Priceline Hotel: Help with Accommodations

[light_travel]

Gentlemen,

Can anyone lend some support and help me with some ideas for a hotel in the MNA area for the dates of 08/31-09/03? I know the jazz festival is going on and this is last minute. I have tried both hotwire and priceline, unfortunately due to room availability I have had no luck with different bid strategies on priceline and the choices for hotwire were just a bit expensive.

My max bid was $150, but I really would like to pay somewhere in the neighborhood of $125-$130.

Any suggestions are appreciated.

Thanks,

[thereuare]

How high have you already bid on Priceline?

Is the Loop zone also acceptable? (given the already tough demand in the NMA zone)

[AaronJB]

I think the issue here is Saturday. I can find a regular rate hotel for $189 on Friday (Hotel Sax, with free bottle of wine if you book via Orbitz) and one for $109 (Allerton) on Sunday, but Saturday's really got pretty much nothing available if looking at it specifically. If the original poster is driving, I can find very nice hotels in outlying areas for probably under what they were intending to pay for downtown.

There is a 4* on HOTWIRE in the Mag Mile/Streeterville area for $89 on 9/2-3 that appears to be the Intercontinental (fitness, pool, business, hi-speed, restaurant.) There is a 1 king room for $379 at the James on Quikbook for the next day (the James is about 2-3 blocks from the Intercontinental. Finally, $109 for the Allerton on the last day, and the Allerton is probably about 3-4 (5 tops) blocks from the James. That's $191 average; still above the original poster's max, but I'm having trouble finding other cheaper options for all three days. I definitely don't think $150 will be enough for one hotel for all 3 days, and I'd be surprised if there was any downtown inventory on Priceline at all for Saturday.

[light_travel]

OK first let's start with thereuare. I have tried both the loop and MNA for up to $150 obviously with no success. I am willing to expand my search but I am not familiar with the area and don't know how accessible or how far other areas are to the Mile.

AJB, I appreciate the effort, hopefully I can get lucky and not have to cancel the trip. I will be flying in and do not have access to a car (unless it makes for a more sensible option, but parking is expensive in downtown). I am willing to look at other areas but transportation (train or reasonable cab) would be a must.

Thanks again...

[thereuare]

Would you consider SPLITTING YOUR PRICELINE BID? Staying outside of Downtown (near the Airport perhaps) and then changing hotels to a downtown location for the balance of your stay?

[light_travel]

Actually I am on my own Thursday night for business in the Marriott O'Hare, and need a place to stay with my wife for Fri, Sat and Sun (hopefully closer to the mile). I have read on some hotel reviews that the commute is about an hour by train from the airport on a good day and can be a real pain. It would be ok to split my bid, as long as it is only twice and not for every night. Is it possible to split Fri. night airport and Saturday and Sunday in the city? Let me rephrase, based on the Saturday occupancy what do you think are the best splitting options?

[AaronJB]

In terms of the two downtown areas, the River North/North Michigan Ave area is right next to the other main downtown area, which is the Millennium Park/Loop/Grant Park zone. The two zones are very walkable (Chicago is a compact big city in comparison to, say, NYC) between one another, and there's plenty of public transit.

Staying in the burbs without a car is a more difficult proposition in Chicago due to the fact that there are *very* few hotels between downtown and the suburbs. The hotels really start a good 30-40 minutes out (O'Hare, Northbrook, Evanston, Oak Brook, etc.) You could definitely stay out by O'Hare airport, but it's a good 50-55 minutes by "L" (as there are some slow stretches on the blue line) to get downtown.

There are also some beautiful suburbs North of the city, but it's difficult to get around without a car. There are trains going downtown nearby these areas, but it's tough to get from the airport to the hotel and around the area without a car.

[thereuare]

As the really difficult nite is in the middle of your stay, the only option i currently see is to stay at ORD until the last nite of your stay, at which point you can move to Downtown for the last nite of your stay (if it's worth it to you to move for the last nite).

[light_travel]

Thereuare, what are your thoughts about EasyClickTravel travel?? I saw a hotel on there for $153/night

[thereuare]

I'm assuming this is an "Off the Record" deal for which you can use our EasyClickTravel Off The Record tool to assist in an ID.

Is the EasyClickTravel property listed as "on request" or as "available"?

[light_travel]

The reverse look up indicates the Hilton Towers Chicago in Chicago and lists it as "on request"

[legacy0007]

I have also been trying to get a room on priceline for 9/1 without any luck for the past couple of weeks. I have bid up to $200 and it wasnt accepted. With Jazzfest going on the the Iowa/Northern Illinois football game at Soldier field this weekend, hotel rooms are at a premium. I also saw the EasyClickTravel rate of $150 nite for the Hilton Towers for sat nite as a request. I did try to book it last week thursday and my request came back as the hotel didnt have any vacancy. Any other suggestions on getting a room for sat nite would be greatly appreciated. I have never had a problem getting a room in Chicago in the past. Might just have to wait till the last minute and see what happens with Priceline. The only draw back to EasyClickTravel is that you have to wait up to 48 hrs to get a response on your hotel room if it is a request.

[thereuare]

light_travel,

See our PRICELINE FAQ regarding "on request" status... besides the reply above, i wouldn't expect on request status properties to be available during peak periods (as jazzfest would likely be)

legacy0007,

If you would like help with your own stay please start a NEW TOPIC.

Thanks.

[light_travel]

Thank you, to all that posted and helped with information regarding my accommodation options. In the end I decided not to stay the weekend, after exhausting many options provided by the board. The high rates didn't justify me extending my time in Chicago; instead I will come again on a different weekend...

Thanks again,