Best Western won’t honor low price guarantee
Jan 12, 2007, 11:07 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 7
Best Western won’t honor low price guarantee
Ok, so I book at room at bestwestern.com. Then 5 minutes later, find the same room at hotels.com for less. I apply for their low price guarantee and figure they will just honor it.
They deny it cause hotels.com does not offer a guaranteed non-smoking room. Everything else was the same. Same dates, bed and hotel, just no guaranteed smoking or non-smoking room. Hotels.com does not offer a smoking type. So, basically, every claim from hotels.com is denied.
I called customer service, talked to a supervisor. Gave them the choice of canceling the reservation or honoring the price… But, they can’t do that either. See, since they responded to the low price guarantee after the cancellation policy they can’t kill the res.
I have no status with Best Western. Their Low Price Guarantee is a farce! Any ideas on who to call. It’s only a few bucks, but apparently nobody at Best Western knows anything other than how to read a policy book.
They deny it cause hotels.com does not offer a guaranteed non-smoking room. Everything else was the same. Same dates, bed and hotel, just no guaranteed smoking or non-smoking room. Hotels.com does not offer a smoking type. So, basically, every claim from hotels.com is denied.
I called customer service, talked to a supervisor. Gave them the choice of canceling the reservation or honoring the price… But, they can’t do that either. See, since they responded to the low price guarantee after the cancellation policy they can’t kill the res.
I have no status with Best Western. Their Low Price Guarantee is a farce! Any ideas on who to call. It’s only a few bucks, but apparently nobody at Best Western knows anything other than how to read a policy book.
Jan 13, 2007, 5:50 am
#2
In Memoriam
Join Date: Jul 2001
Posts: 35,555
Originally Posted by BW Site
If a customer finds a lower rate with the same criteria on another web site, Best Western will match the lower rate and give the customer an additional ten percent discount. In order to file a claim, the customer can go to the Best Western web site or call customer service at 1-800-528-1238. All claims must be filed within 48 hours of making the Best Western reservation, and guests must provide their Best Western confirmation number.
The competitor's Internet rate must be viewable and bookable via their web site. Fax, mail, email, coupons or discounts that do not guarantee the reservation online will not qualify as proof of the lower rate. The customer is not required to have a confirmed reservation on the competitor's web site.
Best Western International is THE WORLD'S LARGEST HOTEL CHAIN® with more than 4,100 hotels in 83 countries and territories. It is a membership association of independently owned and operated hotels that provides marketing, reservations and operational support to its members. Best Western is the official hotel of NASCAR.
The competitor's Internet rate must be viewable and bookable via their web site. Fax, mail, email, coupons or discounts that do not guarantee the reservation online will not qualify as proof of the lower rate. The customer is not required to have a confirmed reservation on the competitor's web site.
Best Western International is THE WORLD'S LARGEST HOTEL CHAIN® with more than 4,100 hotels in 83 countries and territories. It is a membership association of independently owned and operated hotels that provides marketing, reservations and operational support to its members. Best Western is the official hotel of NASCAR.
Jan 13, 2007, 5:57 pm
#3
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: PSM
Posts: 69,232
Not so clear to me. If BW.com has a smoking room at the lower price then the OP has no claim. If the smoking and n/s rooms are both above the hotels.com price, how is this a clear-cut issue? Even though both prices would be higher, BW is claiming an exemption because the customer can't specify at booking. That doesn't make a lot of sense to me.
Perhaps the OP can clarify??
Perhaps the OP can clarify??
Jan 13, 2007, 7:46 pm
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: About 45 miles NW of MCO
Programs: Acapulco - Gold, Panama - Red, Timothy Leary 8 Mile High Club
Posts: 29,247
It may not seem fair, but it is consistent with what I've read in other forums. I've always viewed the guarantee as equivalent to those offered by car dealers who say they'll pay you $1,000 if they can't match someone else's deal. Marketing.
Jan 17, 2007, 5:04 pm
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 7
Every room is non-smoking
The problem was that Hotels.com does not offer the choice of smoking or non-smoking. It’s gets even better, the hotel is a non-smoking hotel. Every single room is non-smoking, so the point is mute. No matter where I booked the room… It was going to be non-smoking.
I finally called the hotel directly, talked the manager and they honored the low price guarantee with a smile.
The Hotel was ashamed at how I was treated by Best Western Corp. Even going so far as to say that the service has really gone downhill since they outsourced the call center to the Philippines.
I finally called the hotel directly, talked the manager and they honored the low price guarantee with a smile.
The Hotel was ashamed at how I was treated by Best Western Corp. Even going so far as to say that the service has really gone downhill since they outsourced the call center to the Philippines.
