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
Jun 29, 2015, 9:33 pm
#856
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: GVA (Greater Vancouver Area)
Programs: DREAD Gold; UA 1.035MM; Bonvoy Au-197; PCC Elite+; CCC Elite+; MSC C-12; CWC Au-197; WoH Dis
Posts: 52,140
You can, but they will be merged into one claim. If the nights are consecutive, they also will also force you to book it as one reservation (which kills flexibility).
Jun 30, 2015, 6:35 am
#857
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Toronto
Programs: UA 1K, AC MM E75, Marriott LT Ti, IHG Dia Amb, Hyatt Glob
Posts: 15,521
Jun 30, 2015, 9:32 am
#858
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: MUC
Programs: *A Gold, OW Emerald; IHG S, SPG P, HH D, HGP D, Accor P, Carlson G
Posts: 215
HUCA?
Claim denied on ground of "this is an on-request rate". Don't think so, as it's clearly instant confirmation and the same OTA rate had been approved for another BRG (same hotel, c/i a few weeks earlier).
Should I follow up on this claim and argue for my case? Or would it be more effective, just to mirror the HUCA practice with airline agents, to simply file another claim hoping for a more receptive agent?
In general though, would filing more than one claim on a single day be considered excessive by SPG and invite unfavorable account scrutiny? I guess I'm always a bit sheepish/paranoid to start with...
Should I follow up on this claim and argue for my case? Or would it be more effective, just to mirror the HUCA practice with airline agents, to simply file another claim hoping for a more receptive agent?
In general though, would filing more than one claim on a single day be considered excessive by SPG and invite unfavorable account scrutiny? I guess I'm always a bit sheepish/paranoid to start with...
Jun 30, 2015, 12:47 pm
#859
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Wesseling, NRW, Germany
Programs: UA *S , MR LT Titanium, HH Diamond, Hertz PC
Posts: 3,940
All in all two claims on one day certainly are far from being considered excessive...
Greetings - Dirk
Jul 1, 2015, 2:37 am
#860
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: MUC
Programs: *A Gold, OW Emerald; IHG S, SPG P, HH D, HGP D, Accor P, Carlson G
Posts: 215
Certainly not. I tend to make travel-arrangements for business on a monthly basis, and as such, I make those claims on one day for the whole month, coming to five to eight claims filed on one day. No problem at all. In one instance I even filed three claims for the same night at the same property because I found decreasing lower rates on three different websites, and since you cannot retract any BRG-claim, I got three approvals with one claim after the other being processed just normally.
All in all two claims on one day certainly are far from being considered excessive...
Greetings - Dirk
All in all two claims on one day certainly are far from being considered excessive...
Greetings - Dirk
Greetings from MUC
Jul 1, 2015, 5:09 am
#861
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: SJC, OAK, SFO
Programs: AA PRO, AS 100K
Posts: 188
I could not find the answer to either of the following questions in the FAQs, Terms & Conditions, or on FT. Apologies if any have been answered before.
Does the Competing Rate have to be lower than all Published Rates on the Starwood website (Lowest Standard Rate, SPG Member-Only Hot Escapes, Breakfast Package, SPG Breakfast Plus, Promotions & Packages, and SPG Hot Escapes) or only the Lowest Standard Rate?
If so, if Breakfast Package, SPG Breakfast Plus, or Promotions & Packages is the lowest Published Rate on the Starwood website, is the value of the included amenity or amenities (e.g. parking) excluded prior to rate comparison if the Competing Rate does not include the respective amenity or amenities?
Does the Competing Rate have to be lower than all Published Rates on the Starwood website (Lowest Standard Rate, SPG Member-Only Hot Escapes, Breakfast Package, SPG Breakfast Plus, Promotions & Packages, and SPG Hot Escapes) or only the Lowest Standard Rate?
If so, if Breakfast Package, SPG Breakfast Plus, or Promotions & Packages is the lowest Published Rate on the Starwood website, is the value of the included amenity or amenities (e.g. parking) excluded prior to rate comparison if the Competing Rate does not include the respective amenity or amenities?
