Smart Shopper

Please mind that said site is voucher driven and Hilton's BRG program does not apply to pre-paid rates which may include a voucher.

walduk70

Filed BRG , after 2 day I got e-mail:

''I can confirm the reservation, however I am unable to pull up a websited through the stated www.otel.com website. As such, I can not validate the claim.''

Then when I send them direct link got following message:


''Thank you for your information. Reviewing otel.com and their reservation, method, their system requires that a voucher be sent to the guest and then presented upon check in. Hilton reservation does not. As such, because their reservation methods differ, we are not able to validate the claim. ''

This is not true otel.com issuing confirmation e-mai with reservation number whisch is required at check-in , they not sending any vouchers!!!

Any idea please guys what should I do now?

nsr

Yes, save yourself time and book at other chain.

Smart Shopper

• read Hilton's BRG T&C before you file a claim: pre-paid rates which may include a voucher (including electronic vouchers) are not part of their BRG program.
• read T&C of your accomodation provider before you book and especialy before you file a Hilton BRG claim: Once you have accepted the cancellation policy for your booking as well as our terms and conditions, your credit card will be charged for the total cost.
• read FAQ of your accomodation provider: You will be charged in full at the time you make the booking. Your pre paid accommodation voucher will be sent straightaway.
• re-read the above (and posts) before you sound of incorrect information.
• decide if the advantages of Hilton HH outperforms cheaper rates you find elsewhere.

Hope that helps!

amanuensis

During the past year, I have moved nearly all of my business to Marriott after years of loyalty to Hilton (including the Hilton AMEX cc). The only stay I presently have upcoming at a Hilton is for a conference where the Hilton is the conference hotel and there is not a Marriott property nearby.

lfc84

Following my letter to the UK head office my comments were passed on to a Guest Assistance Specialist based in the US.

The rep has agreed to mail me the 50USD credit.

Result.

DaddyRabbit

Policy is below:

Our Best Rates. Guaranteed. - Terms and Conditions
Hilton guarantees that if you make a reservation on a Hilton Family website, through Hilton Reservations Worldwide or directly at a Hilton Family hotel and then find a lower rate on some other booking channel, we'll match it, plus give you a $50 American Express® Gift Cheque, subject to the following terms and conditions:
You must have a confirmed reservation made on any of the Hilton Family websites (hilton.com, conradhotels.com, doubletree.com, embassysuites.com, hamptoninn.com, hiltongardeninn.com, homewoodsuites.com, hiltonhhonors.com, hiltonfamily.com, hiltonworldwide.com and hgvc.com), through Hilton Reservations Worldwide or directly at a hotel, for a stay at a Hilton Family hotel located within the United States.


If you find a lower publicly available rate on a non-Hilton Family booking channel (except for "opaque" websites) for the same accommodations at the same hotel, same dates of stay, same length of stay, same number of guests and same room type and available for purchase, within twenty-four (24) hours of booking your reservation, then fill out and submit a completed claim form. within twenty-four (24) hours of booking the reservation.


You must submit the claim form to Hilton's guest assistance department in the manner prescribed in the form or you may call 1-800-HILTONS to process the claim.


Claim form or phone request must be received within 24 hours of the time the original reservation was confirmed and at least 72 hours prior to arrival at the hotel.


Once we verify the availability and eligibility of the lower rate, we'll match it, plus give you a $50 American Express Gift Cheque. Gift Cheque will be sent to you the next business day after your stay, as reserved, is completed.

http://hiltonworldwide.hilton.com/en...terms.jhtml#us


Hilton Worldwide is pleased to announce that beginning September 1, 2010, all Gold and Diamond HHonors members will receive complimentary high-speed internet access during their stay at all 3,600 hotels within the Hilton Worldwide portfolio of brands.

OilersFL

I know the success rate isn't good at all but I'm thinking of taking a gamble. The website states that Hotel packages are excluded. Expedia's throwing in a breakfast w/ a non refundable rate. I have the following questions --
a) Hilton.com shows an "AP BED AND BREAKFAST" rate w/ the same cancel conditions. Can I book this and file the claim?
b) Does the Hilton reservation booked need to be the lowest? Hilton.com also has a rate which doesn't include breakfast and is cheaper. Will my claim be denied based on the fact that I didn't select the cheapest option Hilton was offering? (Which is still higher than expedia's which includes Breakfast)

Thanks,
OilersFL

MichaelColey

I don't think anyone here can confidently tell you why they'll deny it, but you can be fairly confident that they will deny it.

When I submitted my BRG, the first time they denied it, the reason was that they couldn't access the rate online. I told them that the rate was still there and sent them the link again. They clarified that they couldn't access it because they didn't have access to the Internet. Huh? Really? So I emailed a screenshot. They couldn't receive attachments.

Expect a total runaround and be willing to be persistent until they concede.

I don't think I would ever try a BRG with a non-refundable rate.

FlyIn2FlyOut

Do not take that chance - Hilton will ABSOLUTELY deny your claim. (read my earlier posts). I found an Expedia rate that was cheaper AND included breakfast. Hilton denied my claim because their more expensive rate did not include breakfast, therefore the 2 rates are not comparable. Idiotic yes - they're basically saying Hilton's offers are too inferior to be comparable to Expedia. They would not even just match the cheaper rate (which was substantially cheaper), never mind the free breakfast, never mind the $50 certificate.

Take your business elsewhere - don't waste your time with that chain: they don't honor their customers' understanding of their policies, are dead last in the BBB ratings, and their business feeds Paris' decadence. HHonors may be an OK program, but I would not trust Hilton to properly hhonor that either when you try to use it.

lfc84

The good news - I've received a cheque - sent directly from USA.

The bad news - its 50 USD and I'm in the UK.

Their website actually states you get the 50 USD or local currency equivalent.

I'm shocked at the difficulties put in the way of anyone who is unlucky enough to become involved in this process !

I am going to write another letter to them in Watford.

In the meantime I will make some enquiries with the bank as to what I can do with the cheque.

I might frame it.....

dracs

How soon after completing your stay you got the cheque?

I have stay coming up this weekend.

flo0816

At Deutsche Bank Germany it is 15€ to cash a USD check if you have an account there. Just had the same problem last week. It's expensive but no problem.

harryhv

Best Rate Guarantee - you're guaranteed to get a better rate if you buy the lower rate you find elsewhere.

Whereas if you pay Hilton's higher rate and then try to recover the difference from those weasels, you're guaranteed to be ripped off.

Even though you've booked and paid online and got a confirmation number in exactly the same way as you would with Hilton, they will call the confirmation number a "voucher" and deny the claim.

edit
Anyway the full text of the exclusion requires it to be not only a voucher but also: "Discount or negotiated rates not available to the general public"

Discount or negotiated rates not available to the general public including but not limited to the following rates: membership (e.g., Saga), corporate, government, promotional, unpublished, Senior HHonors®, employee, offline wholesale/FIT, pre-paid rates which may include a voucher (including electronic vouchers), group or other specially negotiated rates.

Zurich Flyer

"Voucher"?...! Every prepaid rate includes a "voucher" in the Hilton language and thus, all prepaid rates are excluded from the BRG