Priceline Hotel: Newbie needs Bidding Help June 11&12

I've never used Priceline before and found the maps confusing. I'd like to stay near an El station in the downtown area. Would this be doable for under $100/night (that's including tax and everything). Usually stay at Marriott hotels but really love the Kimpton line as well. Would this be 4*? Can anyone offer any suggestions? Is it too soon to bid on Priceline for these dates? Doesn't have to be right downtown as long as it's close to the train. Thanks.

Welcome to Betterbidding. :)

The issue with staying downtown is that, once one leaves the main downtown area, there's little-to-nothing in the way of hotel options for a while (until one gets out into the 'burbs.) There are some very nice hotels for the burbs and the burbs are more reasonable than downtown, but I wouldn't recommend the burbs for those who are not driving, and for those who are driving, it depends on whether the trip back-and-forth to the burbs (there are trains) is worth the savings difference for those particular dates.

The list of PRICELINE hotels that have been reported to the board are available at this link Priceline Hotel List. If you were to bid in a particular zone for a particular star rating (4*, River North/North Michigan Ave, for example), you could possibly get any of those hotels.

In terms of downtown, the only zones of interest are the River North/NMA and Millennium Park-Loop-Grant Park zone. Those are the two main zones that make up downtown.

Looking now at the rates for these dates (are you staying 6/11-12 or 6/11-13?) $100 "all-in" (which I believe is probably around an $80-82 bid) has a slim chance of being accepted for the Millennium Park-Loop-Grant Park area for a 4* and is worth trying, but I would imagine a bid may require over $100 to be accepted. A bid under $100 being accepted in the River North/NMA for a 4* unfortunately seems unlikely for these dates, which are on the higher side.

Please use the site's HOTWIRE or PRICELINE links to start your purchases and searches.

Thank you for your help. We haven't decided yet on driving or taking the Amtrak (we're coming from Michigan). Quick question - if I do bid, and my bid is not accepted, how do I re-bid? Do I have to wait a certain amount of days before I can bid again? When you mention the burbs - does the El go out that way? If so, how long does it take to get to the downtown area? Thanks again!

See this thread: Priceline Re-Bidding Explained (as this concept may be new to you it's highly recommended you confirm your re-bid zones and bidding strategy before bidding)

Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases.

The distance to the suburbs varies, but is generally 35-40 minutes. The suburbs also have some sights of their own, such as the Ravinia Music Festival (ravinia.org; it runs all Summer) and the Chicago Botanic Garden (chicagobotanic.org, which is in a suburb, despite the name.)

I wouldn't recommend the burbs if you are not driving, as while trains do head out to the burbs, in many cases, it's not easy and/or convenient to get from the station to the hotel. The hotel could only be a few miles (2-3) from the nearest station, but it may not be walkable and/or there may not be public transit from the station directly to the hotel. There are cabs, but it's just easier to have the flexibility to drive right to the station, park and go.

The Metra trains (metrarail.com) run to the burbs, and are a nicer, more comfortable experience than the CTA "L" trains.