eBay Live 2008 is not to be missed, but if you, like me, have added up all the expenses, you have probably come to the conclusion that one of your biggest expenses is going to be the HOTEL.   In fact, the hotel expense may even be more than your airfare.  Chicago hotels are expensive!    When I first started looking, I was getting quotes for over $250 per nite.    It was getting very frustrating, heck I didn't want to buy the room, I just wanted to rent it for a few days. :-)      We always look for bargains with everything, so we can live up to our seller name on ebay:  SUPER.GOOD.DEALS.     If we were to stay at the PENTHOUSE SUITE at the HILTON, sure it would be nice........but how could we still have SUPER.GOOD.DEALS for our buyers on ebay!!!    I am QUITE SURE our buyers would rather we stay at the $60 rooms rather than the $1000 per nite Presidential Penthouse suites at the fanciest of hotels!      and how about you.......if you reading this guide, I am sure you are not thrilled at the prospect of paying more than you need to for your hotel room in Chicago this year.

I went to the usual discount sites and the cheapest rates I found were in the mid-$70 range and trust me, those will only go up as the hotels get wind of the ebay convention and raise their rates accordingly.   10,000 more people coming to town DOES make a big difference, even in a big town like Chicago.    And the worst part is those mid-$70 rooms were in some pretty seedy areas,  half-star and one-star hotels in areas that probably are not safe at night and their rooms probably come with curious odors and creepy crawly things. :-)

After jumping around on the internet, I finally found a really great price of $66.95 per nite and I even get FREE parking and FREE breakfast every morning!   And I didn't even have to lay out the money for the room, I can pay when I check out!     And it is a great room in a really nice neighborhood.   I want to share some of my tips on how you can get your best deal, too!    It took me about 5 hours to find the best deal, but now with my help, you can probably get the job done in less than 30 minutes!   I want to share what I learned with my fellow ebayers.

1.  With the discount travel sites, you have to pay in full for your room now, not a really good idea.   I would rather spend my money on new inventory to sell, or even if you are not a seller, I am sure you would rather not have to lay out $ for a hotel room that you won't use till June.   It is so much nicer to pay on the way out rather than pay in full months ahead. :-)

2.  Reserve NOW, not later.  The longer you wait, the higher the rates will be.

3.  Be flexible with where you stay.........ask how far they are from the convention center, if they don't know where that is, ask how fare they are from downtown Chicago or the airport.    10-30 miles is NO BIG deal and will save you a BUNDLE.   On the local highways you are talking about maybe 20-45 minutes.    Heck, if you can save over $100 per nite by staying in a local suburb, DO IT!    You may even commute to work every day for 10-30 miles, so it will not be a big deal to you.    That can save you $300-$400 on the cost of going to Ebay Live.      If you don't want to drive to ebay live every day, ask the hotel if they are near the train or the bus. :-)  

4.  For sure, go to the discount travel sites like Travelocity, hotels.com, hotwire.com, hotline.com, priceline.com, etc.   Just to get an idea of the best deals, so you know what you have to beat.

4.  Next go to the discount chain hotel sites directly for motel6.com, choicehotels.com (handle about 6 major chains that they own), holidayinn.com.   Call their 800#'s and get your best rate.   If you belong to Costco or AAA or are a travel agent, be sure to ask for their discount rate.   When you find a hotel property you like, ASK for their direct tel. #.   DON'T make a reservation yet.    ASK if they have a rewards program or rebate program.  Often these programs are free to join.   See if they also give away frequent flyer miles.   Ask if you can get both their reward program benefits AND frequent flyer miles.  Now is not the time to be shy, be BOLD.

5.  Now call the hotel DIRECTLY.  Ask to speak to the manager.   Ask for their best rate, tell them you are comparison shopping.    If you belong to Costco or AAA or are a travel agent, be sure to ask for their discount rate.   This can save you another 5% to 10%.    Be sure to ask about FREQUENT FLYER miles.    This is the way I eventually made my reservation and I saved $10 extra per nite over what the 800# for the hotel chain was quoting.  ASK IF THEY HAVE FREE parking.   Parking in Chicago can cost as much as $20 - $30 per day, it is absurd.  FREE parking is the best!    There are three things I hate paying for:   PARKING, WATER and AIR FOR MY CAR TIRES.    Especially parking!!!       When you have found the hotel you want to stay at, GET A RESERVATION CONFIRMATION CODE and be sure to reserve your room.   Have them guarantee your room for a late arrival if possible, in case your flight gets delayed.      Ask what their cancellation policy is, just in case, so you don't get stuck.      Ask if they have FREE breakfast.          After you have gotten your best deal, ask what their RACK rate is, to get an idea how much you saved.   Ask what the total is WITH TAX, so you know the grand total for your budget.  AND DON'T forget to ask if you can get a FREE upgrade to a KING SIZE bed.  A KING SIZE bed is so much more comfortable!   .....especially when the upgrade is FREE.     If you are feeling especially bold, ask if you can get a free upgrade to a room with a small refrigerator and a jacuzzi.    :-)       I actually got that one time at no extra charge on another trip.     But first GET your King Size bed.    Then go for the refrigerator (to save $ on some of your meals and snacks) and then go for the jacuzzi.      If nothing else, the hotel manager will be smiling at your boldness.  :-)

I hope that you found this guide helpful and if so, please vote YES below. 

Hope you have fun at eBay Live 2008! :-)

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