abajibe

Hi,
I have also some terrible experiences with the BRG from Accor. Each time I'm sure that I'm becoming closer to get it, but now with my experience of yesterday, I do not believe anymore in it.

My Experiences:
In Dec 13, for the Sofitel Budapest, with a 50% better price: I filled the BRG form, got in response 5 "CRM"numbers via 5 automatically generated emails, but no answer 1 month later. I cancelled the booking

In Apr 14, for the Sofitel Brussel Europe, I booked a rate with breakfast and found a better rate with breakfast at getaroom.com. Answer from BRG (after 3 days and 1 call from my side - 2 days before the travel): the rate at getaroom.com doesn't include the breakfast. Name of the room at getaroom.com "Double Room Classic – Bed and Buffet Breakfast". I doubt the BRG agents understand English. After some exchanges, I gave up as it was few hours before the travel.

Last try, yesterday: for the Mc Gallery Naples. I booked a room with breakfast with some flexibility (fully flexible up to 3 days before) at 518€. And find for the same date, same number of people, same room (with breakfast) and even better flexibility (fully flexible up to 2 days before) a rate at 299€ at getaroom.com->40% cheaper!.
1st answer from the BRG-team (after same calls to make sure they received the form!): the competitive rate is prepaid and not flexible. I come back to them and ask them to read again the screenshot from getaroom.com where it is said "Cancellations until xxx are fully refundable".
2nd answer from the BRG-team: all the conditions of the BRG are met but your competitive rate is prepaid, and with Accor you pay after the stay. Therefore BRG-application refused!

The conclusion of this point is for me that all the Accor rates with some flexibility (where the payment is done at the hotel) are not comparable and therefore not open for BRG. Indeed, all the hotel booking platforms, including the serious ones (orbitz, expedia, booking) request the prepayment even for flexible rates.
For the non-flexible rates, it seems whatsoever that Accor finds other reasons not to grant the BRG, according to this forum (and validated my owned experience).

I kindly ask the Accor representative/concierge to inform the marketing department about this major issue. I can't believe that SPG, Radisson, Marriot and others have reasonable BRG-rules that make them realistic when they speak about "Best rate Guarantee" and that Accor has simply a logo on the website to make as if.
In addition, I would like to inform some German consumer groups about it, as for me this is wrong advertisement.

BR from cloudy Hamburg,
Abajibe