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New IHG Best Rate Guarantee - Discussion & Feedback from January 2016

Old Apr 17, 2017, 8:50 am
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Last edit by: FLYGVA
Most important points to consider for a valid BRG:

1. The comparison website MUST bill in the same currency as the hotel .

2. The cancellation terms must be equal or better, than the terms by the hotels.

3. The Website needs to provide INSTANT confirmation.

4. The room names should match, but if you can demonstrate, that the room is comparable, it will also work with discrepancies in the name.

5. The price difference has to be more than either USD 1 or 1% (whichever is higher).
5.b In regards to hotels located in australia and New Zealand the price difference must be greater than 3% .

Hotels for which you will get reimbursed:
(Note: There have been significant problems with getting full reimbursements from IHG, especially for reimbursements in other currencies than USD)

IC Istanbul ( BRG claim from the 17.05.2013/ "Technical Difficulties")

IC Frankfurt ( BRG claim from the 20.08.2013/ "Technical Difficulties")

Link to the Terms and Conditions : https://www.ihg.com/hotels/us/en/cus...rms-conditions


Older Thread (Prior to December 31, 2016) could be found here. The Wiki was taken from this thread.
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New IHG Best Rate Guarantee - Discussion & Feedback from January 2016

Old Aug 14, 2017, 11:06 am
  #781  
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 1,081
IHG Helpdesk are a joke. Not that it's new.

Filed a claim against Superior room on IHG.com (bed type TBD on arrival) against a comparison rate for Superior room, 1 or 2 beds. Got a decline saying the room types are nto comparable, because the Superior room on competing website is not equivalent to what I had booked on IHG, it's instead equivalent to lowest category superior room. I tried to argue them (the room descriptions are equivalent). So I then booked the Superior King - that's the lowest available rate on IHG - and filed another claim where compared it against the same third party rate. Was declined because they told me the room types don't match (of course, they don't, because the competing rate doesn't specify a bed type), so then I responded to that second claim with their own email attached , where they had claimed the 3rd party rate in fact does match with the lowest superior room category. After all this back and forth, they are telling me the room found on the other website matches the Superior (not Superior King) but they will "Still" honor the first night for me as a courtesy (for the superior king booking). How magnanimous. LOL. Such a mess. They make up rules as they go along... The entire process took 3 or 4 days I think.
DealAddict is offline  
Old Aug 16, 2017, 1:57 am
  #782  
336
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 1,443
After 24h they reply with "still researching".

Followed by nothing for the next few days, even past the hotel cancellation deadline (24h before check-in).

They changed it to a bait-and-switch program?
336 is offline  
Old Aug 18, 2017, 7:16 am
  #783  
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 1,081
Originally Posted by 336
After 24h they reply with "still researching".

Followed by nothing for the next few days, even past the hotel cancellation deadline (24h before check-in).

They changed it to a bait-and-switch program?
They are truly ridiculous. I agree that it's a bait and switch program these days.
DealAddict is offline  
Old Aug 24, 2017, 11:04 am
  #784  
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Programs: Enough
Posts: 961
Submitted BPG claim on August 16. August 17 received a "still researching message". Emailed them a couple days later, reiterated still researching. August 24 now and still haven't received a decision.
durberville is offline  
Old Aug 25, 2017, 2:53 am
  #785  
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Belgium
Programs: Gold Star Alliance,IHG Spire Ambassador, Starwood, Hilton Honor Diamond, Silver Accor, Diamond Hyatt
Posts: 68
Originally Posted by durberville
Submitted BPG claim on August 16. August 17 received a "still researching message". Emailed them a couple days later, reiterated still researching. August 24 now and still haven't received a decision.
You should receive an answer before the hotel check in time.

Good luck
Lotfi070 is offline  
Old Aug 25, 2017, 3:03 am
  #786  
336
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 1,443
They are struggling with precisely that lately...
336 is offline  
Old Aug 26, 2017, 1:11 pm
  #787  
 
Join Date: Jul 2012
Programs: Delta Gold, Alaska Gold 75K, LATAM Black
Posts: 3,393
I've sent in a few recently and they have taken 24 hours or more each time to get back to me. Pretty much guarantees the rate won't be available when they respond .. great.
Mauibaby2008 is offline  
Old Sep 7, 2017, 12:05 pm
  #788  
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Arrecife
Programs: BA Silver, TK Silver, HH Diamond, IHG Plat AMB
Posts: 2,441
I managed to get a free night at the HIX Antwerp North on a best flex vs non ref. third party rate two days before check in.

