Hotwire Hotel: 4* Chicago (Mag Mile-Streeterville) Hard Rock Hotel

[kvanderklok]

hi...looking for a hotel for a long weekend for leisure purposes either November 30 - Dec 2 or Dec 7-9 or Dec 14-16.

This will be my first time using Hotwire or Priceline.

My wife and I would like to be near shopping and good sightseeing. Is NMA best for this? Or is the mile good for that too?

Looking for 4* for a max of $120 or 3* in the sub $100 range.

Any tips on what location, what to bid, or where to be?

Looking for a fun weekend to sight see, possibily shop, and get away from West Michigan:)

thanks

[AaronJB]

Downtown Chicago is broken into two separate areas on Priceline: The Millennium Park/Loop/Grant Park area and the River North/North Michigan Ave. area. The River North/NMA area contains more shopping, while the Millennium Park/Loop/Grant Park area is closer to (and contains some) museums. Chicago is quite compact (for a big city) and public transit options are fairly plentiful, so if you stay in one area, it's really not very difficult to get to another.

Hotwire splits the downtown area of Chicago into the Loop area, the Mag Mile/Streeterville area (around the river and slightly North of it) and the North Michigan Ave/Gold Coast/Water Tower area (the North half of the NMA area.)

If you are looking to primarily be near shopping, you would be looking for the River North/NMA area on Priceline and either the Mag Mile/Streeterville area or North Michigan Ave/Water Tower/Gold Coast area on Hotwire.

As for Hotwire versus Priceline, Priceline may be able to get you a lower price on a hotel, but you have little say in which hotel you get. For example, if you bid for a 4* in the River North/NMA area, you could potentially get any of the 4*'s in that area. On Hotwire, you are given a set of listings for your dates. Given the information each listing provides (amenities, star rating, price, area - but not the name) you can *potentially* make a guess as to what's showing. However, Hotwire prices are generally a bit more than the average Priceline win for a comparable property. So, in other words, the benefit of Hotwire is the potential that you may spot what is *potentially* a hotel you'd be interested in rather than totally rolling the dice and hoping for the best.

I don't see much for Hotwire on these dates, although what appears to be the Intercontinental (a 4* in the Mag Mile/Streeterville area with the amenities: Restaurant, Pool, Fitness, Hi-Speed Internet, Business) is showing for $119 for 12/14-16. The Intercontinental would be a superb location, as it's directly on North Michigan Ave. If the Hotwire listing is in fact the Intercontinental, then the lowest price on the hotel website is a little over $200.

The Intercontintential is a very historic, unique property (see here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/InterContinental_Chicago) The hotel pool, built in 1929, was one of the first pools built on a higher floor and considered a feat of engineering when originally constructed. The pool is much the same now as it was then, and really quite stunning.

So, this is an example of trying (although it isn't guaranteed) to pinpoint something on Hotwire. Priceline could likely get you a 4* in the River North/NMA area for under $100 on these dates, but again, it could be any one of the 4*'s in the zone.

Given that this is your first time using Priceline or Hotwire, it's important that you ask any questions prior to bidding.

Please use the site's HOTWIRE link (click here: HOTWIRE) to start your purchase if you do go with Hotwire.

Let us know your thoughts and we'll go from there.

[kvanderklok]

wow...thanks for all the information.

If I use priceline, and choose boutiques, does that narrow my choices and are they good places to stay? What would qualify as a boutique? The Monaco? Do you recommend them?

Should I low ball the price if I do priceline? Is there a range to keep in mind depending on the type?

If we decide to stay one night. Is Friday or Saturday better to bid on? Ie does one work out to be cheaper?

thx

[AaronJB]

There is only the option to bid for boutique in the River North/NMA area and the only known "Boutique" hotel in that zone is the Ambassador East (which really doesn't seem like a boutique, but oh well.) Priceline does not give the option to bid on boutique in the MP/Loop/Grant Park area, only 4*, 3* and below (although I wouldn't recommend bidding below 3* in either downtown area.

I would recommend looking at the list of reported Priceline wins in each zone on this website, then researching the hotels to see if there are any you wouldn't be comfortable with. Using Priceline, you have to be willing to accept what the service gives you and if you are not willing to hotel that you could potentially win, then I wouldn't recommend using it.

For example, the Millennium Knickerbocker (see reviews here: comments) is a potential hotel you could win if you bid for a 4* in the River North/North Michigan Ave. area. I don't think that hotel is as bad as the worst reviews indicate (especially if paying under - or well under - $100) and it's superbly located. However, you may not be willing to take a chance on it at any price. Everyone's different.

Bidding is not a matter of day of the week, it's a matter of how busy that particular date is. All three weekends that you mention are more or less the same in terms of traffic.

Since you have plenty of time, I'd start low and work up.

Let us know your thoughts and then we can suggest at what price to start bidding.

