I've used the Starwood Best Rate Guarantee several times this year, but I hate having to print out the form, fill it out, and fax it to Starwood, especially since I don't have a fax machine or a scanner, and I frequently need to make a booking and invoke the guarantee while traveling. This costs me anywhere from $1 to $5 a pop, depending on where I am and which rip-off copy shop I am at.

As a result, I created a Microsoft Word template that uses some of the graphic elements of the Starwood PDF form but is fully editable where your personal info and price match data goes. Add page 2, slap a screenshot on it, and you should be able to fax it straight from your computer, no muss, no fuss and no paper required.

I have not used the template for a rate guarantee yet, but I do have a booking to make tomorrow so I have posted my template here so others may try it out and to get feedback on it.

First and foremost, I would like to ask the forum at large (and William in particular ) if Starwood will accept a Best Rate Claim submitted in this manner. No point in refining it further if they won't.

Secondly, I'm OK with Word but I don't have a lot of time. I threw this thing together in about 15 minutes on the bus today and I get a dialog box when I print it saying the formatting exceeds the printable area. Anyone care to look into that and get back to me on a fix? Thanks.

Please drop me a line or post here if you have any other feedback.

Jeff