Originally Posted by sdsearch

As I already mentioned before (a few pages back), I was told by a supervisor (ie, not just a front-line customer service agent), that the "best flexible rate" wouldn't count, it has to be "best flexible rate w/ breakfast". And they realize that it's a bad deal*, but then they tell me that look, it's only one night you have to use this rate, and then you'll have it completed.

*I even pointed out to them that the hotel I had been planning to stay at already gives breakfast to IHG Plats, but they wouldn't have mercy. I simply have to overpay once, no way around it.

Fortunately, I found a lower-than-normal best-flex-with-breakfast rate for a Thu Jan 2 one-night stay (which I needed in that area anyway), so that's the one I'm getting out of the way first, since I doubt such a good rate will repeat outside of the (low business travel time) holiday period. So while it's still overpaying compared to what I could have paid for another rate at another Holiday Inn that day, it's not overpaying compared to "best flexible" rates later during the promo period at the other HI that gives me free breakfast as IGH Plat).