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Hyatt - Best Rate Guarantee - Experiences - MASTER THREAD - WIKI

Old Jan 16, 2014, 2:16 pm
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Last edit by: coleslaw
Update in Hyatt BRG policy (April 2019): If your BRG claim is approved, you can choose either 5,000 World of Hyatt points or an additional 20% off the matched rate for your stay (defined as consecutive nights at the same location). Rates available on websites that require membership which is free of charge, or where membership is automatically created as part of the booking, are eligible for BRG claims.

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Recent Experiences Using the BRG (2018 and later)

YES
  • Hotels.com - April 2019
  • Booking.com - May 2019

MAYBE
  • Skoosh - April 2019 (initially rejected as "membership site" but approved on appeal)
NO
  • SnapTravel
.................................................. ..........

Update in Hyatt BRG policy (July 2017): if your BRG claim is approved, Hyatt will match the comparable lower rate, but will no longer offer a further 20% discount on the matched lower rate. Instead, after your stay on the BRG approved rate, you will receive a US$50 credit (or equivalent amount in the currency of your country of residence) to use on a future stay (completed within 12 months) booked on a Standard Rate, Advance Purchase Rate or Member Rate on Hyatt.com.

Q. How do I receive the $50 credit?
A. About 3-4 days after your BRG stay, Hyatt will email you a unique rate code to apply for your new reservation. You can either click on the link in the mail to book the reservation or manually enter it into the booking at Hyatt.com.

Q. Can I use the code more than once?
A. No. The code is invalid when it has already been attached to a reservation.

Q. Can I use the code to lower a rate like AAA or Double Points?
A. No. The BRG code books into its own unique rate class and can't be used with any other promotional rates.

Q. What happens if I cancel my reservation with the BRG code applied?
A. The code will can be re-used for another reservation. For this reason, DO NOT DELETE THE EMAIL FROM HYATT UNTIL AFTER YOUR STAY.

Q. What happens if a lower base rate appears available after I book the BRG rate?
A. You can cancel the first reservation (assuming there's no penalty) and then rebook using the code for the lower rate.

.................................................. ..........

If you are dissatisfied with the response to your BRG claim, and it was processed by the Hyatt Service Desk in Omaha (9805 Q Street), you can consider filing a consumer complaint (link to online form) with the Nebraska Attorney General's Office (Consumer Protection Division). Note that the online complaint form requires you to fill in a correspondence address in the US (though you can state a preference to receive correspondence by e-mail rather than by post). As reported in Post # 2691, if the AG's Office decides to investigate, it is possible that Hyatt will review your BRG claim again and, in addition, offer points for the inconvenience.

If your BRG claim was processed by the Hyatt Service Desk in Marion (1120 North Carbon Street Suite 70), you can consider filing a consumer complaint (link to online form) with the Illinois Attorney General's Office.

From Post # 12:
Originally Posted by Smart Shopper
If you cant solve your issue (please mind Hyatt's Consumer Affairs Department assists us at 1-800-323-7249) here are some other resources:

Sound Off
  • Contact Consumer Traveler (my pick: Christopher Elliott)
  • Consumer Tools (My3cents.com is a leading source of consumer advice)
  • Post a complaint for public view
  • Consumer Comment Form (please mind: If you file a complaint it becomes property of Consumer Affairs and they are not obliged to remove it if you solve the issue)

Conde Nast's Traveler's "Ombudsman" column features a traveler's complaint column. Send in your complaint to Ombudsman, Conde Nast Traveler, 4 Times Square, New York, NY 10036.

