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
Sep 27, 2015, 10:05 am
#1336
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 73
Sorry, newbie here
I have noted this rule in this post:
• "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."
but I can't find it under the T&C here in the SPG website.
https://www.starwoodhotels.com/bestrate/terms.html
I am wondering, if I find a hotel staying for 2 nights with 3 USD cheaper than the SPG website (original price of the stay is 330 USD for 2 nights but appears 327 USD in hotel.com/ expedia)
Will I usually be able to claim the BPG?
I have noted this rule in this post:
• "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."
but I can't find it under the T&C here in the SPG website.
https://www.starwoodhotels.com/bestrate/terms.html
I am wondering, if I find a hotel staying for 2 nights with 3 USD cheaper than the SPG website (original price of the stay is 330 USD for 2 nights but appears 327 USD in hotel.com/ expedia)
Will I usually be able to claim the BPG?
Sep 27, 2015, 10:54 am
#1337
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
Sep 27, 2015, 8:35 pm
#1338
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 73
Thanks mahasamatman.
I have tried yesterday with a BPG claim but got rejected by SPG.
First I tried locating the lowest price on hotelscombined.
Then I noted a price of 264 USD on a W Hotel with the agent Tiket.com which is lower than the price in SPG website - 267.5 USD (not including tax).
Then when I went into tiket, this price went up to 317 USD.
(That is quite likely due to tax being added but it's not mentioned in the checkout page in Tiket and it is still lower than 323.68 after tax in SPG website)
I checked again in the checkout basket and it's clearly stated that "hotel taxes and service charges - FREE", and that means I don't need to pay anything when I arrive the hotel.
I even contacted the CS on tiket and she confirmed that's the final price and I don't need to pay additional tax on arrival.
However, SPG claims that 317 USD from tiket is tax excluded and their offer 267.5 (tax excluded) on SPG is the best price and is not willing to give me the BPG claim.
They even checked Tiket's terms and got one term stating that tax is excluded as stated below.
"Price does not yet include tax, listed the charges, fees and other cost that we stated at the website or letter confirmation of us. Sometimes the price we get from our partners in the currency of another country, and we try to covert the price into rupiah currency with the best conversion that we could get."
I am quite convinced that the price on tiket is lower than SPG and that tax is included in the Tiket's price.
I even emailed Tiket and they replied that 317USD is the final price.
I have emailed SPG again, hope they have the guts to approve my BPG claim. arghhhh.
I have tried yesterday with a BPG claim but got rejected by SPG.
First I tried locating the lowest price on hotelscombined.
Then I noted a price of 264 USD on a W Hotel with the agent Tiket.com which is lower than the price in SPG website - 267.5 USD (not including tax).
Then when I went into tiket, this price went up to 317 USD.
(That is quite likely due to tax being added but it's not mentioned in the checkout page in Tiket and it is still lower than 323.68 after tax in SPG website)
I checked again in the checkout basket and it's clearly stated that "hotel taxes and service charges - FREE", and that means I don't need to pay anything when I arrive the hotel.
I even contacted the CS on tiket and she confirmed that's the final price and I don't need to pay additional tax on arrival.
However, SPG claims that 317 USD from tiket is tax excluded and their offer 267.5 (tax excluded) on SPG is the best price and is not willing to give me the BPG claim.
They even checked Tiket's terms and got one term stating that tax is excluded as stated below.
"Price does not yet include tax, listed the charges, fees and other cost that we stated at the website or letter confirmation of us. Sometimes the price we get from our partners in the currency of another country, and we try to covert the price into rupiah currency with the best conversion that we could get."
I am quite convinced that the price on tiket is lower than SPG and that tax is included in the Tiket's price.
I even emailed Tiket and they replied that 317USD is the final price.
I have emailed SPG again, hope they have the guts to approve my BPG claim. arghhhh.
Last edited by nickchanz; Sep 28, 2015 at 2:48 am Reason: Additional info
Sep 28, 2015, 9:15 am
#1339
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 73
SPG updated me and they finally processed my claim 
I have 20% off and an extra 2000 points
Good gesture from SPG!
I have 20% off and an extra 2000 points
Good gesture from SPG!
Sep 30, 2015, 11:56 am
#1340
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: BKK
Programs: World of Hyatt Globalist; Marriott Bonvoy LTP; IHG Plat
Posts: 2,232
Hotel Name: The Westin Tokyo
Dates : 3 nights in December
Number of Adults :2
Room Type On Reservation: Deluxe, non-smoking
Competing Website : galahotels.com
Competing rate : USD 940
Comments : all taxes and fees included.
