Priceline Hotel: 4* Chicago (NMA-River North) Westin River North

[Gyro123]

First time visiting Chicago. Will be going to Wrigley Field to the the Cubs play the Mets. Looking to stay near the Magnificent Mile and or Loop. Would like to be near the majority of the main tourist attractions (Sears Tower, etc.) that Chicago has to offer. What is a realistic bid price to place for the area on the following dates April 21 check-in and April 24 checkout. Would like to stay in a four star place as this is a first anniversary trip for the wife and I. Anyone have any luck with these dates or past experiences to draw from? Also being that I would be a first time PriceLine/Hotwire user can someone tell me what I should anticipate paying above my bid for taxes and fees, etc? Any help would be greatly appreciated for this newbie. Thanks

[AaronJB]

I'd recommend checking out the Hancock instead of the Sears Tower. Less lines, great views and a little more convenient.

That said, let me look into hotels on these dates. Be right back.

[AaronJB]

Well, as a first anniversary trip (and congrats, by the way!) I would like to try to recommend something that's suitable for the occasion.

I'd recommend staying in the River North/Mag Mile (Michigan Ave. area.) If you're going to be out at night, there's more to do - more restaurants, more things open, etc. Parts of the Loop, while very nice during the day, can be really quiet at night after the offices empty for the day.

If you are looking for inexpensive (well, for Chicago) and refundable, Expedia has the Ambassador East for $146. That's not the sleekest hotel - it's a very historic property that was a celeb hangout for many years - but it is a cheaper refundable option in a really nice neighborhood. The AE is in the Gold Coast neighborhood, which is a few minutes walk from Michigan Ave. The area does have a nice selection of restaurants and some nightlife. The AE is on a tree-lined street in the midst of some very historic and pretty apartments. Not the best hotel - but it's nice, and has an interesting history - but really good setting. The zoo (free, and really nice) is a 15-20 minute walk due North.

If you do want to try bidding on Priceline, I would recommend starting off with an $85 bid for a 4* in the River North/North Michigan Ave. area. That may not be accepted, but it's a realistic (not outside of the realm of possibility, and you have time, so I'd say start lower) number.

If you do want to try Priceline, we would greatly appreciate if you start the booking process by clicking on the site's PRICELINE link (click the PRICELINE) as it does support the site. If you have any questions, please ask and we will be happy to help.

Once you do book a hotel, I'd be happy to give directions and suggest some sights.

[Gyro123]

Thank you for the info- What would you say a realistic rate for a more upscale hotel in that area? (The W, The Drake, Intercontinental, The Omni, etc?) Also do you know if any of these are affiliated with either PRICELINE or HOTWIRE? lastly, what should I expect to pay on top of my "bid price" in taxes and fees? Do you have a list of can't miss tourist attractions? Thanks again

[AaronJB]

With Priceline, you have to be willing to take what you get. For example, if I bid $85 for a 4* in a certain area, any of the participating Priceline 4*s in that area could come up.

Additionally, bidding more doesn't mean getting a different or better hotel. You have to bid conservatively and hope for the best. Bidding higher could just mean unnecessarily overbidding for the hotel you would have got had you bid less.

You can find links to a list of hotels that have been reported as wins here:

Priceline and Hotwire Hotel Lists

You do pay a service fee, which is small - I forget what it is exactly, but it's probably no more than a few bucks. Chicago hotel tax, however, is a nasty 15.4%.

[AaronJB]

Tourist attractions have different appeal to different people - it's really a matter of what your interests are, then trying to match up with things you may enjoy.

As for the main tourist attractions:

Musts - at least for me - Art Institute, Lincoln Park Zoo/Conservatory, The Field Museum and either Hancock or Sears Tower (although again, I find the Hancock preferrable), a boat tour.

Maybes: Michigan Ave. shopping (all high-end, all really kind of things you can find elsewhere and probably for less. Window shopping is, in my opinion, the name of the game when it comes to Michigan Ave), Shedd Aquarium (nice, but costly)

Must nots: Navy Pier. The Adler Planetarium is just okay, as well - I don't really consider that a "must not", but it's not a priority.

[Gyro123]

Aaron- Thank you immensly for all of your help. You seem most knowledgable. Would you recommend PriceLine or HotWire if given the choice? I notice that sometimes people on this site seem to know what hotels are being offered when they place a bid. How is that so? I am under the impression that you simply place a bid and it is either accepted or denied based on price and then you find out what hotel accepted. Also is there a way to access a list of hotels in Chicago that are available on HotWire and PriceLine respectively?

[AaronJB]

With Priceline, you can know which hotels could possibly show up but can have no idea of which of those will (for example, you can bid for 4* in the River North/NMA area and know which hotels could come up,but who knows which of those in fact will.)

