Priceline Hotel: 3* Chicago (River North) Club Quarters

[betsybug]

I'm having problems getting hotels for about these same dates - Oct 22(Fri) to Oct. 24 (Sun) for NMA. I bid up to $80 without success on 9/9/04 and am bidding again tomorrow when my 72 hours is up.

I can't figure out why you and I can't get these dates for $80. There are no sold out hotels and relatively low prices. I checked the convention schedule and there are a lot of conventions those dates with the total of the largest several at 38,000. But I don't see that as a factor since there are no sold out hotels.

Are you willing to go to the next zone over, River North (RNA)? The two 4* hotels there get great reviews and are only a couple of blocks from Michigan Ave. They are the Westin River North and Renaissance. The Westin is on the river.

I'm going to take Theruare's advice and check the rates for my two dates separately to see if that's the problem.

Here is the bidding strategy I am going to use tomorrow when my 72 hours is up. Maybe it will help you if you're willing to raise your price to $90.

NMA $70

Add Lincoln Park $75

Add Midway $80

Add Skokie $85

If that fails, start over with a new bid for River North.

RNA $70

Add NMA $75

Add Lincoln Park $80

Add Midway $85

Add Skokie $90

I saw this work for another October weekend bidder who got the Renaissance for $90.

[thereuare]

I can't figure out why you and I can't get these dates for $80. There are no sold out hotels and relatively low prices.

I believe that rates are above average for the 22nd and the 23rd. They're not obscenely high, but they are a bit higher than usual.

[betsybug]

My suggested bidding strategy didn't work. Today I bid up to $90 for a 4* in NMA and RNA. Rejected. Bid is about 45% of lowest posted rates. I've never had to go this high in Chicago with posted rates of $189-$225.

I'm going to look at Hotwire, which should be an easy comparison to make with all the handy Hotwire listings on this site.

[betsybug]

A correction to my earlier post. The convention those dates downtown only total about 7000. About a third at Hyatt Regency, a third at McCormick, and a third at Holiday Inn (not a PL/HW hotel). So conventions don't explain the apparent high occupancy that I infer from these two facts. The rates are going higher this week - some 4* are 15-25% higher. The rooms are getting less desirable - some 3* only have smoking or double beds left.

I have failed again. On 9/16 I was rejected at $80 for 3* NMA. I was rejected at $110 for 4* for NMA + RNA. The 4* bid was over 55% of the posted rates at some hotels - Sheraton, Westin, Wyndham, Doubletree ($179-$199).

I am baffled. I've never had to pay this much on PL in Chicago when occupancy should be low and the rates aren't outrageously high.

My back-up is the Westin O'Hare for $109 - where two of us have a seminar - but even they don't want to stay there. Everyone wants to be downtown for shopping and eats.

So the bidding dilemma is this for my dates of Oct.22-24 (Fri-Sat).

Option 1: Wait (and how long) to keep bidding for my 3*& 4* in NMA and 4* in RNA.

Option 2: Try for a lower rate at the decent (and some well-reviewed) 2.5* in NMA and RNA - even though those rates are as high as some of the 4* in NMA.

2.5* NMA

Seneca Hotel $128

Tremont $189

Residence Inn $179

2.5* River North

Courtyard Chicago Downtown $199

Hilton Garden Inn $179

If I pick Option 2 - how high should I bid now - given the similar rates and low availability at the higher star levels? The posted winning bids for 2.5* in these zones for other dates range $40-$50 with an occasional $75-$80.

[thereuare]

I am baffled. I've never had to pay this much on PL in Chicago when occupancy should be low and the rates aren't outrageously high.

Maybe occupancy and rates should be low, but as i stated above.... they're not. Even your research indicates that prices have increased by as much as 25% over the last week, is that something you typically see during times of low occupancy?

Personally i would wait until the first week of October before i lowered by star rating... maybe you'll see rates come down somewhat. If not, there will still be plenty of time to try for 2.5* properties and/or expand your zone (maybe include the loop?)

If you're really in a jam later on QUICKBOOK has the Lenox Suites for $140/nite for a studio suite (i believe a queen bed and pull-out couch) and the REVIEWS are good... don't know if it's worth an extra $30/nite to your over your current back-up (but if it is, i'd sooner first try raising my bid of Priceline to that level).

I also see the Congress Hotel for $105/nite... i've stayed here and it's an older hotel, the rooms are very basic and show their age but are also fairly large, the lobby is beautiful and the location is 'ok'. Wouldn't be my first choice, but for $105 i don't think it's a bad deal for a non-opaue rate.

[ravinia]

Just a word on the Congress Hotel: we've walked past many times in the last year and there has been an active job action, i.e. strike, by employees for a rather long time. We've stayed there a few times, used the self check-in machines because of hour long lines at front desk, but not since the strike started well over a year ago. There's a website for updates, maybe they'll settle this eventually but it's a real loud freakshow out front at last look.

http://www.congresshotelstrike.info/index.asp

The 2* NMA places, such as Seneca, are actually quite charming in their own ways,

certainly nicer than a lot of PL 3*s in some other cities.

(See New Orleans Radisson)

[betsybug]

As seen by my post under "help - NMA" below, I couldn't get anything on NMA or RNA for up to $110 for 4*. Bids up to $80 failed for a 3* in NMA.

So I decided t bid for 2.5* in NMA and RNA because I liked all those hotels in these zones. I bid up to $90 with new bids plus free re-bids and the surprise happened. I was "upgraded" to this 3*. It was the only hotel I wanted to avoid which is why I had not bid 3* in RNA. The reports are that Club Quarters gives its tiny rooms to Priceline guests.

Oh well. Live and learn. Don't add a zone to a bid for a lower star level unless you can be happy with all the hotels in that zone for higher star levels.

[thereuare]

Sorry to hear of your disappointment.

This is also a good time to reiterate an example of why re-bid zones need to only have star ratings lower than the one you are bidding... upgrades are always possible.

If you have a digital camera please take some pictures of your 'Priceline room' and post them at REAL HOTEL PHOTOS .com

Let us know how your stay is upon your return.

[ravinia]

Maybe 2* NMA would've given you a shot at the Raphael, actually a really nice little boutique property near the Hancock; main drawback seemed to be slow elevator at busy times.

In this case a "downgrade" to 2* would have been better!

When all else fails to cheer you up, just imagine rack rates!