BRG Reward : twentyPercent
Actual confirmed rate: 25,108.07 JPY per night, plus taxes and fees (31,385.09 JPY less 20%)
Kudos to SPG BRG Team. This claim took only 15 minutes to process. it is the fastest reply i ever got from them.
^^^^^
Dates : 3 nights in December
Number of Adults :2
Room Type On Reservation: Deluxe, non-smoking
Competing Website : galahotels.com
Competing rate : USD 940
Comments : all taxes and fees included.
BRG Reward : twentyPercent
Actual confirmed rate: 25,108.07 JPY per night, plus taxes and fees (31,385.09 JPY less 20%)
Kudos to SPG BRG Team. This claim took only 15 minutes to process. it is the fastest reply i ever got from them.
^^^^^
Oct 1, 2015, 12:24 pm
#1341
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: ORD
Programs: SPG Plat, Hyatt DIA
Posts: 76
Hotel Name: Westin San Diego Gaslamp
Dates : 2 nights in October
Number of Adults :2
Room Type On Reservation: Traditional, King
Competing Website : agoda.com
Competing rate : USD 161
Comments : flexible rate on agoda, same rate was non-refundable on SPG
BRG Reward : twentyPercent
Actual confirmed rate: 128.88 per night excluding taxes/fees
Originally my BRG was denied as this matched the lowest rate on SPG. Response was within 2 hours. Sent an email indicating that the agoda rate was flexible. BRG approved within an hour of my response to the initial rejection.
Dates : 2 nights in October
Number of Adults :2
Room Type On Reservation: Traditional, King
Competing Website : agoda.com
Competing rate : USD 161
Comments : flexible rate on agoda, same rate was non-refundable on SPG
BRG Reward : twentyPercent
Actual confirmed rate: 128.88 per night excluding taxes/fees
Originally my BRG was denied as this matched the lowest rate on SPG. Response was within 2 hours. Sent an email indicating that the agoda rate was flexible. BRG approved within an hour of my response to the initial rejection.
Oct 1, 2015, 12:32 pm
#1342
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 73
Hotel Name: Westin San Diego Gaslamp
Dates : 2 nights in October
Number of Adults :2
Room Type On Reservation: Traditional, King
Competing Website : agoda.com
Competing rate : USD 161
Comments : flexible rate on agoda, same rate was non-refundable on SPG
BRG Reward : twentyPercent
Actual confirmed rate: 128.88 per night excluding taxes/fees
Originally my BRG was denied as this matched the lowest rate on SPG. Response was within 2 hours. Sent an email indicating that the agoda rate was flexible. BRG approved within an hour of my response to the initial rejection.
Dates : 2 nights in October
Number of Adults :2
Room Type On Reservation: Traditional, King
Competing Website : agoda.com
Competing rate : USD 161
Comments : flexible rate on agoda, same rate was non-refundable on SPG
BRG Reward : twentyPercent
Actual confirmed rate: 128.88 per night excluding taxes/fees
Originally my BRG was denied as this matched the lowest rate on SPG. Response was within 2 hours. Sent an email indicating that the agoda rate was flexible. BRG approved within an hour of my response to the initial rejection.
Oct 1, 2015, 7:53 pm
#1343
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 174
Since when does the rate flexibility have anything to do with BRG? 
Oct 1, 2015, 7:59 pm
#1344
Join Date: May 2012
Location: SIN
Programs: JL GC | Marriott LT Silver | Global Entry | SQ Silver
Posts: 6,819
Oct 1, 2015, 8:05 pm
#1345
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
Isn't that covered by the second bullet in the wiki?
Oct 1, 2015, 9:14 pm
#1346
Join Date: May 2012
Location: SIN
Programs: JL GC | Marriott LT Silver | Global Entry | SQ Silver
Posts: 6,819
Oct 2, 2015, 5:21 am
#1348
Join Date: May 2012
Location: SIN
Programs: JL GC | Marriott LT Silver | Global Entry | SQ Silver
Posts: 6,819
Oct 2, 2015, 7:15 am
#1350
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Sydney, Australia
Programs: HH Diamond, Marriott Titanium/LTG, IHG Platinum
Posts: 1,921
I am envious that many people here are getting quick response times.
I have just received my BRG approval and it ended up taking a total of 65 hours and 6 minutes (from the time I received the automatic Thank you for your email to the actual BRG approval).
I have just received my BRG approval and it ended up taking a total of 65 hours and 6 minutes (from the time I received the automatic Thank you for your email to the actual BRG approval).