Originally Posted by pinniped
Quick question - because I like Residence Inns, use Priceline from time to time, and go to Chicago a lot - was that RI alone in its class/zone, or was it a lucky "get" from a very opaque (lots of hotels) zone? Which property Chicago was it? The one behind the Hancock Tower?
It is RI Downtown at 201 East Walton Place. It was more of a luck than intention, but if you go to
www.biddingfortravel.com you will realize that there are very few hotels for each area, for downtown I believe there are only two 2.5* hotels.
Originally Posted by pinniped
My only hesitation with using the pure Priceline rate as my only valuation for hotel points is this: if I'm considering using points to begin with, it means I've already ruled out Priceline as an option for the stay. I ask myself the Priceline question first. Only after I decide that the zone I'm visiting or my travel situation make Priceline a bad choice do I consider using hotel points.
That is pretty much what I was trying to say. I use priceline first, if I can't get it I use the points, but I never value the points at the rack rate.