Hotwire Hotel: 4* Chicago (Mag Mile - Wacker Drive) Hyatt Regency

[taminator]

Amenities: Restaurant, fitness center, business center.

One room @ $59/nt for two nts = $118 plus $22.95 in taxes

Total cost: $140.95

I saw the exact same description for a hotel a few days earlier going for $75 per nt. Looks like there's a surplus of rooms this weekend and the price dropped. I'm glad I waited because it appears I saved myself some money.

I've stayed here before but this is my first try at using Hotwire. My travel agent advised me against using Hotwire, citing numerous horror stories from other customers, but I thought I'd give it a go.

The location is great -- it's right on the Chicago River, about two blocks east of Michigan Avenue and the start of the famous Magnificent Mile, and it's also within walking distance to Lake Shore Drive and the new Millennium Park. The last time I stayed there was in January 2004 and I found the staff to be friendly and helpful. One word of caution: This is a very big hotel and caters to a lot of conferences, so it does get busy at the front desk, the valet kiosk, and at the elevators during "rush hour." It's a trade-off for staying at a nice hotel in downtown Chicago.

I'm curious to find out how I'm treated being a Hotwire customer and also a Hyatt Gold member.

[thereuare]

Welcome to BetterBidding!

Congratulations on your win... and for going against the advice of your travel agent. How much were they quoting you for a room for this nite?

While there are indeed a few 'horror stories' out there, they are more the exception than the rule, and there are also 'horror stories' from users that have chosen a hotel (and booked direct or thru a travel agent). If/when a negative hotel stay occurs, i find it easier to accept/tolerate when i'm paying $50/nite than $200+/nite.

Enjoy your stay and please share your experiences with us upon your return. We also have a HOTEL REVIEW section set-up for you to do so.

[taminator]

We use an outside agency to book corporate travel for my office. they have a room quote $109 per night for the Hyatt Regency Chicago -- and what I'm paying now is almost 50 percent cheaper. I find that amazing. As a matter of fact, I checked Hotline the day after I made my reservation and discovered the room rate dropped four bucks to $55 per night.

I'm actually writing this e-mail from my room on the 14th floor at the Hyatt Regency Chicago, with a great view of the Chicago River, the Wrigley Building and the Hancock Tower. I phoned yesterday to confirm my reservation and to make sure they knew I was a Hyatt Gold Passport member -- no problem at all. I was expecting them to say Hyatt Gold benefits do not apply to those who don't book through the hotel -- I had this experience in Seattle at a Wyndham Hotel which let me use my Wyndham member's card because I booked via Expedia.

When I checked in tonight, I was not treated any differently and was granted my request for a city-view room. Like I've read in this forum, it goes a long way when you walk up to the front desk with a nice smile and a simple, "Hi, how are you doing?" Add a polite, "If it's not too much trouble ..." and more often than not, the clerk will try to accommodate your room requests.

Hotwire had me down for a room with two double beds. The clerk noticed on my Gold profile that I prefer a king bed but apologized because they were all out. Instead, she found a nice corner room with a queen bed.

I'm pretty happy with my first Hotwire experience and will spread the word. I think as long as you do your homework and use good judgement, it's a very good service. Also, I'd like to thank everyone here for their help in educating me about Hotwire, too.