Still no chance of getting a BRG in the UK presently now they've killed off the consolidator rates.
Boddingtons is offline  
Old Sep 10, 2017, 8:57 pm
  #789  
 
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 1,707
Originally Posted by Boddingtons
I managed to get a free night at the HIX Antwerp North on a best flex vs non ref. third party rate two days before check in.....
If anyone can, Boddingtons can ... great to see you retain the magic touch
puchong is offline  
Old Sep 11, 2017, 9:30 pm
  #790  
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: DCA/BWI & MSY
Programs: DL PM; Co Gold; PC Plat; Hhonors Silver
Posts: 162
I actually received a positive response:

Please accept our apologies as we were unable to adjust your reservation to reflect your free night on August __, 2017 (one night) at the Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Orlando SW - Celebration Area. In order to fulfill the Best Price Guarantee promise of providing a free night stay for confirmation number ___________, we will reimburse the amount paid through a US Dollar (USD) denominated check via mail. In line with our Terms and Conditions of the program, the check shall be sent out the address listed on your reservation.



Then today I receive:

We understand that we have initially advised you that we will reimburse the amount you have paid during your stay at Holiday Inn Hotel and Suites Orlando SW - Celebration Area last August __, 2017 through a US Dollar (USD) denominated check via mail. However, upon attempting to process the payment, we reviewed that the hotel made the necessary adjustment. Thus, please be advised that the reimbursement is no longer forthcoming from our office.



The only problem is that the hotel charged the prepayment for my room to my credit card in July and has never refunded it. And now, IHG is not responding to my emails.
domcharles is offline  
Old Sep 12, 2017, 7:23 pm
  #791  
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: TLV
Programs: UA 1K, Marriott Platinum Elite
Posts: 147
shall we update the wiki page?

In my experience, this thing never works - IHG always find some sort of excuse not to reimburse. I think the first page needs to be updated to reflect that - basically, it is now better just to forget about this program (and perhaps IHG altogether).
gruimed is offline  
Old Sep 21, 2017, 12:20 pm
  #792  
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Charlotte
Programs: US CP
Posts: 224
Is it true they will now deny a claim if there is a lower rate on the IHG site even if it is a different cancellation policy? I found a refundable rate that is $20 less than on the IHG site but they denied it because the advance purchase rate on IHG is lower than my refundable rate.
Heels05 is offline  
Old Sep 21, 2017, 10:15 pm
  #793  
 
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: SAN
Posts: 1,302
Originally Posted by Heels05
Is it true they will now deny a claim if there is a lower rate on the IHG site even if it is a different cancellation policy? I found a refundable rate that is $20 less than on the IHG site but they denied it because the advance purchase rate on IHG is lower than my refundable rate.
The guarantee is straight up fraud!

I had step by step screenshots (after the denied my initial online claim) showing all the rates. It was 100% crystal clear I found a cheaper price from not just one website, but three!

I love IHG, but the guarantee is joke...and criminal false advertising in my opinion. I think they should drop the claim as it does them more harm than good, marketing/advertising wise.
Traveler Dave is offline  
Old Sep 22, 2017, 9:24 am
  #794  
 
Join Date: Jul 2012
Programs: Delta Gold, Alaska Gold 75K, LATAM Black
Posts: 3,393
Originally Posted by delder
The guarantee is straight up fraud!

I had step by step screenshots (after the denied my initial online claim) showing all the rates. It was 100% crystal clear I found a cheaper price from not just one website, but three!

I love IHG, but the guarantee is joke...and criminal false advertising in my opinion. I think they should drop the claim as it does them more harm than good, marketing/advertising wise.
It is not just always about the cheaper price, room type, cancellation policy, etc all must match. Also they never have accepted screen shots as proof. It is definitely difficult, but it does work.
Mauibaby2008 is offline  
Old Sep 22, 2017, 10:23 am
  #795  
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: U.K.
Programs: QR P; HH D; IHG SpAmb
Posts: 770
Originally Posted by Heels05
Is it true they will now deny a claim if there is a lower rate on the IHG site even if it is a different cancellation policy? I found a refundable rate that is $20 less than on the IHG site but they denied it because the advance purchase rate on IHG is lower than my refundable rate.
Yes, it's been like this for a while now.
a9504477 is offline  

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