Jul 17, 2010, 4:02 pm
#6
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Scenic Great Plains USA
Programs: AGR Starwood Whoever I can get points with :D
Posts: 677
I just did a low price guarantee claim through their claim form on the internet. The lower price was on expedia. They responded favorably within 12 hours (on a Sunday!). Not a huge price break (10%) but I can accrue BW points, unlike Expedia.
To the OP, being able to guarantee a non-smoking room is extremely valuable. Really, I won't use Expedia anymore after they screwed up my one reservation and I got stuck at a place with only smoking rooms. Was sick the whole day after.
To the OP, being able to guarantee a non-smoking room is extremely valuable. Really, I won't use Expedia anymore after they screwed up my one reservation and I got stuck at a place with only smoking rooms. Was sick the whole day after.
Aug 7, 2010, 11:34 am
#7
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: YUL
Posts: 2,115
In my one experience with this sort of issue, the BW Grosvenor at SFO would not budge on the best-price guarantee. Their rate was something like $140, while hotels.com or whatever site had rooms at $70. Their excuse was exactly the same regarding "exact" types of rooms, etc.
Aug 10, 2010, 11:11 pm
#8
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Go west young man!
Posts: 549
I've had similar experiences with BW. One trick BW seems to use is that they make rooms with slightly different amenities exclusively available to discount outlets like Expedia (for example, rooms without a coffee maker and mini-fridge), then claim that the Expedia rooms are not the same rooms that are available on the BW website.
Aug 11, 2010, 7:02 pm
#9
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: YUL
Posts: 2,115
I've had similar experiences with BW. One trick BW seems to use is that they make rooms with slightly different amenities exclusively available to discount outlets like Expedia (for example, rooms without a coffee maker and mini-fridge), then claim that the Expedia rooms are not the same rooms that are available on the BW website.
Nov 3, 2011, 6:38 pm
#10
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: YUL
Posts: 2,115
I have to report a recent good experience with the rate guarantee. I had looked into the BW Moa in Berlin, where the rate online was something like 100€, and corporate was happy to match the hotels.com rate of 65€. Same room type, same dates, etc. The only catch was that it was a multi-night rate, so I wonder what would have happened if I had checked out early.... 
Nov 5, 2011, 11:39 am
#11
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: YYZ
Programs: A3*G AC*nobody TK*nobody
Posts: 1,967
yea, I found that "Low Price Guarantee" is a LOAD OF CRAP
See my recent experience here http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/best-...bw-so-far.html
See my recent experience here http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/best-...bw-so-far.html
Nov 18, 2011, 5:50 pm
#12
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 14
The problem was that Hotels.com does not offer the choice of smoking or non-smoking. It’s gets even better, the hotel is a non-smoking hotel. Every single room is non-smoking, so the point is mute. No matter where I booked the room… It was going to be non-smoking.
I finally called the hotel directly, talked the manager and they honored the low price guarantee with a smile.
The Hotel was ashamed at how I was treated by Best Western Corp. Even going so far as to say that the service has really gone downhill since they outsourced the call center to the Philippines.
I finally called the hotel directly, talked the manager and they honored the low price guarantee with a smile.
The Hotel was ashamed at how I was treated by Best Western Corp. Even going so far as to say that the service has really gone downhill since they outsourced the call center to the Philippines.
Apr 15, 2015, 1:40 pm
#13
Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 1
I was able to use the best rate guarantee.
Booked in Banff, found a better rate for 1 of the days (expedia.ca seemed to forget it was a long weekend & didn't raise the rate for the Sunday)
I got the lower rate from BW and eventually a $100 gift card!
Booked in Banff, found a better rate for 1 of the days (expedia.ca seemed to forget it was a long weekend & didn't raise the rate for the Sunday)
I got the lower rate from BW and eventually a $100 gift card!
Apr 15, 2015, 2:05 pm
#14
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania
Programs: Milege+, SkyMiles, AAdvantage, HHonors Diamond, Marriott Gold
Posts: 1,685
The problem was that Hotels.com does not offer the choice of smoking or non-smoking. It’s gets even better, the hotel is a non-smoking hotel. Every single room is non-smoking, so the point is mute. No matter where I booked the room… It was going to be non-smoking.
I finally called the hotel directly, talked the manager and they honored the low price guarantee with a smile.
The Hotel was ashamed at how I was treated by Best Western Corp. Even going so far as to say that the service has really gone downhill since they outsourced the call center to the Philippines.
I finally called the hotel directly, talked the manager and they honored the low price guarantee with a smile.
The Hotel was ashamed at how I was treated by Best Western Corp. Even going so far as to say that the service has really gone downhill since they outsourced the call center to the Philippines.