Originally Posted by RealHJ

IME Hilton is extremely unethical and dishonest when it comes to their "best rate guarantee." Has anyone ever been able to force Hilton to honor their written policy? If so, what did you have to do so (take them to court? or is there some sort of escalation contact available? or..?)?

I was booking a Hilton hotel, one night simple stay. Just did a Google search. Saw a notably lower rate on a major travel booking site. Went to it and compared the rates. Exact same room, same rate policies (prepaid, but fully refundable until 3 days before stay). So, I booked both the Hilton and the third-party reservation, so I have proof and record of both, and took screenshots along the way. Filed a Hilton BRG claim.

First they denied it saying that the Hilton rate is not prepaid while the TP rate is. I responded back with how can they possibly claim that with a straight face, when the Hilton rate I had booked was called "Honors Prepay and Save" and was literally a prepay rate (but fully refundable until 3 days before stay).

Then they re-denied it saying that the cancellation policy is not the same, that the TP rate can be cancelled until the arrival date, while the Hilton policy is worse and has to be cancelled 3 days before arrival. That was blatantly false, as I responded back, as the cancel with full refund for both is identical: 3 days before stay. Included screenshot from the TP booking showing it, disproving their claim.

Then they re-re-denied it, saying that the TP rate requires some sort of "login" and is not public. (They also already set the ground up for round four of denials, saying that if the TP rate is "convention" rate (though never displayed as such, publicly available), that then they won't match it either.) I had found the rate it in a quick 5-second Google search (the widget on the right side, if you search for a hotel name, where you put in dates and Google shows the rates for a hotel for the dates you enter), as I was doing while booking with Hilton direct. It was still showing so today, so I took a screenshot of that Google search, and also sent them screenshots taken during booking showing that it's a public rate and doesn't require any login (I had only logged in at the last step on the TP site, so that later when I need to cancel it, it's easier to do so - now the fact that I have an account at the TP site Hilton is trying to use against me, saying that just because I logged in at the booking confirm step, it must have required a login to see the rate - which is patently false), disproving their false narrative yet again.

That's where it stands now. Apparently the Hilton CS reps are under direction to under no circumstances, ever, approve any BRG claims and to outright lie in order to deny it, and otherwise just wear out the customer. Sure feels like a spit in the face of two long-time HH Diamonds. This is the first time I am trying to use BRG with Hilton. Previously have done so with Marriott and it was a breeze, claim approved and rate matched/discounted promptly. Clearly Hilton is different.

Any advice on this (any escalation channels? anything else?) will be much appreciated. It's not much, only some $100 and change difference for just a one-night stay, but it's the principle that matters to me now, as I do not appreciate the blatant repeat lies that Hilton keeps telling me in order to try to weasel out of honoring their own published BRG, which this claim here matches to a T (everything is identical; if it wasn't I wouldn't have made it, as I carefully read the policy and made sure this fits all the criteria).