Jul 1, 2015, 5:39 am
#862
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 1,748
I could not find the answer to either of the following questions in the FAQs, Terms & Conditions, or on FT. Apologies if any have been answered before.
Does the Competing Rate have to be lower than all Published Rates on the Starwood website (Lowest Standard Rate, SPG Member-Only Hot Escapes, Breakfast Package, SPG Breakfast Plus, Promotions & Packages, and SPG Hot Escapes) or only the Lowest Standard Rate?
If so, if Breakfast Package, SPG Breakfast Plus, or Promotions & Packages is the lowest Published Rate on the Starwood website, is the value of the included amenity or amenities (e.g. parking) excluded prior to rate comparison if the Competing Rate does not include the respective amenity or amenities?
Does the Competing Rate have to be lower than all Published Rates on the Starwood website (Lowest Standard Rate, SPG Member-Only Hot Escapes, Breakfast Package, SPG Breakfast Plus, Promotions & Packages, and SPG Hot Escapes) or only the Lowest Standard Rate?
If so, if Breakfast Package, SPG Breakfast Plus, or Promotions & Packages is the lowest Published Rate on the Starwood website, is the value of the included amenity or amenities (e.g. parking) excluded prior to rate comparison if the Competing Rate does not include the respective amenity or amenities?
Hmmm.
I can't quote the exact T&C but here is my experience:
1. Yes it has to be lower than ALL the rates. It doesn't matter if it is a refundable rate or not. It has to be lower
2. The most important factor is room type - it has to be for the same type of room. Amenities like late check-out, champagne etc don't count - they will not assign a dollar value to that
3. The only amenity that is taken into account is breakfast. So the external rate with breakfast will be compared to the spg.com rate with breakfast. Frequently that external rate will be higher than the spg.com rate without breakfast but it will still be successful because they will compare it to the rate with breakfast
4. You can submit an external rate that includes amenities and match it against a bare room rate on the *wood site. For example if you find an external rate with free parking and late checkout, and no corresponding rate on spg.com, you can match it against a room-only rate, but the external rate still has to be lower. You can't argue that the free parking is worth $10 so should be deducted. Don't try to match it against a spg.com rate that has other non-corresponding amenities - it gets confusing
5. If you find a room-only external rate, and spg.com is only selling rooms with amenities, you can still submit this and IME it will be approved, but again only if the external rate is lower. Whether you will get the amenities - well I think YMMV
Last edited by travelswithmyself; Jul 1, 2015 at 6:15 am
Jul 4, 2015, 1:27 pm
#863
Join Date: Oct 2013
Programs: LT Marriott Titanium, AC SE
Posts: 188
First BRG success!
Property: Sheraton Princess Kaiulani, Honolulu
Room Type: Traditional
Rate on SPG: $202
Rate on site: $182
Nights: 4
Actual confirmed rate: $145.63 USD plus all taxes and resort fees per night ($182.04 USD less 20%)
Website: Hotels.com
Dates: Sept 2015
Property: Sheraton Princess Kaiulani, Honolulu
Room Type: Traditional
Rate on SPG: $202
Rate on site: $182
Nights: 4
Actual confirmed rate: $145.63 USD plus all taxes and resort fees per night ($182.04 USD less 20%)
Website: Hotels.com
Dates: Sept 2015
Jul 4, 2015, 1:49 pm
#864
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Zurich