Legal Options
  • File a complaint at you state's attorney general's office
  • Small Claims Court (link provides also a helping hand on how to resolve problem without going to small claims court)
  • Federal Trade Commission (The FTC does not resolve individual consumer complaints.)
Print Wikipost

Hyatt - Best Rate Guarantee - Experiences - MASTER THREAD - WIKI

Old Oct 25, 2009, 8:40 pm
  #16  
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 567
On every major third party booking site I found a $ 119 room rate (72h cancelation policy), while hyatt.com quotes an APR for $ 118.15 (Hyatt Daily Rate: $ 139). A very friendly Hyatt associate denied my claim because BRG works by comparing prices (it is non an subject, if one rate has to be prepaid and the other can be cancelled). He suggested if I prefer cancellable rates, I should book elsewhere (what I dont because I booked AAA rate).
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Old Oct 28, 2009, 6:55 pm
  #17  
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I am happy to report that at least with respect to my matter -- where the price of a room without any added extras not offered by the hotel, and where the tax was not included in the rate (and was advertised on the competing website as such) -- that Booking.com rates are to be accepted for the BRG from Hyatt.

The Hyatt agents that I had spoken with had been misinterpreting the Hyatt BRG policy with respect to the above situation and I have been advised that this error is in the process of being rectified.

So, you all should feel comfortable submitting Booking.com rate quotes to the Hyatt BRG department if they are circumscribed within the above parameters.

This is yet another example of Hyatt being extremely responsive to its members' needs and this sort of customer service ought to be applauded. ^^

Many thanks also to SS who identified the next step I needed to take this in order to obtain a just resolution short of publcizing this to a wider audience. ^@:-)

Last edited by NJUPINTHEAIR; Oct 28, 2009 at 10:12 pm
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Old Oct 28, 2009, 8:44 pm
  #18  
 
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There are ways for them to get out of the BRG.

I consistently can find cheaper rates on a Japanese website (jtb.jp) for Hyatt hotels in Japan. It satisfies all the stipulations that the T&C of BRG has. But they failed to honor it because the website is in Japanese and none of them can read it.

But it is not in the T&C that the booking website has to be in English.

I gave up!
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Old Oct 29, 2009, 1:35 pm
  #19  
 
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Well done, NJUPINTHEAIR, hopefully on all our behalf! And thank you, Smart Shopper. I think that the BRG, LRG, LFG are a slimy game by many of the travel industry companies.

BTW, FWIW, I recently got some very nice rates on booking.com. For the first time - as I was going to be away from Hyatt- and Hilton-country in Italy and France - I shopped in TripAdvisor. They seem, on the surface, to search like Kayak, and pop up several booking portals with their prices for several hotels in a city. Booking.com consistently came up cheapest for the same hotel(s). Then, when one hotel's portal dropped below the booking.com rate, I contacted booking.com re their BRG. Return email said it had been changed. It was $5 difference, but the point here is that they honored it for that amount.

(I know... sorry for going outside the church, but I had to. )
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Old Oct 29, 2009, 8:01 pm
  #20  
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For rate shopping, I use Tripadvisor.com; Kayak.com and occasionally hotelscombined.com
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Old Jan 6, 2010, 6:21 pm
  #21  
 
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Originally Posted by NJUPINTHEAIR
So, you all should feel comfortable submitting Booking.com rate quotes to the Hyatt BRG department if they are circumscribed within the above parameters.
I requested a BRG and quoted a (cheaper) rate I found on booking.com. At the beginning of our conversation Hyatts very friendly & talkative associate questioned booking.com as comparable site when it comes to BRG. She said that as I am not able to book immediately, she has to refuse may claim and quoted this sentence of booking.com's T&C:

From the point at which you make your reservation, we act solely as an intermediary between you and the hotel, transmitting the details of your reservation to the relevant hotel and sending you a confirmation email for and on behalf of the hotel.
As I was not able to made my point I let it go and will contact Hyatts excellent Consumer Affair Department.

Any timely additional advice is more than appreciated!
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Old Jan 6, 2010, 6:34 pm
  #22  
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Originally Posted by Smart Shopper
I requested a BRG and quoted a (cheaper) rate I found on booking.com. At the beginning of our conversation Hyatts very friendly & talkative associate questioned booking.com as comparable site when it comes to BRG. She said that as I am not able to book immediately, she has to refuse may claim and quoted this sentence of booking.com's T&C:



As I was not able to made my point I let it go and will contact Hyatts excellent Consumer Affair Department.

