Priceline Hotel: 4* Chicago (Airport ORD) Hyatt Regency OHare

[electriccity]

I was a little too cheap in my attempt to get a room in the NMA/River North/Lincoln Park area on 8/7-8/9.

First bid: $50, 4*, NMA/River North and apparently Lincoln Park as well, though I didn't realize I'd checked it. Rejected.

Second bid: $55, added 3.5*. Rejected.

Third bid: $56, added 3*. Rejected.

Fourth bid: $57, added 2.5* Rejected.

I did not add any other areas because we'd really like to stay between downtown and Wrigley Field; we're going to an Iowa Cubs game there on Sunday 8/9. I thought for sure Lincoln Park would be a winner for us on the last bid because a) the properties are all 2.5* or below and :) the "real" Cubs are out of town. The sticker prices for Wrigleyville hotels, however, were all quite expensive at $200+.

I did not add ORD because we want to stay closer to town. PL offered a number of hotels (Super 8, Candlewood) in the $60-$70 range after the last failure.

Does anyone know what hotels are in the Lincoln Park area? There were none listed in the pinned list here.

Used the BB PRICELINE link. Will try again in a day or two, or will have my wife try. Thanks to the moderators and contributors here; this is a wonderful site.

[AaronJB]

The Lollapalooza Festival is occurring on these dates, which is driving up prices significantly.

While it's understandable that you would not want to stay outside the city for these dates, if you are driving and willing to travel a little bit into the city, the prices would be quite a bit less expensive.

As for Lincoln Park, I wouldn't recommend bidding/purchasing, as the few hotels in that area results in minimal inventory and - considering the class of hotels in the area - overinflated prices (especially during the Summer months). There are really no hotels between downtown and Lincoln Park - there are quite a few downtown and only a handful in the Lincoln Park area. No hotels have been reported to the board in the LP area.

If you are driving and would like suggestions on non-ORD areas outside the city, I would be happy to make suggestions.

There is a 4* in the Evanston-Skokie-Niles zone (fitness, restaurant, business, internet) for $107 on HOTWIRE for these dates. My *guess* on that listing would be the Orrington. If it is the Orrington, that would be a couple of blocks from a Red Line CTA station that would take you right to Wrigley. Evanston's a great place to stay, too.

Otherwise, if you are willing to stay a bit further out (Northbrook), prices would be even cheaper via PRICELINE.

If you still would like a hotel downtown, I'd be happy to make suggestions, but the rate will be pricey.

Please use the site's HOTWIRE or PRICELINE links to start your purchase.

[electriccity]

We're actually flying and hoping to avoid car rental. I had hoped that the Lollapalooza effect wouldn't be beyond the Grant Park/Loop area. We'll see.

The purpose of the trip is to go to a Cubs game (well, an Iowa Cubs game at Wrigley Field) and to get a little boozy. I'd rather stay at a 2.5* for $80 in Lincoln Park than a 4* in Evanston for $100.

I do appreciate the input, though. What's the deal with the new Lincoln Park sector? I also noticed that nothing from it was on the PL hotel list here.

[AaronJB]

No one has ever reported any wins in the sector, unfortunately. There are only a few hotels in Lincoln Park - there's a Days Inn and a Best Western, and the BW is often sold out during the Summer. There's a couple of other non-chain properties (Majestic/Willows/City Inn) but the minimal inventory of the LP area generally means little in the way of discounts at such properties.

There was going to be a higher-end hotel in LP (a revamp of an old Days Inn), but the project was actually started a couple of years ago and never ended up being completed - even though the new hotel even had a name, website and everything.

Fun to hear that the Iowa Cubs are going to be playing at Wrigley. I used to have a lot of fun seeing minor league games in the region.

There's no availability on HOTWIRE in the Lincoln Park zone, and while that doesn't necessarily mean that PRICELINE doesn't have anything, unfortunately, I'm seeing the Days Inn, BW, City Inn, Willows and Majestic all showing sold out on their websites.

Prices in the Loop/Mag Mile actually appear to have ramped even higher for these dates in the last day or two - at least on HOTWIRE, which is showing a 4* in the Mag Mile for nearly $400 bucks.

Please use the site's HOTWIRE or PRICELINE links, and let us know how it goes or if you have further questions.

[electriccity]

This was actually quite painless; PRICELINE accepted my first bid, $50 for a 4* in the ORD zone. Got the Hyatt Regency O'Hare. The rack rate for the weekend is $160 a night on the hotel Web site. Pros: nice hotel. Cons: parking is $20 a night, and Internet is $15 a day. That's what you get at hotels like this. (Was actually bidding on three rooms for two nights, and the all-in price is $60 per room per night.)

The Hyatt is quite close (a few blocks on foot, free 24-hour shuttle) to the Blue Line. This hotel would be a good option for Lollapalooza fans who can't afford the premium prices downtown. I've stayed by the airport for downtown events before and it's a quick and easy train ride downtown.

Used the PRICELINE link on the BB site.

[AaronJB]

If you want to try a little nicer ride, the Rosemont Metra station is also only a few blocks away. Doesn't run nearly as often, but if you can catch it, it would be a more comfortable ride into Union Station downtown.

Thank you for posting your win and using the site's PRICELINE link! :)

Enjoy your stay and have fun at the game.