Priceline Hotel: Chicago July 18th-21

[rynodaddyo]

Two different stays this summer for Chicago. If you would like 2 seperate threads for each I will accomodate. July 18th-21st will have highlights at Wringley Field (north Chicago) while July 23rd-25th will have highlights at Cominsky Park (south Chicago).

In reading the threads on this site concerning Chicago the 2 zones in the downtown area is where I want to stay. I will have a car, but the "L" can get me from downtown to whereever it is I want to go for the tourist activities.

Chicago has 6 zones and 1 rebid if I start by bidding on 4* hotels only. I will start with that for the time being. Downtown area bidding on a 4* hotel for both sets of dates. Any suggestions? Thank you in advance.

[thereuare]

Please use separate threads... since you may win different hotels for each stay, this will enable us of keeping the board format of showing the details of each thread in the topic title of the thread.

We'll use this thread for 7/18-7/21 and you can start a NEW TOPIC for the other leg of your stay.

For this part of your stay... what is your maximum bid? To make sure you're refering to the same zones, by "downtown" you mean the Loop and NMA?

[rynodaddyo]

I will set up another thread for the other block of dates. I would like to stay under $120 a night in Chicago. I would like a 4* hotel for that price, but will settle for a 3* hotel if need be. The downtown area is set up with 2 bidding zones to my understanding. I would like to stay in either the North Michigan Ave zone, or the Millennium Loop zone. Both are closet to the tourist activities, and I would just be an "L" ride away from everything. Thanks

[thereuare]

At the 4* level you have one re-bid zone available. If you're not familiar with re-bidding please read Priceline Re-Bidding Explained and feel free to ask questions and/or confirm your re-bid zones with the board before proceeding.

Select 4* Loop...

Bid $65, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $75, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously.

Select 4* NMA...

Bid $65, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $75, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously.

Select 4* Loop and NMA...

Bid $80, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $85.

The above probably won't be successful, but i'd start with the above in order to rule it out.

Any questiosn feel free to ask.

Good Luck and let us know how it goes.

[rynodaddyo]

We can rule it out now. I bid using the srategy above and all bids were rejected. Plenty of time before I need to change zones or hotel star levels. Thanks for the help.

[thereuare]

Did you want to raise your bid for the next round of bidding? If so i'd try as follows:

Select 4* Loop...

Bid $75, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $90, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously.

Select 4* NMA...

Bid $75, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $90, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously.

Select 4* Loop and NMA...

Bid $95, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $100.

[rynodaddyo]

Should have looked at the thread before linking to Priceline through Savingsbarn.com. I was close , but not exact. This was this round of bidding.

4* Millennium Loop Zone

Bid $75 rejected

Rebid $85 rejected

4* NMA Zone

Bid $75 rejected

Rebid $85 rejected

4* NMA And Millennium Loop Zone

Bid $90 rejected

Rebid $95 rejected

I will wait and try again. Next time I will look at the thread first. My bad.......memory that is.

[thereuare]

Based upon your failed bids above i'd try the following next:

Select 4* Loop...

Bid $85, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $100, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously.

Select 4* NMA...

Bid $85, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $100, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline however you did previously.

Select 4* Loop and NMA...

Bid $105, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $110.

Here are some potential back-ups i've found as well:

Tremont for $108

Whitehall for $108

Hilton Towers for $131

Palmer House for $131

Note the above are cancellable and have no booking fee, so subtract ~$6 to get an equivalent priceline bid (so make sure you don't overbid)

[AaronJB]

The Whitehall gets some mixed reviews, but location is outstanding and I can almost guarantee that the price of the Whitehall that you'll find elsewhere will probably be far more than $108 for those dates.

[rynodaddyo]

In checking last years winning summer bids for the times I want to stay.....I should get a 3 or 4* hotel for between $75 and $120 a night. I realize that there are no guarentees, but it gives me an idea of what range I should bid in.

Since I want to be in the NMA or Loop zone only... I only have I rebid at a 3* level. Here is what I did.

3* and 4* Hotel- NMA Zone

Bid $75 rejected

Added Millennium Loop Zone

Rebid $80 rejected

I think that I have to bid a 3* hotel to keep it under $120 a night. You folks do this much more than I....am I realistic with a 3* for under $120? Past history says that I should be.

[thereuare]

With 4 months to go i think it's too early to conceed your preferences.

If you're refering to a $120 bid rather than "all-in", i'd revisit the links above (reposted here):

Here are some potential back-ups i've found as well:

Tremont for $108

Whitehall for $108

Hilton Towers for $131

Palmer House for $131

As the above are fully cancellable up until a few days before your stay, and have no booking fees, the 4* hotels (Palmer House and Hilton Towers) actually just $4 or so per nite higher than a $120 bid (after you include Priceline's booking fee). If that is too much, then i would consider one of the cheaper properties and continue to stick it out. If you're getting frustrated, book a back-up and bid less frequently... say once every 2-3 weeks. Then if unsuccessful 6 weeks or so before your stay you can start to make concessions (but do book a back-up in the meantime to prevent prices from going even higher without you have a place to stay).