Programs: Aegean Gold, United Mileage Plus Silver, Privilege Club Platinum, Bonvoy Titanium Elite (LTP)
Posts: 118
Hotel Name: Le Meridien Stuttgart
Arrival Date: July, 2015 for 1 night
Number of Adults : 1
Number of Rooms : 1
Room Type: Superior
Starwood Brand Web Site Nightly Rate: 142,20 EUR incl. taxes
Competing website: www.thomascook.de
Competing nightly rate : 135 EUR incl. taxes and breakfast
Actual confirmed nightly rate: 108 EUR incl. taxes/breakfast (after BRG 20% discount)
Arrival Date: July, 2015 for 1 night
Number of Adults : 1
Number of Rooms : 1
Room Type: Superior
Starwood Brand Web Site Nightly Rate: 142,20 EUR incl. taxes
Competing website: www.thomascook.de
Competing nightly rate : 135 EUR incl. taxes and breakfast
Actual confirmed nightly rate: 108 EUR incl. taxes/breakfast (after BRG 20% discount)
Last edited by Zurich35; Jul 4, 2015 at 1:56 pm
Jul 4, 2015, 1:56 pm
#865
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Zurich
Programs: Aegean Gold, United Mileage Plus Silver, Privilege Club Platinum, Bonvoy Titanium Elite (LTP)
Posts: 118
Hotel Name: Le Meridien Bangkok
Arrival Date: June, 2015 for 4 nights
Number of Adults : 1
Number of Rooms : 1
Room Type: Vista
Starwood Brand Web Site rate for 4 nights: 19,773.60 THB incl. taxes
Competing website: www.thomascook.de
Competing rate for 4 nights : 434 EUR incl. taxes and breakfast
Actual confirmed nightly rate: 2,599.85 THB excl. taxes incl. breakfast (after BRG 20% discount)
Arrival Date: June, 2015 for 4 nights
Number of Adults : 1
Number of Rooms : 1
Room Type: Vista
Starwood Brand Web Site rate for 4 nights: 19,773.60 THB incl. taxes
Competing website: www.thomascook.de
Competing rate for 4 nights : 434 EUR incl. taxes and breakfast
Actual confirmed nightly rate: 2,599.85 THB excl. taxes incl. breakfast (after BRG 20% discount)
Jul 4, 2015, 2:01 pm
#866
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Zurich
Programs: Aegean Gold, United Mileage Plus Silver, Privilege Club Platinum, Bonvoy Titanium Elite (LTP)
Posts: 118
Hotel Name: Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur
Arrival Date: May, 2015 for 3 nights
Number of Adults : 1
Number of Rooms : 1
Room Type: Classic
Starwood Brand Web Site rate for 3 nights: 1044 MYR incl. taxes
Competing website: www.hoteltwister.com
Competing rate for 3 nights : 246 EUR incl. taxes
Actual confirmed nightly rate: 233.40 MYR excl. taxes (after BRG 20% discount)
Arrival Date: May, 2015 for 3 nights
Number of Adults : 1
Number of Rooms : 1
Room Type: Classic
Starwood Brand Web Site rate for 3 nights: 1044 MYR incl. taxes
Competing website: www.hoteltwister.com
Competing rate for 3 nights : 246 EUR incl. taxes
Actual confirmed nightly rate: 233.40 MYR excl. taxes (after BRG 20% discount)
Jul 4, 2015, 8:19 pm
#867
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: JFK, DCA, BUR, YVR
Programs: AC, AS, BA, DL, HH (D), MR (T/LTP), UA (*S), UScAAre (PLT/1,87MM), WN
Posts: 5,207
Lots of BRG options in Montréal
I booked a last minute trip to Montréal to see Sir Jean Luc Picard / Patrick Stewart at Juste Pour Rire / Just For Laughs. I had several great options, but decided to stay at Le Westin Montréal since I like that place and it's been a while since my last visit.
Hotel Name: Aloft Montréal
Arrival Date: 07-22-2015
Departure Date: 07-23-2015
Number of Rooms: 1
Number of Guests: 1
Room Type: Aloft room
Starwood Brand Web Site Room Rate: CA$157,00 (a/i)
Company Room Provider: Other Web Site
Other Company Room Provider: galahotels.com
Competing rate: US$99,00 (a/i).
