Priceline Hotel: 4* 5/15-5/18: What am I doing Wrong?

[sequitur]

I'm fairly good at Priceline, free rebid zones, research using this site, etc.

I picked a weekend with no conventions in Chicago, and it's only 1.5 months away, so this should be prime bidding time.

I was certain I'd be able to land the Hyatt Regency (Loop) for $57. Nope.

I thought the Sax (NMA) would also be a lock at $69. Wrong again.

Now I've bid up to 74 for those zones (the only ones I want) and no dice.

Any help?

[AaronJB]

Welcome to the site. :)

There is a major convention - I believe it's the National Restaurant Association show, which is one of the biggest conventions in Chicago during the year.

Additionally, prices are date-specific; because others are getting the Hyatt for recent/near-term dates for $57 does not mean that it will be going for that much in the more popular Spring season.

[sequitur]

Wow: I did a search for Chicago conventions at a city-run website, and totally did not see that convention.

Another poster got the Sax for the same weekend for $70, and mentioned another much smaller event, but not that convention.

Where did you see it? I wonder if only one of my 3 nights is being impacted by the convention; if I knew its dates it would allow me to form a strategy.

[sequitur]

I searched and found that convention. What a bummer - runs the exact same dates.

The website lists many, though not all, of the Priceline "usual suspects"

They have a list of all the hotels and their discount rates here: https://www.ttgcompass.com/compass/meeting/...9_hotellist.cfm

Would my best strategy be to wait until literally the last minute in this kind of situation (assuming that with the economy, and the restaurant industry, what it is, that there will end up being a glut at the last minute)?

[Shea77]

The weekend before there are virtually no conventions - can you go then? I booked my trip May 8-11 and was happy w/ the rates/availability on both hotels/flights.

[AaronJB]

There is a 3* Boutique in the Museum Campus area on HOTWIRE for $84. That hotel hasn't yet been ID'd (it may be either the Blake or possibly the Blackstone, but I'd much more strongly lean towards it being the Blake) and would be out of the way a bit, but it is an option in the general range of what you've been bidding so far.

If you wait until the last minute, keep in mind that expectations in the Spring of getting a hotel for $55-65 may not be realistic and the strategy of waiting until the last minute may not succeed if traffic doesn't clear for these dates. Rather than wait until the last minute, I'd keep trying.

What is your max budget per night for these dates?

[sequitur]

If you wait until the last minute, keep in mind that expectations in the Spring of getting a hotel for $55-65 may not be realistic and the strategy of waiting until the last minute may not succeed if traffic doesn't clear for these dates. Rather than wait until the last minute, I'd keep trying.

What is your max budget per night for these dates?

I'm generally not the kind of guy to wait until the last minute, so I expect I'll be increasing my bid, but still shooting for a 4* in the Loop or NMA zones (since that's all I'm familiar with). As for my budget, I guess "whatever it takes", though the convention link I posted earlier does give a framework where rooms are very close to $200/night, so I wouldn't want to be much north of $120 on Priceline (nonrefundable, etc.)

PS: I notice my post doesn't appear in the "Illinois" board - I'm new here, so have I not labeled my posts correctly?

[sequitur]

After checking HOTWIRE again, I see that things have opened up even from just yesterday. Now there is a 4.5 star for $200 (using this site, I'm certain it is the James), and a 3.5 in the Loop for $129 (must be Allegro). Searching those hotel names at this site, I see other posters got those same 2 places for far less $$, but that at least establishes a budgetary threshold. I'll give it another go at PRICELINE when my 48 hours is up on Wednesday.

The James can be booked directly for $251/night using a 'buy 2 get 1 night free' deal, so the hotwire savings would be $50/night (not stellar). Similarly the Allegro is $200/night at their site, vs. $129 via HOTWIRE - a bit better deal.

Another complicating factor is I'm bringing 2 kids, which I don't mention at HOTWIRE. That could get a little dicey at a 'boutique' hotel where you can't really hide them. The James at least advertises itself as 'kid friendly' surprisingly.

[thereuare]

I'll give it another go at PRICELINE when my 48 hours is up on Wednesday.

Note that the lock-out period is now only 24 hours :)

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

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

[AaronJB]

If you're bringing two kids and not mentioning them, you may not get two beds.