Jan 1, 2015, 7:35 am
Last edit by: TravelinSperry
Signed-in FT members with 90 days / 90 posts can edit this Wikipost.
What is the Best Rate Guarantee (BRG ?)
If a lower rate at a Starwood Hotel is made available on a non-Starwood website or non-Starwood mobile application, upon its receipt of a claim that satisfies these Best Rate Guarantee terms and conditions, Starwood will honor that Competing Rate and provide the individual that submitted the valid claim one of the following rewards: (1) an additional 20% discount off the Competing Rate per room per night (up to a maximum of three rooms); or (2) 2,000 Starwood Preferred Guest® Starpoints® per room per stay (up to a maximum of three rooms).
BRG Wiki on Flyertalk
• You cannot BRG against a rate on a Starwood Website/App (hot escapes, promos, Gov. Rate etc.). It has to be a 3rd party website/App.
• Cancellation policy has no bearing on a BRG claim with one exception if the rate difference is within 1%.
"Starwood may deny claims where the difference between the Competing Rate and the rate on the Starwood Website is less than one percent; provided that Starwood will not use the fact that the difference between the Competing Rate and the rate on the Starwood Website is less than one percent to deny such claims if the cancellation policy for the Competing Rate is more favorable to the guest than the cancellation policy for the rate on the Starwood Website."
• A valid Starwood website reservation is required to submit a BRG (only exception is when there is no availability on the Starwood website)
• Only one claim may be submitted per reservation number (If your first claim is denied, you may submit a new claim for that reservation if you find another lower rate after you receive the denial email)
• Make sure to book a flexible rate on SPG.com. This will allow you to then cancel this booking if you find a lower Starwood rate later (like the hot escapes etc.) or if your travel plans change.
• You can BRG with a flexible rate against a prepaid rate. In other words, if expedia is offering a room for $100 prepaid, and spg.com shows a prepaid room for $150 or a flexible room for $200, you can book the FLEXIBLE spg.com rate and BRG it against the PREPAID $100 expedia rate. And you will receive the flexible cancel terms if the BRG is approved.
• If your comparable rate includes extras like breakfast or parking, make sure there is a room available on spg.com that includes the exact amenities. If there is the same room type with the same amenities on SPG.com, they will compare and if lower on third party, the claim may be approved for the room type and with the amenities. If there is the same room type available but no/different amenities offered, the claim may still be approved, but the rate will be room only.
• Room types must be the same for a BRG.
• If you have an approved and finalized claim and you find an even cheaper rate later, then you may submit a new BRG claim that is not connected to any existing reservation. If this BRG claim is approved, you will need to make a new flexible reservation on SPG.com. Once the process is completed, you will then email the BRG desk to cancel your first reservation, if it is within the cancellation deadline.
• If you find availability for the room type you want on a third party website/app but there is no availability for that room type or no availability for any room type on the Starwood Website, then this may be an approved claim if it meets all other terms and conditions. You will need to make sure that you specify the room type you actually want on the Starwood Website section and enter 0 in the rate and currency. This will ensure that the processing associates know that the room type you want is not available on the Starwood Website. You may also add additional comments near the end of the claim form indicating that there is no availability on the Starwood Website to help clarify.
Differing currencies
• "The Best Rate Guarantee department will approve a claim if there is a difference of 2.5% or greater where the currencies are different or a difference of 1% or greater if the currencies are the same."
Link to T&C
https://www.starwoodhotels.com/bestrate/terms.html
Practicalities During/After Stay
• Reconfirm your rate at check-in; normally the hotel will have the correct BRG rate in your reservation, but sometimes you will need to remind them.
• If you choose points, they will be credited after the stay; check in one week to see if they have posted. If not contact the BRG office to arrange to have them posted.
How to add a SNA to a BRG reservation
• Log into your SPG account
• Click on your stays to view our your current reservation
• Look for your BRG reservation and click on "send confirmation" link for the BRG reservation
• reload the page and you should be able to now select "apply SNA to this stay" link
What is the Best Rate Guarantee (BRG ?)
