Hotwire Hotel: ID Help 3* O'Hare North 8/7-8/9/09

[bluedevils]

Looking for decent 3* or better for weekend Fri and Sat nights 8/7-8/9/09. Need to be in the area of Park Ridge so am looking at O'Hare North. Really have the itch to book the Hyatt Itasca ($46/night) because of great reviews (plus free parking and breakfast), but it's ~ 20 minutes from Park Ridge.

Are rates likely to increase between now and August? I'm reluctant to book Priceline or Hotwire room so far in advance because they are nonrefundable, but also don't want to end up paying more $ later.

We may or may not venture to downtown Chicago and possibly visit friends near Wrigley.

Hotwire shows $45 3-star in O'Hare North with these amenities for the above dates:

Shuttle, Fitness, Pool, Restaurant, Laundry, High-Speed Internet, Golf.

I don't see an exact amenities match in the pinned hotel list.

Any suggestions/ideas? Thanks in advance.

Will definitely book via this site's PRICELINE or HOTWIRE link when the time comes.

[lindabobhat]

I wouldn't worry too much about prices going up and would probably ease into this. I agree that the Hyatt Place Itasca is a great property (stayed there many times) but a little further away from Park Ridge than you want to be. It's about a half hour drive depending on which side of Park Ridge you are driving to. The problem with the actual O'Hare zone properties is that so many of them charge for parking nowadays (which is pretty ludicrous if you ask me - it's not like the space is at a premium like downtown. It's just that one hotel got away with charging for it early on and others followed suit.) Honestly, if I were in your situation, I would continue to check HOTWIRE listings until you find a property that is easily identifiable or I might go for a 4* bid on PRICELINE and hope that the price would be low enough to compensate for any parking fee you might have to pay.

[bluedevils]

Thanks for the feedback. I will update the thread as things unfold.

The need to be in Park Ridge is only for a 3-hour meeting on one day, so having to drive 20-30 min to get there isn't a major issue.

[thereuare]

The 3* property has not yet been reported to the board.

If you're plans are firm for these dates (ie- if the purpose of this trip is your meeting and there is no risk of the meeting being postponed or cancelled, then i wouldn't hesitate to purchase now, but if the meeting may be cancelled then i would wait until your sure your plans will be firm)

For additional thoughts regarding "when to purchase" see the related link in our PRICELINE FAQ.

Thanks for using our PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links to begin your purchases.

[bluedevils]

Yes, the plans are firm for those dates.

I like the idea of getting a 4* from PRICELINE for the same price range as the HOTWIRE 3* (mid to low $40s/night), but our group probably wouldn't get much added value from the nicer hotel -- especially if parking and/or breakfast aren't free. We're looking for a hotel that is newer and in good shape, with a decent pool and that's about it.

Thanks again to all who responded. I'll update the thread as appropriate.