Yes, the runaround you got is ludicrous.

However, I succeeded with no hassles to get the guarantee -- twice.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum57/HTML/009816.html

I found an $89 rate for the Embassy Suites at PDX in the Alaska Airlines newsletter, remembered the guarantee and called up the hotel and reserved one night at $159 and one a week later at $109. I then called the Portland Oregon Visitor associtation and then reserved same nights and same room type for $89. So I've got conf # for all 4 reservations and will cancel one or both sets depending upon whether my claims are approved.

I've put one claim in my name and one in my wife's name, printed out the web pages with the rates and terms. I am concerned that Hilton will renege on their guarantee. I am going to start calling daily once the initial 24 hour period has expired.

Have people been getting their claims approved lately ? Any other advice to make sure I get the rate and the $50 checks ? I'm looking forward to making them pay up http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Alan

I had a great experience with this. Hilton website showed $129 for a night at Hampton Inn Lake Buena Vista - Orbitz showed $72.50. Made the reservation and submitted the form - heard back within 6 hours I had been approved. Arrived home on a Sunday - the FedEx package was waiting for me Tuesday with the $50 AmEx Gift certificate.

Best Rate Guarantee - this really works!!
 

Kudos to HH CSR (Tamiko C.) for a job well done.

I was looking for at stay at the Hilton Garden Inn-Hartford North/Windsor and a rate of $142 was the best I could get, so as usual I compared lots of other websites and found a rate of $88.

So I decided to try the "Best rate guarantee" (for the first time) I completed the online form and within 24 hours had confirmation back of a matching rate and a promise of the Amex gift check, being FedEx'd to me following checkout.

Hilton has honored 300 best rate claims/month
 

That's according to Tom Keltner, Hilton's president for brand performance and franchise development who cites this number in sunday LA Times.
Hmm if this is true then I suspect FTers are probably responsible for most of those claims.

Is alot of honored claims good or bad?

Alot means they're making good on the guarantee, but it also means their website isn't offering the best rates.

What I'd really be interested in knowing is the percentage of claims submitted that they honor.

300 claims/month doesn't sound like a lot providing the size of the chain. In fact in the very same interview Keltner mentions that $15K in gift certs is a tiny fraction of their monthly revenue of $600-700 million. Plus Hilton runs an active marketing campaign around the best rate guarantee.

http://www.latimes.com/travel/la-tr-...,1233688.story

Requires free membership. Excerpt...

Best Rate Guarantee -NOT
 

Attempted to file Best Rate Guarantee on Sat - got this response

We have received your online claim form regarding Our Best Rates. Guaranteed. Your claim will be reviewed by a member of our Guest Assistance Management Team. You will receive a response within the next 24 hours regarding the status of your claim.

Thank you for choosing the Hilton Family

No answer the next day- so I call and get the total run around - no one knows, it is only handled on week days, etc. It is now Sunday and I need to ticket my air ticket - no help from Hilton.

Monday I receive the following:

We have received your claim from regarding Our Best Rates. Guaranteed. Your
claim will be reviewed by a member of our Management team. You will receive
a response within next 48 hours regarding the status of your claim.

Thank you for choosing the Hilton Family.

Call Diamond Desk again - talk to another clueless DIAMOND agent - "you mean you want to get the best rate?" - AFTER having mentioned best rate guarantee to her 3 times :mad: and of course "all the supervisors are in a meeting" "don't have any idea when it will be over"

So if I make my claim 72 hours after booking instead of 24 as they request - would it be honored :rolleyes:

I am appreciating my switch to Starwood more and more these days :(

Estnet:

There is a special "Guest Assistance" department that handles these claims. Call 1-800 HILTONS and ask for Guest Assistance- tell them you want to talk to someone about a best rate guarantee.

Once you reach guest assistance ask to speak with the person who sent you the E-mail.

In my experience, as long as the claim form was originally submitted within 24 hours of booking you should be fine.

Steve

Yes I called Guest Assistance - "there is nothing we can do...Hilton International is separate from Hilton....there is no one you can talk to...there is nothing we can do." :mad:

It is now Tues aft and still NO response (request orig made Sat aft)

This is unacceptable, as 1-800-HILTONS is indeed the contact number for Hilton International as well. Request a supervisor, and make sure you write down his/her name. Also, you may want to call Hilton International US office in Coral Gables, FL: 305-444-3444.

In my experience (three claims), this program is a total sham. I'm still waiting - more than a month - for a response. I found a lower price AND DOCUMENTED it with a reservation; they claim that no such price exists. Swift, Guys.

So far so bad. It is now 4 days. I have been told

There are no supervisors

There are no supervisors available

I will connect you with a supervisor "tierny" (she was SO rude I decided to post first name only) - was connected with voice mail! Called back 4 hours later and got her in person - called me and previous agent I had spoken to a liar b/c she claimed she couldn't see any claims by me (prev. agent had no trouble seeing the 3 claims I had made and said he didn't understand why no response) When asked to speak to HER supervisor she was conveniently "gone for the day"

I have sent emails back to all the emails I received stating I would receive a response in 24 and 48 hours (it is now over 96 :mad: )

I tried the Fla number suggested above, but it was after hours there :( May try again tomorrow.

By contrast - inadvertently made a non refundable res on Starwood - called plat desk within 5 minutes - although they said they couldn't do anything only the hotel could - they offered to contact hotel for me :) Less than one day later res cancelled without penalty :)

I have to try to avoid gagging when I get Hilton Guest Relations and they answer with the tag "where we care about customers" - can't tell by my experience :td:

Estnet,

I have dealt with Tierney on 2 claims according to my Inbox. No problems for me.

Nearly all of my claims are more than one week in advance, so I don't prod them if they are more than 24 hours late. I bet they have nobody working on this during the weekends.

I wouldn't rely on this for "time is of the essence" transactions. I like keeping my blood pressure low.