msk6261

I feel your frustration and your pain. To respond and update my own post, I sent 2 letters and 2 emails of complaint. The later generated an auto response saying I would be responded to in 24-48 hours. It's been 1 week + 1 day and I have not yet heard a single word.




PS. Does Hilton have a "lurker" on FT like *wood?

cfischer

yep, but there is little that can be done since this issue is well known and Hilton clearly doesn't care the slighest bit about it. Try to send a PM, but in my experience Hilton corporate doesn't really care.

Zurich Flyer

I don't understand why nobody from the USA starts a class action against Hilton. It's really time for that

melehundele

Wish I had read this before.

Shopping for hotel rooms before a cruise in Fort Lauderdale. Hilton has non-smoking king at the FL Airport Hilton for 159.00 BAR. Kayak shows a listing on getaroom for $76.17 for a Standard 1 bed room, prepayment required but cancellable on the same terms.

Try #1 by email: Response: cannot find rate on getaroom, price is $118 and that is non-refundable. Apparently, this hotel is listed two ways on getaroom, one way with the lower rate. Leading to a cancelled reservation and then a new one and ...

Try #2 by email, citing link to the correct listing page: Response: Cannot find this hotel listed on getaroom (not even once?). Leading to a cancelled reservation and then a new one and ...

Try #3 by phone: Response: Phone rep has nop knowledge of BRG. Hold while supervisor is consulted. BRG is only for rates you find on Hilton sites. My objection and citation of policy from Hilton site, then second supervisor consultation, then same response. No, I may not speak with supervisor because supervisor said the only thing I could do is speak with Guest Assistance. Guest Assistance said I have to file claim online. I explained the policy as listed on the Hilton web site. GA proceeds to "help." Three periods on hold follow, presumably while every Hilton empoyee in the office can be consulted on ways to shoot me down. Finally, no go because the competing room is a standard one-bed room (in a hotel with nothing less than a king room and a non-smoking policy) while Hilton gives a non-smoking king, and because the rate is cancellable but a credit card is charged at the time of booking and Hilton does not charge at booking.

I can't think of many competing sites that do not charge at the time of booking (except some reservations on booking. com). I give up on this Hilton BRG business.

I found a BRG claim for an alternative Marriott property and promptly got the match - 25%. YEA Marriott and BOO Hilton.

travelismylife

After my latest denial, here was my response:

Does anyone there have half a brain? Is the whole point of the brg only to piss off the customers? Or all of you such moronic shmucks that can't see 1 + 1=2?
I've been to this hotel several times and I can promise you that the "standard room 1 bed" is booked into a "king room". By your reasoning if the hotel called the room "....you......." and the website called it "....u......." or if the hotel called it "you'rea....ing......." and the website called it "youarea....ing......." (no contraction) or if the hotel called it "youarea....ing........" and the website called it "youarea....ing......." (no period), that since the room types aren't exactly the same that it doesn't qualify for brg. How much crack are you people snorting to come up with such ridiculous shi*? Every single brg claim I or anyone I know has ever submitted has been denied by one bullshi* reason or another- each one more idiotic and bullshi*tier than the next.
"We realize that every guest has a choice when traveling and we thank you for making Hilton family of hotels your choice. We look forward to the opportunity to serve your future travel needs."
Are you kidding? Why at all would I make Hilton my hotel of choice? I'd much rather go to IHG (platinum there) or Marriott (platinum there) or Hyatt (diamond there) or SPG (platinum there) where they have never ever come up with such retarded shi* to deny a brg. I have a great idea for all you idiots- I know don't get overwhelmed by hearing the word "idea"- just shi*can the whole brg farce b/c it's all bullshi* anyway and you won't piss off your customers. For whatever reason you can't get your act together like all the other major hotel chains and just shi*can the whole thing.
Now I'm gonna go cancel my reservations and stay at Marriott. Nice work morons.

ScreenGuy

I recently booked the best available rate online and then submitted the hotels.com rate for BRG (even though the hotels.com was a prepaid rate). The rate was matched with no problem. I see from this thread that it is a YMMV with most people not having success, but I was surprised how easy the match plus $50 was!

Zurich Flyer

Aha, you seem the only one to be so successful. Do you work with Hilton?

melehundele

Is the trick to try more than three times?

c00

Hampton Inn Lake Buena Vista. easyclicktravel.co.uk rate (refundable if cancelled 72 hours prior) was cheaper than Hilton's non-refundable advance payment rate. I first booked the (of course also more expensive) refundable rate and filed a BRG claim. Declined because the Hilton rate could be cancelled 24 hours prior). So then I booked the non-refundable rate. Got cancelled because, and I quote:

"the lower rate offered carries a 3 day Cancelation prior to check in policy vs. what is confirmed on your actual reservation by Hampton Inn site, which is a Non-Refundable and Non-Changeable Cancel Policy"

W.T.F.

OTOH, at another Florida hotel I succeeded, although easyclicktravel immediately took the money from the credit card whereas Hilton would ont.

alwayssummer

I'm on the phone with Hilton right now and the rep seems to have never heard of this policy. They keep telling me to call the hotel. Sigh...

OK, made it to the right people. Now they tell me I must fill out form online, not call them. Just filled it out.

alwayssummer

Let's just forget for a second that the AAA rate was lower than the publicly available rate. I think they would make their customers much happier if they would at least adjust the rate on the claims they deny (which seems to be nearly all of them).

Sooooo... I canceled my AAA room and rebooked it under the publicly available rate and sent in a new claim. We'll see what they say now.

alwayssummer

Received my rejection email:

Getaroom booking page says: "There is NO change or cancellation fee."

I received the email at 5:10 PM. Called at 5:16 and they told me that the representative handling this case was gone for the day and that absolutely nobody else could look at this case other than him. I'm starting to feel like this is a run around.

Other folks have had luck calling?

stallion114

I really wish Hilton would drop this program all together, and just match the competition.
It is such a waste to even attempt these matches and it might be due to Hilton not wAnting to shell out the $50 gc.
I have logged 8 nights at Hilton this year and 52 to Marriott. The lnf at Marriott is one of the programs best features .

kwalder

Same response from Hilton as many others have received. Rejected my claim because the getaroom.com rate had a 48 hour cancellation policy and Hilton's is 6pm that day. Really nit picking in my view.

Any suggestions?

Any experience with how getaroom.com prices hotels just 1 day out. Could I check their rate 1 day out, then if it is cheaper cancel the Hilton, rebook with Hilton, then ask for the Best Rate Guarantee?

Pretty fed up with lot of Hilton problems these days.

ozdunkeroo

I actually had no issue with getting the rate reduced on a claim, just waiting to see if I get my $50 sent out.

Reminder that 3rd party websites charge hilton at least a 10% commission, whereas booking direct means they dont have to payout.