If a lower rate at a Starwood Hotel is made available on a non-Starwood website or non-Starwood mobile application, upon its receipt of a claim that satisfies these Best Rate Guarantee terms and conditions, Starwood will honor that Competing Rate and provide the individual that submitted the valid claim one of the following rewards: (1) an additional 20% discount off the Competing Rate per room per night (up to a maximum of three rooms); or (2) 2,000 Starwood Preferred Guest® Starpoints® per room per stay (up to a maximum of three rooms).
BRG Wiki on Flyertalk
• You cannot BRG against a rate on a Starwood Website/App (hot escapes, promos, Gov. Rate etc.). It has to be a 3rd party website/App.
• Cancellation policy has no bearing on a BRG claim with one exception if the rate difference is within 1%.
"Starwood may deny claims where the difference between the Competing Rate and the rate on the Starwood Website is less than one percent; provided that Starwood will not use the fact that the difference between the Competing Rate and the rate on the Starwood Website is less than one percent to deny such claims if the cancellation policy for the Competing Rate is more favorable to the guest than the cancellation policy for the rate on the Starwood Website."
• A valid Starwood website reservation is required to submit a BRG (only exception is when there is no availability on the Starwood website)
• Only one claim may be submitted per reservation number (If your first claim is denied, you may submit a new claim for that reservation if you find another lower rate after you receive the denial email)
• Make sure to book a flexible rate on SPG.com. This will allow you to then cancel this booking if you find a lower Starwood rate later (like the hot escapes etc.) or if your travel plans change.
• You can BRG with a flexible rate against a prepaid rate. In other words, if expedia is offering a room for $100 prepaid, and spg.com shows a prepaid room for $150 or a flexible room for $200, you can book the FLEXIBLE spg.com rate and BRG it against the PREPAID $100 expedia rate. And you will receive the flexible cancel terms if the BRG is approved.
• If your comparable rate includes extras like breakfast or parking, make sure there is a room available on spg.com that includes the exact amenities. If there is the same room type with the same amenities on SPG.com, they will compare and if lower on third party, the claim may be approved for the room type and with the amenities. If there is the same room type available but no/different amenities offered, the claim may still be approved, but the rate will be room only.
• Room types must be the same for a BRG.
• If you have an approved and finalized claim and you find an even cheaper rate later, then you may submit a new BRG claim that is not connected to any existing reservation. If this BRG claim is approved, you will need to make a new flexible reservation on SPG.com. Once the process is completed, you will then email the BRG desk to cancel your first reservation, if it is within the cancellation deadline.
• If you find availability for the room type you want on a third party website/app but there is no availability for that room type or no availability for any room type on the Starwood Website, then this may be an approved claim if it meets all other terms and conditions. You will need to make sure that you specify the room type you actually want on the Starwood Website section and enter 0 in the rate and currency. This will ensure that the processing associates know that the room type you want is not available on the Starwood Website. You may also add additional comments near the end of the claim form indicating that there is no availability on the Starwood Website to help clarify.
Differing currencies
• "The Best Rate Guarantee department will approve a claim if there is a difference of 2.5% or greater where the currencies are different or a difference of 1% or greater if the currencies are the same."
Link to T&C
https://www.starwoodhotels.com/bestrate/terms.html
Practicalities During/After Stay
• Reconfirm your rate at check-in; normally the hotel will have the correct BRG rate in your reservation, but sometimes you will need to remind them.
• If you choose points, they will be credited after the stay; check in one week to see if they have posted. If not contact the BRG office to arrange to have them posted.
How to add a SNA to a BRG reservation
• Log into your SPG account
• Click on your stays to view our your current reservation
• Look for your BRG reservation and click on "send confirmation" link for the BRG reservation
• reload the page and you should be able to now select "apply SNA to this stay" link
Best Rate Guarantee (BRG) 2015 : *now 20% off*; Success, failure & discussion thread
Jan 28, 2015, 4:50 pm
#196
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: KSA
Programs: Marriott AMB, Skywards Gold
Posts: 3,732
Dear Valued Guest
Thank you for your email to the Best Rate Guarantee team. We appreciate you taking the time to email us.