[kvanderklok]

new idea...my wife and I have changed plans and decided to do this trip between Christmas and new years...something like the 26th-28th of december. We are taking the week off anyway and this works better than a weekend. I did a search on hotwire and most of the properties were in the sub $100 range. After looking at the options, we are looking for a 4* if we can get it in this price range. Any idea on the hotels given in that 4 * range, what hotel we might get? Any to be careful of? Is it better to make the bid now or wait til later in December?

thanks

[AaronJB]

new idea...my wife and I have changed plans and decided to do this trip between Christmas and new years...something like the 26th-28th of december. We are taking the week off anyway and this works better than a weekend. I did a search on hotwire and most of the properties were in the sub $100 range. After looking at the options, we are looking for a 4* if we can get it in this price range. Any idea on the hotels given in that 4 * range, what hotel we might get? Any to be careful of? Is it better to make the bid now or wait til later in December?

thanks

The thing about bidding on super-slow days like 12/26-28 is that, HOTWIRE rates and the hotel's regular rates are much cheaper than usual. While you could bid $65 - and maybe a few bucks less than that) and score a 4* for these dates, you may want to consider either Hotwire (pay a bit more, have a better idea of what you may be ending up with) or booking regularly (pay more, know what you'll end up with and have it be refundable if something happens and you can't go.)

In terms of hotels to be careful of, the only one of real concern in terms of the 4* properties in the River North/NMA area is the Millennium Knickerbocker, an old hotel that has seen a lot of history - it was a Capone hideout in the 20's and was the Playboy Club in the 70's, among other things - and it is showing its age. Some of the reviews talk about it like it's the worst place ever, but one: you have to consider that many people are paying $200+ for a room and two: a historic hotel isn't going to appeal to everyone. I've stayed at the MK via Priceline and didn't think it was as bad as the worst reviews suggest. Definitely not a favorite property, but wasn't so bad and it's well-located. I'd recommend looking into reviews of the Knickerbocker and, if you find it acceptable, there are really no other 4*'s that are of much concern in the River North/NMA area.

The hotel of concern - which I actually rather liked - in the 4* Millennium Park/Loop/Grant Park bunch - is the W City Center - which, despite its name, is not particularly well-located for tourist purposes. Given how low you'd be bidding though, I don't think this is one that would come up. More likely 4* wins in this area would be the nice, but out-of-the-way Hilton Towers or the average, but much more centrally located Hyatt Regency.

A HOTWIRE listing for 12/26-28 that looks appealing to me is the 3.5* Mag Mile/Streeterville, with the amenities: fitness, business, restaurant, pool, internet. It could either be the Wyndham or Sheraton, but I think it's probably the Wyndham, as the Sheraton looks booked for one of these two dates, and the customer comments on Hotwire when this is the Sheraton often mention "views", as the Sheraton's on the river. Hopefully this is the Wyndham, a hotel that I've grown to love over 3 visits there in the last year. Across all three visits, I've thought it was an elegant, well-maintained, clean (I have dust allergies and this is one of the few hotels where that hasn't been an issue) and superbly located hotel. My issue on the first visit was with the service, but that has gotten substantially better on the second and third visits.

However, if it is the Sheraton (although again, doesn't look likely, because the Sheraton's showing as booked on the 26th on its own website and elsewhere), that would also be well-located. Both hotels are excellent in terms of location, but I do like the Wyndham better.

I also see what appears to be the Hard Rock for $99 on HOTWIRE (a 4* Mag Mile/Streeterville, with the amenities: fitness, business, restaurant, internet.)

To make a long story short though, it's really up to you with how you feel most comfortable proceeding. You could try priceline, which has the most risk, but would get you the cheapest price. Hotwire would be less risk, but a bit more expensive. Then, least risky but most expensive would be getting a regular rate hotel, as hotels in general are less expensive during these dates then they usually are. I have suggestions for all 3 options.

Let us know your thoughts about what sounds best to you, then we can go from there.

[kvanderklok]

thanks...we will keep discussing what we'll do, but in the meantime, you mentioned in your last post that the 4* could be the Hard Rock. I saw the one you were talking about on hotwire and it says the retail price is $124. On the hard rock site for the dates mentioned, they say its $179 per night. Are the retail prices accurate?

also...what should we expect to pay in parking?

Thanks...

[thereuare]

Are the retail prices accurate?

They're frequently not.

Please use this HOTWIRE link to begin any purchases you make.

[AaronJB]

If you took the Hard Rock, there's the Grant Park garage a few blocks away for about $20 a day.

[kvanderklok]

After a bit of a wait on our decision, we made the purchase on the 4* Mag Mile/Streeterville and got the Hard Rock! Thanks for your help. We used the HOTWIRE link provided and it worked out great.

We changed plans again and decided to only stay the night of the 27th. The price went up to $114, but I am happy considering what I would have paid on the website.

Much appreciated.

[thereuare]

Congratulations on your success!

Glad to hear you received the hotel you were expecting, got a good deal, and are happy with the result.s

Can you confirm that your stay is on 11/27? (not sure if November or December, since your original request spanned both months)

Thanks for using our HOTWIRE link to begin your purchase.

Enjoy your stay.

[kvanderklok]

oops...it is actually for December 27!