Priceline Hotel: 4* Chicago (Millenium-Loop-Grant Park) Swissotel

[angelmum3]

I've been watching Hotwire and Hotels.com - and finally some 4* hotels are showing up in the chicago area! Due to the sheer number of runners, and hotels have 200 - 400 4* "deals"

I'm wondering how to proceed in bidding!! I've always been comfortable getting the Hyatt for under $100 a night, but I've never gone during Cubs games, or conventions....

I'm thinking a max bid would have to be around $200 - if I dont win a bid, my running partner has a friend who lives downtown.. but I'd really like to have at least one night downtown...

any help I'd appreciate it! I thought I'd start bidding Saturday...

[thereuare]

I've always been comfortable getting the Hyatt for under $100 a night

Please remember to share your winning bids with the board.

In regards to your current Chicago stay, are you willing to bid both the Loop and the NMA zone? Have you made any bids already which were rejected?

[angelmum3]

I've just been watching the Hotels.com site - and I have an Entertainment Book with discounts, I called Hyatt, Hilton properties a month ago, no vacancies... Last night I noticed vacancies are popping up, so now I thought would be a good time to start bidding.

I am willing to bid those zones. I've only bid 4* hotels in Chicago Reading these boards I realized that the weekend I want is low availabilty so I'll have to bid higher to get something, and I am willing to do that!

Thanks for your wilingness to help!

[angelmum3]

I'm starting to bid now...

Bid 1 - 4* NMA $100 rejected

bid 2 - 4* added Millimium Park, Loop, $105 rejected

Bid 3 - 4* added Midway $110 rejected

So in 24 hours I guess I'll increase my bidding and start at $110 - I'm not comfortable with a 3* in the NMA and Mil Park areas...

[angelmum3]

I'm re reading the bidding strategy - do I need to close the browser and start all over to add the Bid 2 etc?

Should I be increasing my bids by $10 instead of $5?

TIA

[lizer]

i am coming into town for leisure that weekend to see a concert and i am looking for downtown lodging as well .. also 4+ stars.. and the prices are through the roof!!! i am seeing upward of 400/night for things that a few weeks ago were 100... what is going on in the city that weekend?!

im wondering if i'd be better off staying in one of the suburbs!

[thereuare]

angelmum3,

You can bid better than the approach you posted... have you bid yet? What is your maximum bid?

lizer,

Are your dates 3/28-3/30?

[angelmum3]

angelmum3,

You can bid better than the approach you posted... have you bid yet? What is your maximum bid?

I do appreciate your help, and thought I was bidding on a good approach - thanks for noting there is a better way...

My maximum bid... $140 - with taxes it bumps it up, but because we are running the Shamrock Shuffle and it would save us getting up and driving to the city at 4AM - and then having to find parking, etc... However, if that doesnt work, I may chose one night in a hotel and finding a friends couch for Friday night!

[thereuare]

Given your one re-bid zone, you can proceed as follows (it's not clear to me, but i'm assuming that you have already bid up to $110 in both zones... if not, do NOT bid as follows, but post back and we'll change the bid amounts accordingly):

Select 4* NMA...

Bid $115, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $120, if rejected close browser and re-access thru our PRICELINE link

Select 4* Loop...

Bid $115, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $120, if rejected close browser and re-access thru our PRICELINE link

Select 4* NMA and Loop...

Bid $125, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $130

The above not only gives you an the ability to get teh second zone (Loop) at the same starting price as the first zone (NMA), but also gives you an additional bidding opportinity for both zones at a higher price (getting you that much closer to your maximum bid in a shorter period of time)

Any questions feel free to ask.

Please use these PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links to begin your travel purchases.

[angelmum3]

I followed your instructions, closed browsers, came back, went thru your PRICELINE link... rebid..

but Priceline said it was a "duplicate request" even tho I followed adding the rebid zone and upping the request to $130, they didnt process it, just got a screen

Duplicate request"

Thought I'd just try again in 24 hours ?

Again, I think the biggest obstacle is the doctor convention at McCormic Center so less rooms available...

and Hotels.com is showing rooms going for $299 and up for each of my nights...

Thank you for your help and experience!! I really appreciate it!!

[angelmum3]

Also can I not use MDW as a "Free rebid" as the list on here doesnt show a 4* in the midway area?

[thereuare]

From the top of the Priceline Hotel List:

DO NOT USE THIS LIST to determine what areas to add when attempting to bid again

The proper way to determine your re-bid zones is described here: Priceline Re-Bidding Explained

However, Midway is currently a re-bid zone (but you should know how to check this yourself to make sure nothing has changed by the time you're ready to bid again).

You should have been substituting the MDW zone for 'add re-bid zone' above... it sounds as if you were adding some other zone, which is why you were receiving the duplicate bid message.

[angelmum3]

Thereuare - again, I thank you for your help and for providing a forum. I know I'm not as ignorant as my posts lead me to believe - I have and continue to read the information you provide - and I appreciate you taking the time for my requests.

I continued to check hotwire, Hotels.com, etc and bit the bullet and bid $160 rejected added rebid zone and $165 - accepted~~

(and this was higher than I wanted to go, but decided it was worth the expense to stay downtown - and I had been bidding every 24 hours...)

Swissotel March 28 - 30

Which surprises me - I fully expected to get the Hyatt as I saw it listed somewhere at $199, as I checked the sites, neither were listed today!

[thereuare]

Congratulations on your win!

There is often little correlation between the hotel with the lowest retail price and the hotel which will be awarded via PRICELINE or HOTWIRE.

Glad to hear you were ultimately successful, although more than you originally wanted to spend, hopefully you're still happy with the results.

Thakns for sharing your winning bid with th board.

Please use these PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links to begin your travel purchases.

Enjoy your stay.