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We are going to CHI last minute for prospective student's day. How exciting, we have never been. I want to bid on Priceline for a hotel for Sat night and Sunday. Anyone have experience with which zones are good?

I usually use www.biddingfortravel.com to help with my bids. They don't list many hotels in the Greater Chicago Zone except the Hyatt Regency, which looks farther away. That's ok if transp is good. Otherwise I'll bid the Loop, River North and N. Michigan. Those zones look more expensive, though. I'm just afraid to get stuck in a bad area bidding GreaterC. Anyone done it?

By Kinshasa (Kinshasa) on Friday, October 08, 2004 - 04:15 pm: Edit

Did you try Hotwire? It offers several areas of the city. You choose the area and days, then Hotwire tells you the price. It does not ask you to guess and commit yourself like Priceline. At the least it's a good guide. Weekend prices are less expensive because businessmen aren't staying on the weekend.

By Bettina (Bettina) on Friday, October 08, 2004 - 04:28 pm: Edit

Well, according to the biddingfortravel people, a Hotwire 4* is only a Priceline 3*, you you have to be careful that Hotwire overrates the Hotels. If you know, it's OK, because you then would be for a 5* in order to get a Priceline 4*.

The BforP folks say you can get a better deal on Priceline and they post winning bids to guide you. You can make educated 'guesses' which is how I got a $40 Grand Hyatt in Seattle and a $50 Westin in LA before. A friend just got a $68 Hyatt Regency in SF. But I will check Hotwire too--ok I checked an it is way too much for me.

Anyway, can you tell me what area are good in CHI for our short visit to UCHI? If I can book under $100, I'll take any area, I guess. Otherwise it is my cousin's couch.

By Weenie (Weenie) on Friday, October 08, 2004 - 06:17 pm: Edit

try posting this question on the Fodor's Travel Forum. Go to Fodors.com, then to Talk, then to United States. It's a great forum! P.S. We use Priceline all the time and love it. It's good that you know about BforT too.

By Reidmc (Reidmc) on Saturday, October 09, 2004 - 01:49 am: Edit

another good source for hotels is www.quikbook.com

By Bettina (Bettina) on Saturday, October 09, 2004 - 03:35 pm: Edit

Thanks for the ideas folks, Chicago is a bust this weekend so far as conventional booking, they are sold out or extremely high. I ended up bidding 20 ways for all areas, stars and rankings with no takers. Lucky we have a couch to sleep on. Can't wait to see the school.