This is an automated reply to let you know we have received your email and we will reply as soon as possible.
The Starwood eCommunications Team
Thank you for your email to the Best Rate Guarantee team. We appreciate you taking the time to email us.
This is an automated reply to let you know we have received your email and we will reply as soon as possible.
The Starwood eCommunications Team
Jan 28, 2015, 5:05 pm
#197
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: PHX
Posts: 4,786
The reality is, and I suspect SPG knows this, the longer it takes to review claims, the fewer they will have to approve. Not saying that's the reason for the delay, just a point that is frustrating for us members.
Jan 28, 2015, 5:38 pm
#198
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: CEB - primary/YVR -secondary
Programs: AC*Super Elite (100K) / PR*Elite / AY*Platinum (OWE) / SPG*Bonvoy Titanium (LTT)
Posts: 2,261
Not in the email..After you click "submit" on your brg claim form, that's when it states response time will be 24-48 hours.
Jan 28, 2015, 5:47 pm
#199
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: KSA
Programs: Marriott AMB, Skywards Gold
Posts: 3,732
Thank you for completing a Best Rate Guarantee claim, it has been submitted for validation.
Jan 29, 2015, 9:03 am
#200
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: CEB - primary/YVR -secondary
Programs: AC*Super Elite (100K) / PR*Elite / AY*Platinum (OWE) / SPG*Bonvoy Titanium (LTT)
Posts: 2,261
I know it can become quite frustrating due to the longer response times. But the brg team are doing their best to review claims as fast as possible. But one thing I know for certain is that they are NOT delaying the review process so that they can and will deny brg claims. I have 45 reserved paid nights so far and all are brg rates.
Case point, a few days ago i submitted a claim for palacio del inka cusco. It got denied as the rates from the OTAs and spg.com were in parity by the time they reviewed my claim (trust me, i checked and indeed the OTA rates were in parity after more than 24 hours of wait time).
Fast forward yesterday, the OTA rates went down again. So i resubmitted my claim(s). Today, after more than 24 hours when i resubmitted my claim, they were approved with a much lower rate than i expected.
Property: Palacio del inka cusco
Date: May 2015 (3 nights)
Spg.com rate per night: 218$ + s.c. & tax
My brg rate per night: 211.46$ + s.c. & tax (kayak) or 206.66$ + s.c. & tax (otel.com)
Rate brg team found while reviewing my claim: 186.91$ (kayak) or 194.13$ (otel.com)
Took 20% off
Rate i'll be paying: 149.53$/night + s.c. & tax (went with kayak)
So there...when they review your claim even after 24 hours and the OTA rates go lower, they approve it. It really is all about timing and luck.
Case point, a few days ago i submitted a claim for palacio del inka cusco. It got denied as the rates from the OTAs and spg.com were in parity by the time they reviewed my claim (trust me, i checked and indeed the OTA rates were in parity after more than 24 hours of wait time).
Fast forward yesterday, the OTA rates went down again. So i resubmitted my claim(s). Today, after more than 24 hours when i resubmitted my claim, they were approved with a much lower rate than i expected.
Property: Palacio del inka cusco
Date: May 2015 (3 nights)
Spg.com rate per night: 218$ + s.c. & tax
My brg rate per night: 211.46$ + s.c. & tax (kayak) or 206.66$ + s.c. & tax (otel.com)
Rate brg team found while reviewing my claim: 186.91$ (kayak) or 194.13$ (otel.com)
Took 20% off
Rate i'll be paying: 149.53$/night + s.c. & tax (went with kayak)
So there...when they review your claim even after 24 hours and the OTA rates go lower, they approve it. It really is all about timing and luck.
