[EXPIRED] Best Rate Guarantee is offering free room again!
#559
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: FL, USA
Programs: AA Plat, Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Diamond, IHG Plat, Marriot Gold
Posts: 1,666
#562
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 47
This is a minor amusement. Successful BRG at Comfort Inn Peterborough Ontario, Canada (university town near lake country, betwixt and between Ottawa and Toronto) - king suite with spa bath.Approval quick and easy. A friend booked the same room for a different season and also had quick approval.
Next thing I know I get an email from the guest services manager asking if she might inquire as to how I made my reservation. I responded saying I booked the room on their website and within 24 hours I found the same room for price about $10 cheaper on a third party website with the same conditions. Filed a BIRG claim and was approved. No website names mentioned.
Then I get this response:
"The suite that Choice reserved for you is not sold on Booking.com. 3rd party sites only have access to our King Suites and not our Jacuzzi Suites. When you were reserving was the description indicating both rooms were Jacuzzi Suites?
I am only asking as you are not the first guest to do a best rate guarantee inquiry for this exact room so I am just trying to figure out how to solve this problem."
Well, duh, if you read the King Suite room listing on booking.com and at least two other 3rd-party site it states that there is a spa bath with the King Suite. Far as I know the listing remains the same - so if anyone is thinking of coming to the Peterborough area to visit the Canadian Canoe Museum....better move fast they have a real bright light on the case.
PS this property seems to think they are really clever because they have a "special promotion" that takes 10% off if you stay 1 night or more. Seems ridiculous that they don't just put the lowest rate in front of the consumer. Third-party sites like booking.com have the 10% off rate listed. I'm confident Choice will not renege because they were able to find and confirm the rate.
Next thing I know I get an email from the guest services manager asking if she might inquire as to how I made my reservation. I responded saying I booked the room on their website and within 24 hours I found the same room for price about $10 cheaper on a third party website with the same conditions. Filed a BIRG claim and was approved. No website names mentioned.
Then I get this response:
"The suite that Choice reserved for you is not sold on Booking.com. 3rd party sites only have access to our King Suites and not our Jacuzzi Suites. When you were reserving was the description indicating both rooms were Jacuzzi Suites?
I am only asking as you are not the first guest to do a best rate guarantee inquiry for this exact room so I am just trying to figure out how to solve this problem."
Well, duh, if you read the King Suite room listing on booking.com and at least two other 3rd-party site it states that there is a spa bath with the King Suite. Far as I know the listing remains the same - so if anyone is thinking of coming to the Peterborough area to visit the Canadian Canoe Museum....better move fast they have a real bright light on the case.
PS this property seems to think they are really clever because they have a "special promotion" that takes 10% off if you stay 1 night or more. Seems ridiculous that they don't just put the lowest rate in front of the consumer. Third-party sites like booking.com have the 10% off rate listed. I'm confident Choice will not renege because they were able to find and confirm the rate.
#563
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Germany
Posts: 1,244
I don't use their guarantee often, just two times in the past. I tried to compare a Comfort Inn in London with agoda.com. Agoda rate is 10 GBP less than choicehotels.com, room types and cancelation policy is exactly the same. But Choice replied that the hotel offer free wifi when I book direct on their site, while they charge guests which book on different websites. Is that a joke? So it's just impossible to find a third party website with a lower rate if the hotel always have this policy.
#565
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: FL, USA
Programs: AA Plat, Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Diamond, IHG Plat, Marriot Gold
Posts: 1,666
Just tried for one for tomorrow night, I have till 4pm to cancel so I will just cancel like at 345 if I don't hear back, which I probably won't but I don't see a way to deny this one but who knows.
#566
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Germany
Posts: 1,244
You submit the online claim form informing Choice of the lower rate within 24 hours of the Booking and at least 72 hours prior to a 6 pm arrival on the first day of the Booking
#567
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: FL, USA
Programs: AA Plat, Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Diamond, IHG Plat, Marriot Gold
Posts: 1,666
Thanks I hadn't noticed that since it was last minute impulse. Either way, the page of the booking had me reload so I did just now, I had left it open and guess what room and price are not on there anymore??? Yup, the cheaper rate, everything else is still there.
#568
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Leeds UK
Programs: BD, AA, BA, CO Marriott Plat>gold, Hyatt Diamond>Plat,Hilton Gold SPG Gold PC Plat
Posts: 1,093
Used the online claim form, it's nearing the 48 hour mark and still no reply.
Should I have used the link posted somewhere on here.
Should I have used the link posted somewhere on here.
#569
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 47
I've found a cheaper rate on booking.com for early summer at Comfort Inn Midtown West in NYC, but in the cancellation policy on booking.com it says "up to 1 day before the date of arrival", without specifying a time (like Choice does). Will that pass a BRG?
I've succesfully had 2 BRGs for Quality Inn Convention Center, but both times the cancellation policy included the exact time that appears on Choice's website.
I've succesfully had 2 BRGs for Quality Inn Convention Center, but both times the cancellation policy included the exact time that appears on Choice's website.