Wyndham Rewards - No Free Hotel Rooms with BRG's Starting April 1, 2009!!!!

Its the nightmare we never wanted to hear. Starting April 1, 2009, Wyndham Rewards will not be giving free hotel rooms with their Best Rate Guarantee.

Here is the link:

http://wr.wyndhamrewards.com/WyndhamRewards/control/guaranteed_best_hotel_rate

And sadly, the new guarantee offering a 10% discount makes this not even worth the time (seriously am I going to spend an hour comparing rates and submitting a claim for a 50% chance that they'll give me $7 off a Days Inn - no way!).

Too bad they couldn't have at least come up with an alternative Rate Guarantee program with some teeth in it - 20 or 30% off your entire stay or something like that.

Hi there Flyertalk. First time / long time.

I have a question....

I booked a Wyndham Rewards BRG for a free night. Then, when my plans changed, I called the hotel to see if I could change my free stay to a later date. They obliged.

I arrived at the hotel this weekend and they charged me the full rate, despite my reservation still maintaining the note "Free night stay per best rate program."

The BRG people have told me that I must pay for the room, because changing the date of the reservation has made the BRG void.

Has anyone run into similar problems? Is there any way I can avoid paying? I mean, I was told by the hotel employee that my free night would remain intact.

Feh.

I personally would have insisted on something in writing. Wyndham won't help you with this one.

I guess you could try with your credit card company but it's kind of a he said, she said unless you've got it in writing.

I have a room reserved for this Thursday night that was comped before April 1 under the BRG program. I have the confirmation email stating the rate is $0, but when I log in online to look at the reservation, it indicates the original price, although the comments state, "FREE NIGHT STAY PER BEST RATE PROGRAM." Should I be concerned? Has anyone stayed on a previously-reserved BRG since the program ended and had any problems?

I had one this past weekend that was cancelled by the hotel. I found out when I looked at the reservation a week before the stay. I called customer service and from a suggestion by someone here, asked for the Best rates dept. I was connected quickly and the rep that answered was able to get the problem fixed with the help of the supervisor. The stay went without a problem. I was told if I did have a problem that I would reimbursed for any charges which I did not run into.

It doesnt hurt to call and avoid possible problems and aggravation.

Thanks! Too bad my husband and I have both come down with a cold and decided we're going to cancel the trip. But if we were going, that info would have been great!

I guess you could try with your credit card company but it's kind of a he said, she said unless you've got it in writing.

It would be of no use to go to the credit card company. Your original reservation was for a free night on a specific date, since the OP changed the date, the original reservation was technically null and void as was the free night. If the OP asked if the free night would still be honored and they said yes, then the story would be different.