Any timely additional advice is more than appreciated!
OK -- I will do what I can to help you.

As I noted above, I confirmed with the liasion in Hyatt's Consumer Affairs Dep't that Booking.com is indeed a valid site for them to do a BRG comparison.

What's more, I was told that the Hyatt BRG department has to follow your steps as to how you obtained that rate -- this was signficant for as I recall, in the past, I found another website's rate that I arrived at via Kayak.com, provided a breakdown of taxes and the room rate as separate items, but if you went directly to the wholesaler's website, it only provided an aggregate rate -- and my claim was rejected. Sorry for digressing, but I thought this perahps important.

Now, I am somewhat unclear about the facts you relate.

What do you mean by the rate was not bookable? Were you unable to book it or was the BRG department not able to book it? If it is not available and can't be booked by you, then they are not obligated to find that rate for you.

But somehow, I think, there is a miscommunication as to what you are trying to convey, as I doubt you are asking for help on a rate that is not bookable, so can you please go over the facts and please watch the possessive pronouns, as I want to be clear as to who was unable to do what.

Thanks and looking forward to you response.
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Old Jan 6, 2010, 7:17 pm
  #23  
 
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Sorry for being vague, and thanks very much for your input: Here is my second approach:

  • The APR rate I found on booking.com was (considerably) cheaper than the APR rate at hyatt.com.
  • The first question Hyatts associate asked me: Does the competing rate I found at booking.com includes taxes? I denied.
  • On the contrary to your information, she questioned if booking.com is an eligible site when it comes to BRG claim. She looked up booking.coms T&C and presented to me this sentence:
    From the point at which you make your reservation, we act solely as an intermediary between you and the hotel, transmitting the details of your reservation to the relevant hotel and sending you a confirmation email for and on behalf of the hotel.
  • She said, that as booking.com dont let me immediately book online, she has to refuse to accept my claim.
  • I replied that I dont understand why I should not be able to book immediately at booking.com as I enter into a direct (legally binding) contractual relationship with Hyatt.
  • She responded that has nothing to do as booking.com acts solely as an intermediary between me and Hyatt.
  • I asked about the difference between other third party sites & booking.com
  • Her replay: Believe me, I am doing this for nine years.
  • At this point I whished her a nice evening.

Unfortunately we did not reach the point if booking.com will pull the rate (which sometimes is the matter eg at travelocity) when hyatt do book, as my request did not qualified: According to Hyatts associate my competing rate did not qualified because booking.com dont let me immediately book online.
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Old Jan 6, 2010, 9:51 pm
  #24  
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Originally Posted by Smart Shopper
Sorry for being vague, and thanks very much for your input: Here is my second approach:

  • The APR rate I found on booking.com was (considerably) cheaper than the APR rate at hyatt.com.
  • The first question Hyatt’s associate asked me: Does the competing rate I found at booking.com includes taxes? I denied.
  • On the contrary to your information, she questioned if booking.com is an eligible site when it comes to BRG claim. She looked up booking.com’s T&C and presented to me this sentence:
  • She said, that as booking.com don’t let me immediately book online, she has to refuse to accept my claim.
  • I replied that I don’t understand why I should not be able to book immediately at booking.com as I enter into a direct (legally binding) contractual relationship with Hyatt.
  • She responded that has nothing to do as booking.com acts solely as an intermediary between me and Hyatt.
  • I asked about the difference between other third party sites & booking.com
  • Her replay: Believe me, I am doing this for nine years.
  • At this point I whished her a nice evening.

Unfortunately we did not reach the point if booking.com will pull the rate (which sometimes is the matter eg at travelocity) when hyatt do book, as my request did not qualified: According to Hyatt’s associate my competing rate did not qualified because booking.com don’t let me immediately book online.
OK -- this is my response for you and anyone else who has trouble with a BRG for this or any other website.

