$110 NMA + LoopI got accepted for the 4* Palmer House for $110. For 4 nights ($110 x 4 = $440) + Tax ($77.74) the total was $517.74.I'm actually fairly worried about this win, as I've mentioned higher up in the thread, this is for 3 adults. I was aware going into this that getting a hotel with small rooms was a possiblity, but in my several years of going to Chicago I've always been very happy with the room/hotels that we got. Many of these times were for a guys weekend over St Patricks day, and the rooms were big enough for 4 of us. Reading the reviews of this hotel, I'm fearing these may not be big enough for 2, let alone 3.Regardless, it's set now. I used the Savings Barn link.Thanks for your help.Duane Link to comment
thereuare Posted October 6, 2006 Report Share Posted October 6, 2006 Glad to see you got it settled.Hopefully the occupancy issue will go smoothly for you. I would call them now and put in a request for a room with two beds... and be as charming as you can on the phone :)Thanks for sharing your results and for using the priceline hotel links at SavingsBarn.com to begin your bidding.Enjoy your stay and time in Chicago. Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases Link to comment
doconner Posted October 6, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 6, 2006 Thanks. I intend to give them a call. How long from now should I expect my reservation to show up in their system? Is it instantly?Also, I notice that you changed the subject line. Just to be clear, I changed my dates in the middle of the process. My winning bid for $110 was for the dates 11/3-11/7.Thanks again for your help. I'll post back a mini-review after the trip.And possibly post photos of me dancing around a fire.Duane-O Link to comment
AaronJB Posted October 6, 2006 Report Share Posted October 6, 2006 As thereuare suggested, try calling and see if there's any way you can get 2 beds. As with anything having to do w/Priceline, nothing is guaranteed, but the "best case scenario" for this hotel would be if you somehow were able to get one of the hotel's rooms with 2 beds and 2 bathrooms. I wouldn't ask directly for a 2 bed/2 bath room (just ask if there's any possibility you can get beds), but it would be the best possibility. If you can't get a 2 bed room, hopefully things will work out with a 1 bed room.If you call now and you get someone who's not willing to work for you, I would wait a little while (a week, maybe two) and see if you can get someone different on the phone. I'd also try to get to the hotel right at check-in time or maybe a few minutes early if you are told you can get a 2 bed room.Location-wise, this is a terrific hotel with plenty of public transit options nearby. It's the oldest continually operating hotel in Chicago, one of the largest and it has an absolutely magnificent lobby - I've recommended to people who aren't staying at the Palmer House to go in to look at the lobby. There are no hotels right near Soldier Field (where the Bears play), but, in terms of the downtown hotels, this would be one of the closest.The reservation should be in their system, but I would give it a few hours just in case if you just got this hotel via Priceline.I edited the dates in the title.Any questions please feel free to ask. :) Link to comment
Writer Posted December 3, 2006 Report Share Posted December 3, 2006 So what happened? Link to comment
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