- Minimum difference required: US$1 (or equivalent in other currencies).
- Same currency: The lower rate offered by the third-party website must be quoted and priced in the same currency as listed on a Choice branded website.
- Time of claim: Within 24 hours from the booking time and at least 72 hours from 6pm of the date of arrival.
- Method to claim: Submit a claim form and will be contacted in 48 hours.
- Offer if approved: First night free and rate for subsequent nights is matched.
There are some common restrictions:
- Publicly available rate only: No negotiated rate, membership rate, opaque rate, etc.
- No first night free but only a price match if a lower rate is available on a Choice branded website than the rate on the third-party website.
There's a Comfort Suites I want that has a "Deluxe room - 1 King" available for about a third less on some third party sites (Kayak, etc.) vs. the room on choicehotels.com. Choicehotels.com only has "suites" available for booking even though a quick call to the hotel confirmed that there are no deluxe rooms, only 1 bedroom suites and every King room is exactly the same.
Thoughts on if I could get this approved? Should I note it in the comments, i.e. "Jane Doe at the hotel confirmed that a deluxe room is the same room as a King Suite"?
Last edited by lowfareair; Mar 4, 12 at 3:17 pm..
Reason: hotel brand correction
There's a Comfort Suites I want that has a "Deluxe room - 1 King" available for about a third less on some third party sites (Kayak, etc.) vs. the room on choicehotels.com. Choicehotels.com only has "suites" available for booking even though a quick call to the hotel confirmed that there are no deluxe rooms, only 1 bedroom suites and every King room is exactly the same.
Thoughts on if I could get this approved? Should I note it in the comments, i.e. "Jane Doe at the hotel confirmed that a deluxe room is the same room as a King Suite"?
I suppose that you may want to list all amenities to show that they are actually identical rooms.
When they say 72 hours prior to 6pm on check-in date they mean it, I submitted a claim at 7:20pm last night for a Wednesday check-in and they bounced it based on that. Fair 'nough, I didn't read that detail until an hour 20 minutes too late
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"Constantly choosing the lesser of two evils is still choosing evil." -Jerry Garcia
I have a question. Are you claiming a room at a refundable rate when a (cheaper) non-refundable rate is available at the time of booking?
I'm assuming you're referring to "If there is a rate available on a Choice branded website that is the same or lower than the Competing Rate, that rate will be offered for the entire Booking and you will not be eligible to receive the first night free." in the terms and conditions.
The rate I booked was refundable, and while there was an advance purchase rate on choicehotels.com for about 20% less than the rate I booked, it was still higher than the competing rate, so it does not have to be considered.
I'm assuming you're referring to "If there is a rate available on a Choice branded website that is the same or lower than the Competing Rate, that rate will be offered for the entire Booking and you will not be eligible to receive the first night free." in the terms and conditions.
The rate I booked was refundable, and while there was an advance purchase rate on choicehotels.com for about 20% less than the rate I booked, it was still higher than the competing rate, so it does not have to be considered.
Choice's advance purchase rate cannot be offered as it requires a Choice Privileges Membership. Membership rates do no apply to the BRG.
I don't agree with it because the exclusion of membership rates is listed under Competing Rate. It only disallows membership rates as competing rates.
My last BRG was approved under these circumstances:
Booked Rate: $59.00 (Choice Best Available Rate)
Lower rate found: $55 (Refundable w/ free cancellation)
The Choice Hotels website still had a $47 non-refundable rate for this same room type but it WAS NOT offered to me even though it was a lower than my $55.
The BRG I did prior to this one was the same situation where the non-refundable choice rate was lower than my lower rate found. It too was approved.
I have done 3 so far and if I file the claim in the evening, I usually hear from them via email before 11:30am the next day. I think they are based in Phoenix so there is a time delay.
