Online Travel Booking and Bidding Agencies - PL chicago 2 rooms - July

Best time to bid - what should I bid - hoping for a 3 or 4*** can you bid for 2 rooms together- obviously we all want to be in the same hotel?? do I bid now or closer to the time - is July high season?? Help Gwen

Yes you can bid two rooms together. Inventory varies, I would try to bid starting now and if you don't get it then maybe once every 2 weeks or so until about 2 months before or so then step up the pace if you haven't gotten it by then.

I would think that March or April would be the best time to start working on it. You should book a back-up though, and get an idea of what is going on at the time you plan on visiting. If there is a big convention in town, the rooms could be full and there won't be any Priceline inventory. You should be able to get a feel for that now - because the rates will be high.

In general, do rates tend to rise as you move closer to the date you want, or is there a sudden drop in rates right before the wanted date of stay?

In general, do rates tend to rise as you move closer to the date you want, or is there a sudden drop in rates right before the wanted date of stay?It's hard to give a single 'definitive' answer. Hotel chains have gotten better and better at the yield management game, so they are quite good at predicting occupancy rates months ahead.

Hotels have full discretion as to when they "upload" their Priceline rates. Some managements, wanting to keep rooms open, may hold back. while others might want to get the revenue in ASAP.

Chicago has the further complicating factor of its heavy convention activity. Since convention commitments are booked years in advance, hotels (espcially the "official" convention hotels), often set aside blocks of rooms for prospective convention attendees.

As a first step, you might take a look at the McCormick Place calendar of events and also the events calendar of the Chicago visitor's bureau. That way, you'll at least know if your dates conflict with 100,000 Shriners or thousands of marathon runners, etc.

Next, after having identified possible hotels via the lists at http://betterbidding.com and similar sites, check their rates for dates close to (before and after) your desired dates.

If you don't end up getting a downtown hotel, most of the 3 and 4 * properties near the airport offer a free airport shuttle. I've gotten really good deals on PL rooms in the busy summer months and just took the train from the airport into the city. 45 minute trip, paid $36 for a nice 2.5* room with a balcony instead of $150++ downtown.