Jan 29, 2015, 9:16 am
#201
Join Date: Jun 1999
Location: YVR
Programs: ACSEMM QRGold SPGLifetimePlat FairmontPlat HyattD AMEXCenturion SerenaPlat TalkBoard Founding Member
Posts: 8,963
Jan 29, 2015, 9:24 am
#202
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: CEB - primary/YVR -secondary
Programs: AC*Super Elite (100K) / PR*Elite / AY*Platinum (OWE) / SPG*Bonvoy Titanium (LTT)
Posts: 2,261
Jan 29, 2015, 10:16 am
#203
Join Date: Jun 1999
Location: YVR
Programs: ACSEMM QRGold SPGLifetimePlat FairmontPlat HyattD AMEXCenturion SerenaPlat TalkBoard Founding Member
Posts: 8,963
Sure there is....we can petition them to return to 10% to bring wait times back to reality.
Jan 29, 2015, 8:22 pm
#204
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: HK
Programs: SPG Platinum, BW Diamond, TK Elite
Posts: 380
I tried to search but can't find relevant info in this forum, if I can find a room in hotels.com, while SPG website saying "full", can I claim? Or at least can I get the booking under SPG because no points can be gained when booking with agency.
Jan 29, 2015, 8:28 pm
#205
Join Date: May 2012
Location: SIN
Programs: JL GC | Marriott LT Silver | Global Entry | SQ Silver
Posts: 6,819
You can try, though may or may not be accepted.
Jan 29, 2015, 8:30 pm
#206
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: NYC
Posts: 498
"• If you find availability for the room type you want on a third party website/app but there is no availability for that room type or no availability for any room type on the Starwood Website, then this may be an approved claim if it meets all other terms and conditions. You will need to make sure that you specify the room type you actually want on the Starwood Website section and enter 0 in the rate and currency. This will ensure that the processing associates know that the room type you want is not available on the Starwood Website. You may also add additional comments near the end of the claim form indicating that there is no availability on the Starwood Website to help clarify. "
Jan 30, 2015, 9:34 am
#207
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Hawaii & Texas
Programs: AA ExPlat / LT Plat / 3MM, Delta Plat, Bonvoy LT Titanium, HH Diamond
Posts: 1,109
St. Regis, Osaka: Confirmed rate: 16,457.18 JPY, per room, per night, plus taxes and fees (20,571.48 JPY less 20%)
If I loose platinum status at the end of this month, will this reservation still receive benefits?
If I loose platinum status at the end of this month, will this reservation still receive benefits?
Jan 30, 2015, 10:05 am
#208
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: MEX/YVR/YYF
Programs: AS MVP/AC75K/AM Gold/UA*S/SPG-Marriott Lifetime Titanium/Accor-FPC Gold/HHDiamond/Hyatt Exp
Posts: 5,035
Had a bit of a squeaker just now that made me a but nervous.
I submitted a BRG claim late on 28JAN and received an approval with an immediate rate adjustment this morning at 629 Eastern Time, just 9 hours before check-in time.
The fact that the BRG team is up and on it at 630 am Eastern impresses me a bit, since I am not a morning person.
I submitted a BRG claim late on 28JAN and received an approval with an immediate rate adjustment this morning at 629 Eastern Time, just 9 hours before check-in time.
The fact that the BRG team is up and on it at 630 am Eastern impresses me a bit, since I am not a morning person.
Jan 30, 2015, 11:57 am
#209
Join Date: Jun 2011
Programs: SPG Platinum, Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 1,134
40 hours later ... and denied. The SPG rate dropped about the 24-hour mark. At least they were nice enough to call, albeit not with any good news. It is rather disappointing that exceptions are not being made when they are the ones responsible for the denials.
Jan 30, 2015, 12:00 pm
#210
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: KSA
Programs: Marriott AMB, Skywards Gold
Posts: 3,732
Mine as well got denied. They claim that the rate on the competing website disappeared, however, upon checking, it's still there.
Now I have to submit another claim and wait another 48 hours. Why couldn't they check properly?
Now I have to submit another claim and wait another 48 hours. Why couldn't they check properly?