Comments: Points. Final rate of CA$124,51 (a/i)
Hotel Name: Le Meridien Versailles, Montréal
Arrival Date: 07-22-2015
Departure Date: 07-23-2015
Number of Rooms: 1
Number of Guests: 1
Room Type: Classic room
Starwood Brand Web Site Room Rate: CA$0,00 (the room was not available)
Company Room Provider: Other Web Site
Other Company Room Provider: galahotels.com
Competing rate: US$140,00 (a/i)
Comments: Discount. Final rate of CA$140,87 (a/i)
Hotel Name: Le Westin Montréal
Arrival Date: 07-22-2015
Departure Date: 07-23-2015
Number of Rooms: 1
Number of Guests: 1
Room Type: Traditional room
Starwood Brand Web Site Room Rate: CA$0,00 (the room was not available)
Company Room Provider: Other Web Site
Other Company Room Provider: galahotels.com
Competing rate: US$177,00 (a/i)
Comments: Discount. Final rate of CA$178,10 (a/i)
Hotel Name: Aloft Montréal
Arrival Date: 07-22-2015
Departure Date: 07-23-2015
Number of Rooms: 1
Number of Guests: 1
Room Type: Aloft room
Starwood Brand Web Site Room Rate: CA$157,00 (a/i)
Company Room Provider: Other Web Site
Other Company Room Provider: galahotels.com
Competing rate: US$99,00 (a/i).
Comments: Points. Final rate of CA$124,51 (a/i)
Hotel Name: Le Meridien Versailles, Montréal
Arrival Date: 07-22-2015
Departure Date: 07-23-2015
Number of Rooms: 1
Number of Guests: 1
Room Type: Classic room
Starwood Brand Web Site Room Rate: CA$0,00 (the room was not available)
Company Room Provider: Other Web Site
Other Company Room Provider: galahotels.com
Competing rate: US$140,00 (a/i)
Comments: Discount. Final rate of CA$140,87 (a/i)
Hotel Name: Le Westin Montréal
Arrival Date: 07-22-2015
Departure Date: 07-23-2015
Number of Rooms: 1
Number of Guests: 1
Room Type: Traditional room
Starwood Brand Web Site Room Rate: CA$0,00 (the room was not available)
Company Room Provider: Other Web Site
Other Company Room Provider: galahotels.com
Competing rate: US$177,00 (a/i)
Comments: Discount. Final rate of CA$178,10 (a/i)
Jul 4, 2015, 8:26 pm
#868
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: JFK, DCA, BUR, YVR
Programs: AC, AS, BA, DL, HH (D), MR (T/LTP), UA (*S), UScAAre (PLT/1,87MM), WN
Posts: 5,207
Last minute deal in Chicago
Hotel Name: Westin O'Hare
Arrival Date: 07-10-2015
Departure Date: 07-12-2015
Number of Rooms: 1
Number of Guests: 1
Room Type: Traditional room
Starwood Brand Web Site Room Rate: US$314,00 (a/i)
Company Room Provider: Other Web Site
Other Company Room Provider: hotelreservierung.de
Competing rate: €194,00 (a/i)
Comments: Points. Final rate of US$215,51 (a/i).
Arrival Date: 07-10-2015
Departure Date: 07-12-2015
Number of Rooms: 1
Number of Guests: 1
Room Type: Traditional room
Starwood Brand Web Site Room Rate: US$314,00 (a/i)
Company Room Provider: Other Web Site
Other Company Room Provider: hotelreservierung.de
Competing rate: €194,00 (a/i)
Comments: Points. Final rate of US$215,51 (a/i).
Jul 4, 2015, 10:17 pm
#869
Join Date: Sep 2013
Programs: SPG,HH,IHG
Posts: 786
I search in this BRG thread and don't find any success BRG for japan hotel.
Anyone have success with SPG Japan ?
Anyone have success with SPG Japan ?
Jul 4, 2015, 10:32 pm
#870
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: GVA (Greater Vancouver Area)
Programs: DREAD Gold; UA 1.035MM; Bonvoy Au-197; PCC Elite+; CCC Elite+; MSC C-12; CWC Au-197; WoH Dis
Posts: 52,140