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

[andyrewne]

Got a great rate at the Swissotel for about $230.00 total for the weekend after fees (it's refundable). We now need another hotel for family and the rate is gone. We need to stay in the NMA - River North area due to a wedding. What sort of 4* deal do you think we can expect per night if we get two rooms. If we can't beat our current deal, we'll just get one room for the other family members via PRICELINE. Thanks for any help.

[thereuare]

If you let us know your maximum bid (for two rooms) we'll suggest a strategy for you to follow.

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

[andyrewne]

My maximum bid for two rooms is $90.00 per room per night. What I want to do is keep my total cost for both nights after fees at about $230 per room or $460 total for both rooms. Thanks for your help.

[AaronJB]

Suggestion 1:

The MDA Apartments (which is a luxury high-rise apartment building a few blocks from where the Swiss is) is $220 on Orbitz.com for a 2BR (queen in each) apartment (with fully-furnished kitchen, laundry, etc.). You are not charged hotel tax on Orbitz, and I'm guessing because this is an apartment and not a hotel. This is a 4* on Orbitz, and the apartment does have "hotel-like" features, such as a concierge. With coupon code deal0hotel, you get 10% off = $198. With a larger space, everyone could comfortably visit and chat - plus, full kitchen so you could take food in or grab some groceries and make dinner there.

Plus, there's also:

**Orbitz SPECIAL OFFER**

Through 5/31, book any hotel in Chicago and receive a FREE $50 gift certificate from Restaurant.com (Select a hotel and add FREE offer on the add Attractions & Services page).

Please use the site's Orbitz.com link if this is of interest.

Suggestion 2:

I'd try bidding $80 for a 4* in the River North/NMA area, if not accepted then $85, if $85 is not accepted, then $90. I'd be surprised if a bid in the $80-90 range isn't accepted.

Please use the site's PRICELINE link if this is of interest.

[andyrewne]

AaronJB - Thank you. The apartments sound great, I just can't find them via Orbitz. I've searched by name and they don't come up. Am I missing something very simple. Thanks.

[AaronJB]

I believe you have to book them separately - they may not show if you are looking for two rooms. If you look up 1 room, they should be showing in the 4* section in the Loop. While technically in the Loop, they are in what I would consider the North Loop, about a block or so from the river. If you book each room separately, you *might* be able to take advantage of the Restaurant.com/Orbitz deal mentioned above twice.

I haven't stayed at the MDA, but they are beautiful looking apartments and certainly quite pricey in terms of longer-term rents ($1295 a month for a 495 sq ft studio up to over $3,000 a month for some of the 2BR apts.) They are operated by Village Green, who operates several high-end properties downtown and quite a few others in the surrounding area.

If you look up 1 room and 2 people, there is the 2BR option and also a smaller room option with 1 queen (but still offers a full kitchen) for $172.50.

If you look up 1 room for more than 2 people, the only option is the 2BR for $220.

If you got the smaller room, even the smallest rooms at the property are certainly larger than any non-suite hotel room in the city, and the 2BR rooms at the MDA would have a lot more space than the average hotel room.

And again, the deal0hotel coupon code will take 10% off each night. Orbitz does not show a hotel tax, either.

[andyrewne]

We're discussing with family whether we want to share an apt or get two separate rooms. I'll report back in the next few days. Thanks for all of your help.

[andyrewne]

Used the PRICELINE link. Thanks for the help. As always I really appreciate the board.

Hilton Chicago - 2 Rooms - Millennium Park, Loop & Grant Park Area

6/19 - 6/21/2009

After conferring w/ the family, we didn't care whether we were in the North Michigan Ave area or the Loop area. So, it seemed rates were a bit lower for the loop area and we began bidding there.

$62 - Millenium Loop - denied - offered to get room by increasing bid by $17 and from my history on this board, declined.

added NMA area

$65 - denied

added Niles - Skokie - Evanston

$68 - accepted

Not the perfect location, but the great rate more than makes up for it. Thanks again.

[thereuare]

Congratualtions on your success!

Glad to see you're happy with the results and the deal you received. While the Loop zone may be slightly less convenient than the NMA zone, it's not so much so, and the savings can often justify staying in the Loop.

Thank you for sharing your win with the board and using our PRICLINE link to begin your bidding.

Enjoy your stay.