Chic Suite in Chi Town

I've been on a roll with Priceline lately and plan on bragging about the great steals I've been able to grab through the site.  My personal love affair with Priceline actually began over a year ago, when I first quit my job.  I finally had the time to travel and even if we couldn't afford to go to exotic places, I was determined Mr. J and I would go visit most of the large cities in this country.

Photo credit: Hyatt Regency Chicago website.

One of my first "wins" on Priceline was for a hotel in Chicago.  We wanted to go and visit the Windy City for our first anniversary weekend, which landed on Memorial Day Weekend 2009.  I was so darn nervous but decided to give it a shot.  Betterbidding looks confusing to the average newcomer and I almost gave up before I even started.  However, I am so glad I tried it since it's worth the knowledge!

Photo credit: Hyatt Regency Chicago website.

We ended up at the Hyatt Regency Chicago, located on East Wacker Drive and Michigan Avenue.  This is at the beginning of the Magnificent Mile, an area in downtown Chicago with lots of shops and sites.

My winning bid was for $64 / night for 3 nights.  Talk about a sweet deal, especially since the price on the hotel's website was for double that amount for the same dates. 

The guy who checked us in was very nice and upgraded us to a junior suite.  He said he was on his way out for the night and decided to welcome us to the city with a little bonus.  I couldn't have gotten a better deal for that price!  Our room had a mini fridge, a sink, and comfy couch.

The only downside to the room was that it was so obvious a smoker was in there recently.  We didn't feel like changing rooms by the time we figured out how much it bothered us, so we bought some Febreze and the problem went away.

Did I mention how awesome the hotel's location was/is?  When we went, we arrived late in the evening that weekend.  Mr. J and I were starving since we missed dinner, so the concierge suggested that we grab some famous deep dish pizza from the Giordano's around the corner.  We could only finish less than half of that pie.  So much cheese and pepperoni.  I was truly in hog heaven.