Hotwire does give you some additional information (star rating, amenities, area) so you can piece together what the listing could possibly be based on that information. That is not 100% guaranteed by any means, but you can at least make an educated guess.

There are some hotels that also come up more frequently than others. Some seem "seasonal" in terms of when they appear, some randomly and some hotels come up on either service often.

Reported Hotwire wins in Chicago:

Hotwire Chicago Hotel List

Reported Priceline wins in Chicago:

Priceline Chicago Hotel List

[thereuare]

In regards to Things to Do, i'll also mention our sister site Things To Do 411.com... we should have a coupon code to use in the next couple of days.

[Gyro123]

Did some research today. Leaning towards trying PRICELINE. Looking for a 4 Star Resort. Any bidding strategies you can suggest. Looking to stay in Streeterville/Mag. Mile or the Loop. Any suggestions and or recommendations? What is a realistic price I can expect to work via PriceLine for these dates 4/21-4/24). Are there any major conventions in town, etc. that would keep rates high? Thanks

[thereuare]

If you let us know your maximum bid we will suggest a strategy for you to follow.

Please use these PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links to begin any purchases you make.

[Gyro123]

Looking to start my bidding at around $75 and work my way up need be. PRICELINE the cheapest I seem to get is $179 or so. Let me know your thoughts.

[thereuare]

We wouldn't want to suggest a strategy that went higher than you were willing to bid...

If you let us know your maximum bid we will suggest a strategy for you to follow.

[kanderber]

Reported Hotwire wins in Chicago:

Hotwire Chicago Hotel List

Reported Priceline wins in Chicago:

Priceline Chicago Hotel List

Those posts were made in 2003... are they still accurate? I can't tell if they've been updated or not, as the only date stamp is from 5 years ago.

[Gyro123]

With taxes and fees I do not want to go above $150 per night with all fees and taxes included. I can get the Drake through work for $180 plus tax and fees via my work but hoping to score something just as nice at a much cheaper rate. Please let me know your thoughts

[thereuare]

With taxes and fees I do not want to go above $150 per night with all fees and taxes included

So what is your maximum bid amount?

[Gyro123]

No more than $125. So $125 would be my max bid. Thanks again

[thereuare]

The following will likely be too low, but with time on your side i would begin with the following:

At the 4* level in Chicago you have one re-bid zones. 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* NMA...

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

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

Select 4* Loop...

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

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

Select 4* NMA and Loop...

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

Bid $100.

Any questions feel free to ask.

Please use these PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links to begin our bidding/purchases.

Good Luck and let us know how it goes.

[Gyro123]

Got the following on HOTWIRE.com

For 4/21-4/24

$134 a night

$240 retail

Savings are 44%

Magnificent Mile Area - Streeterville

4 Star Hotel

Fitness Center

Restaurant(s)

Business Center

High-speed Internet Access

Price Line Rating 3.5 Stars and 180 plus customer reviews

Last reviewed February 2008

Any idea on what hotel this maybe and also what should I expect to have to pay above the $134 a night in taxes and fees?

[AaronJB]

It should tell you when you click on the hotel how much the taxes/fees are, as well as the total.

The hotel in question could be the Westin River North/Hard Rock or Conrad, but it's most likely the Hard Rock, given the 3.5/5 tripadvisor rating. In my opinion, not worth the $134.

[thereuare]

Please keep all posts for the same stay in the same thread.

Did you ever end up trying the above bids on PRICELINE?

[Gyro123]

Can you offer any explanation as to why hotels in the Loop, Mag. Mile, Tower, etc. all seem to be running high for 4/21-4/24? Thanks

[AaronJB]

Welcome to Chicago, where hotels are probably second only to New York City in terms of cost, unfortunately.

There is this convention:

4/21/2008 -

4/24/2008 IEEE PES Transmission & Distribution Conference & Expo Convention McCormick Place North

Delegates: 14000

But it's not that big of a convention.

Regular rates actually look fairly normal for late April.

[thereuare]

Did you ever end up trying the above bids on PRICELINE?

[Gyro123]

Have not started to bid as of yet as I wanted to see if the prices would soften a little bit.

At a bid of $80 do you feel I have a realistic shot at the following? Also which of the 4 stars seem to come in on the low end given past history, etc. I am hoping to land The Drake, Inter-Continental, Omni, W-LakeShore after reading reviews. Would you suggest simply contacting the hotels and informing them that I intend to go the PriceLine route and hope they will just do their "PriceLine" rate over the phone? Let me know your thoughts and I really do appreciate all of your help in assisting this newbie