Priceline Hotel: Chicago Lollapalooza 8/7-89

[CoolhandChris]

Longtime lurker here. I have used your links in the past though.

I have also been frustrated trying to find a hotel during Lollapalooza. This time period has been most frustrating. Anyone having any luck? Any advice? I'm looking for 8/7-8/9 and it has been problematic. Thanks for your help.

Chris

[AaronJB]

Welcome to the site. :)

What is your budget per night?

Please use the site's PRICELINE or HOTWIRE links when you are ready to book. Thanks.

[CoolhandChris]

Well, the market is pricing rooms for more than what I had planned on paying already. But as far as a having a "budget", well I am going to be there and have to find a place, I would just prefer to keep it as inexpensive as possible. I would very much like to keep it in the Millenium Park/Loop area. I have been looking strictly at 4* hotels because even some of those have been pretty mediocre in the past, but would be happy to stay at a well regarded 3 1/2 and possibly even a 3*. On the calendar of wins I was excited to see a $100 4* but it appears that is no longer available. Any ideas or comments would be appreciated.

[thereuare]

Please read your messages

[CoolhandChris]

Please read your messages

I have read my messages. There isn't anything in there I haven't read in the "read before posting" area. I have also been using your links; but since I haven't won a bid yet I haven't posted it. Others have mentioned that they have won hotel rooms on this weekend in the past, I was just wondering what the likelihood was that there were no hotels in the vicinity offering their rooms on Priceline. Any chance this gets better in the next few weeks?

[thereuare]

I gave this stay a look but don't have too mcuh to add... rates, likely due to Lollapallooza, are simply out of your price range... i even looked into SPLITTING YOUR PRICELINE BID, but while Friday might get you something closer to your budget, searching for inventory for the solo Saturday nite shows very few options at any price (with hotels likely looking for a 2 day minimum and/or no Saturday check-in).

Thanks for using our PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links... i hope you begin to share all your future purchases with the board.

Keep us udpated as to your progress.

[AaronJB]

The issue with Lollapalooza and hotels is that all the hotels in the Loop are what people go for first; it's really not that much further to walk from the Michigan Ave area, and you may have better luck if you're willing to trek not *that* much further to the concert and stay in that area instead.

[CoolhandChris]

The loop hotels seem to be quite popular this weekend. The Drake seems to be the N MI hotel most likely to come up and it is MILES from the festival. I mean it isn't even a cheap cab ride...

[AaronJB]

It would be a $7-8 cab ride (if that) and about a 2.25-2.5M walk straight down Michigan Ave from the Drake. Additionally, there's no way to know for sure which hotel would appear if you bid River North/NMA.

Unfortunately, the only options for these dates right now are to pay a sizable premium to stay in the Loop or walk/cab from a cheaper hotel in River North/NMA.

[CoolhandChris]

Well I hurt my knee and am already scared of spending 16 hour days on my feet for lolla. The idea of putting 2 mile walks at the bookends of those days is not something I would enjoy. I know you don't know what you might end up with but on the Priceline and Hotwire Calendar of Wins that hotel came up twice.

I got rejected for $130 for 3 1/2* Loop hotel though ($155 after taxes and fees). Options are getting more and more limited.

[thereuare]

I know you don't know what you might end up with but on the Priceline and Hotwire Calendar of Wins that hotel came up twice.

These wins were for bids less than $130/nite, so given your rejections at this amount, i don't think you can assume that this hotel is anymore likely than any other.

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

[CoolhandChris]

This just gets worse every day. Rejected at $150 for 3 1/2* last Friday. Hotwire now wants $370 for *** loop. Jeez. Any ideas as this gets a few days away?

[AaronJB]

At this point, I'd stay in the suburbs and rent a car via PRICELINE. You could probably find a cheap/nice hotel in the burbs and drive into the city or take the train in. Looking on Orbitz, the few hotels that aren't showing as sold out downtown are showing incredibly high rates - over $500 for the Millennium Knickerbocker, even.

Let us know if we can be of further help.

[CoolhandChris]

Ugh. It looks like the only way I'm going to keep this under $500 (250/night) is the Congress. And I have never seen reviews so bad. I bid $170 ($202 after fees/nt) and no go. I might have to find a kind stranger at this rate.

[thereuare]

Keep us updated... and please remember to use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your biddig.

Thanks.

[CoolhandChris]

Used the links. I have never seen anything like this. I bid $210 for a *** loop hotel ($492 total) and no go. The Congress has no vacancies at all on Saturday, so my dream of paying $500 for perhaps the worst hotel in the country is gone. I bid $190 for Michigan Ave and nothing there either. I am going to have to find a hotel on the red line a ways out I guess.

[AaronJB]

If you're flying in, you could stay out by ORD. If you're driving in, there's a lot of different possibilities.

[robinbtravel]

Have you checked the hotels near ORD? It's a very easy EL ride into the city and might even be kinda fun with everyone else going down for the concert. I will stay out there for Cubs games and I even parked at the park-n-ride at River Road and took the EL in when I stayed downtown for election night. It takes maybe 45 minutes. The 4* Hyatt Regency is quite nice and usually comes in at about $41 per night. It's about a 2-3 block walk to the Blue Line from the door of the hotel. I see that someone else got the Hyatt for $50 for your weekend, but he started bidding at $50 and could have probably gotten it for less. I have never paid more than $41 for that hotel.

Good luck!

[CoolhandChris]

I appreciate the pointer. I will definately give this a shot some time. I was concerned that the size of O'Hare, not knowing what hotel... would get me to a point where I had to take a cab to the el station and take it 45 minutes in. I didn't know how it would work and didn't want to try it on this weekend.

I ended up giving a guy who couldn't go anymore $20 to transfer a reservation for 118 per night for a ** hotel right next to the grounds. It worked out about as well as it could have, though the Travelodge folks weren't ideal to work with. Still, having food and drinks a few blocks away was a savior.

Don't worry Thereuare, I just booked a weekend in Milwaukee using your PRICELINE link.

I couldn't believe how out of hand this weekend got on PL and the like.

[AaronJB]

Thanks for following up to let us know what you decided. It would be appreciated if you could post the details of your Milwaukee win. Thanks for using the site's PRICELINE link.