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

[Jenga]

Could I get help with a bidding strategy for NMA-River North, 4*, Sep 5-7, 2008?

I'd like to keep the nightly rate under $100; my max is $125/night. Splitting the stay is not an option for this trip.

Mag Mile and Loop are acceptable in a pinch, but I'd prefer to stay in the NMA zone (I'm presenting at a workshop in the area).

Any advice appreciated. Thanks!

[thereuare]

Did you want to restrict your bidding to just the NMA zone for now, or is ultimately the least expensive 4* hotel in either the NMA or Loop zone your goal? If only bid the NMA zone, did you want to only go up to $100 at this point (before adding the Loop zone) or go up to $125 before considering the Loop?

Let us know the above and we'll suggest a strategy to follow.

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

PS- please follow-up your Priceline Louisville thread with whatever you ended up doing for that stay. Thanks.

[AaronJB]

Given the $199 Millennium Knickerbocker, $219 Drake, $249 Sheraton (all 4* possibilities in this zone - prices are prices on these particular dates and these are the 3 lowest priced 4*'s), I would suggest starting at $85 for a 4* in the RN/NMA area.

[Jenga]

ThereUAre: Thanks for your question. I'd like the least expensive 4* in NMA or the Loop, initially maxing out at $100/night. I hope this gives enough clarification for a bidding strategy. (I also updated my previous Louisville post, per your request.)

Thanks, AAron JB -- the prices are a big help. I'd really like to avoid the Millennium Knickerbocker. Do you think Priceline will flag this with an opt-out since its under renovation? I remember getting some sort of option like this on either Hotwire or Priceline when bidding on an "under renovation" hotel in the past, but I don't remember the details.

[AaronJB]

Doubtful, as others have gotten the Knickerbocker recently. You could try and argue with Priceline to let you opt out since it is under renovation (although I get the sense from the hotel blog linked below that renovations are either over or nearing completion), but I would very highly doubt they would let you.

Personally, I've seen the Knickerbocker and while it's not the nicest 4* in the city, I didn't think it was as bad as some have said (at least that was my experience, I could see how it could be hit-and-miss since it's an old property). The renovations they are doing actually look really good - good enough that I'd be interested in staying in one of the new rooms. You can see the details (and photos of the renovated rooms - which look way different than they did before) here on the hotel "Blog" - http://millenniumknickerbocker.blogspot.com/

The Hyatt is now showing for $199 for these dates, and it wasn't showing availability when I initially looked them up. You could try and low-ball ($65 would be a reasonable start point) a 4* MP/Loop/GP bid in an attempt to try and go for the Hyatt. While it's not guaranteed you would get the Hyatt, the Hyatt does often use low PRICELINE rates in an attempt to fill its 2,000+ rooms.

[thereuare]

At the 4* level you have two 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 $60, if rejected add re-bid zone1...

Bid $65, if rejected close browser and use our link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 4* Loop...

Bid $60, if rejected add re-bid zone1...

Bid $65, if rejected close browser and use our link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 4* NMA and re-bid zone2...

Bid $70, if rejected add re-bid zone1...

Bid $75, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline

Select 4* Loop and re-bid zone2...

Bid $70, if rejected add re-bid zone1...

Bid $75, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline

Select 4* NMA and Loop...

Bid $80, if rejected add re-bid zone1...

Bid $85, if rejected close browser and re-access priceline

Select 4* NMA and Loop and re-bid zone2...

Bid $90, if rejected add re-bid zone1...

Bid $95

Any quesitons feel free to ask.

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

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

PS- i wouldn't expect, nor count on, PRICELINE (or HOTWIRE) letting you out of a reservation due to the hotel going thru renovations

[Jenga]

I got the Hyatt for $60/night, which is exactly what I wanted :)

Looking at the likely NMA hotels (some of which I didn't want), and seeing Aaron JB's note about the Loop-area Hyatt (a reliable hotel for me), I used Thereuare's bidding strategy but just flipped the order, staring with the Loop instead of NMA, and also really low-balling it because I am cheap!

Bids, using Better Bidding's PRICELINE link:

4* Loop $55: REJECTED

But Priceline came back with a "Try again right now offer" if I raised my bid by $15, without the usual additional items to change. It wouldn't accept less than a $15 increase, so I went back to the bidding strategy.

Added one re-bid zone, raised bid to $60: ACCEPTED!

Hyatt Regency Chicago

Millennium Park, Loop & Grant Park Area

151 East Wacker Drive

Your Offer Price Per Room, Per Night: $60.00

Subtotal: $120.00

Taxes & Service Fees: $26.26

Total Charges*: $146.26

They also offered to allow me to extend my stay for the same rate, just FYI.

A big thank-you to Better Bidding! I feel so much more confident when I have a bidding strategy in front of me. This trip is on my own dime, so the good rate (and advice) are very much appreciated.

[thereuare]

Congratulations on your win!

Glad to hear you received the hotel you were hoping for and at a great price. We're glad to hear the information on the board was helpful in your purchase and we're happy to have helped.

Thank you for sharing your win and for using our PRICELINE link to begin your bidding.

Enjoy your stay.