Take the name of the agent down and escalate it to a supervisor if necessary, and get that person's name, as well.

As to your inquiry, the BRG agent is plain flat wrong -- what Booking.com does -- and by the way, i think uppthread it is identified as a corporate affiliate and owned by Priceline, hardly a fly by night compay -- is pre-negotiate with various hotels for a discount.

If the rate appears on Booking.com, it is available to be booked and confirmed by booking.com electronically -- no wiait, etc. It is instantaneous and is no different that if you booked via expedia, travelocity, etc.

In sum, she is wrong -- Booking.com does let you book immediately online.

I would call up BRG again, reference this very thread - they have the ability to see this since they have access to the outsiide world by checking other websites.

If they don't relent, get their names and escalate this to Corporate Customer Service.

Also, PM Karen about this -- this was supposed to have been taken care of when I had the issue with the agent and her supervisor and I was assured that a directive had been issued to the staff.

In addition, ask for points for compensation for your wasted time -- you deserve it!!!

Let us know how it ends.

Good luck!

NJ
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Old Jan 6, 2010, 10:07 pm
  #25  
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
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Thanks very much for your kind replay, I will report back about the outcome!
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Old Jan 7, 2010, 12:02 am
  #26  
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Thanks guys for bird-dogging this very important matter.

Curious what you think of this situation:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/hyatt...-recently.html

Could I have pursued the BRG successfully with CS?
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Old Jan 7, 2010, 5:07 am
  #27  
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Originally Posted by jayer
One rule of thumb is if you are immediately paying a third party, which sounds like what is happening in the examples, its probably not eligible. If they are instead just making you a reservation and you pay upon arrival, it probably is.


Not fullyagree with your statement. The key behind BRGs is to compare the very same things with each other (e.g. "Deluxe room prepaid" against "Deluxe room prepaid" or "Junior Suite incl. breakfast cancellable" versus "Junior Suite incl. breakfast cancellable").

Please bear in mind that if you have a "better room" at the third party website (e.g. "Deluxe room with 14 days free parking") against a "worse room" on the hotels website (e.g. "Deluxe room") it is not a valid BRG.

Also, bear in mind that the cancellation policies have to be the very same.

Finally, it is to say that some BRG programs are well run (e.g. SPG) versus some very badly run programs (e.g. Hilton or Marriott for non-US hotels).

If you really compare same with same, escalate your case up to the top management and also don't forget to involve the BBB. Good luck with your BRG claims ^
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Old Jan 7, 2010, 5:23 am
  #28  
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I've given up trying to use the BRG with SPG as well, despite meeting their requirements. Interestingly a bonus offer on another site giving free breakfast as part of the deal with a lower rate, cannot be claimed against a rate on spg.com.
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Old Jan 7, 2010, 5:32 am
  #29  
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Originally Posted by Explore
Thanks guys for bird-dogging this very important matter.

Curious what you think of this situation:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/hyatt...-recently.html

Could I have pursued the BRG successfully with CS?
I think technically they are correct but I have not read their BRG terms lately. Some explicitly reject vouchers, however, I believe that SPG permits GTA price matches if that is any consolation.....


The voucher exclusion is directed explicitly against some Asian sites like Asiarooms.com? I believe, but also with GTA in mind, as well.

But see: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/13131148-post12.html

Last edited by NJUPINTHEAIR; Jan 7, 2010 at 7:27 am
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Old Jan 7, 2010, 6:17 am
  #30  
 
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Hey all

Just to lighten it up, i've made two BRG's this week.

First one was with gtahotels.com for a price that was around 2/3 of the hyatt price.

Second one was with expedia for a price that was 90 cents of the hyatt price.

Both were approved (40 minute wait though =\ ), I haven't checked in but it seems okay!
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