BRG with Westin?
Jun 19, 2012, 12:28 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 1,634
BRG with Westin?
I need to stay at the Westin Seattle on 8/31 for one night. My reservation on Kayak was for $213 (I think now it's up to $219). Westin.com wanted $289 for a prepaid rate or $319 for a "flexible" rate. Is this something I could get Westin to match/beat?
Jun 19, 2012, 9:07 pm
#4
Join Date: May 2009
Location: SEA
Programs: AA EXP (2.5MM), Hilton Gold, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 4,859
Is your Kayak booking refundable? If not, no reason to do a BRG.
if it is refundable, just call up SPG and ask for a BRG over the phone so that they do it before the price disappears. I've sumitted online before and had the lower price change before they verified. Take screen caps too just in case.
From the SPG BRG T&Cs -
if it is refundable, just call up SPG and ask for a BRG over the phone so that they do it before the price disappears. I've sumitted online before and had the lower price change before they verified. Take screen caps too just in case.
From the SPG BRG T&Cs -
•Any questions regarding claims should be directed to [email protected] or call 1-866-500-0368.
Jun 20, 2012, 7:40 am
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 1,634
So weird.
I e-mailed them to say that I got a rate on kayak for $213, and that their lowest rates is $289 prepaid or $339 flexible. They wrote back to say that the rate is valid for the BRG... and gave me 10% off of the $289. Obviously this is still higher than the $213 I'm paying with kayak. I wrote back and said they took 10% off of the wrong price... no word yet. I'll probably try calling.
I e-mailed them to say that I got a rate on kayak for $213, and that their lowest rates is $289 prepaid or $339 flexible. They wrote back to say that the rate is valid for the BRG... and gave me 10% off of the $289. Obviously this is still higher than the $213 I'm paying with kayak. I wrote back and said they took 10% off of the wrong price... no word yet. I'll probably try calling.
Jun 25, 2012, 9:33 am
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 1,634
ARG. I've been going back and forth with these folks for quite a while now. Apparently Kayak's rate -- which was $213 when I submitted the BRG request -- briefly jumped to $289 while they were processing the claim. So they "matched" the $289, which is patently ridiculous because I was already paying only $213 (all prices exclusive of tax).
Well in the meantime kayak is back down to $221, so hopefully they'll match it. With the 10% off, I should get a rate of $198.90. I'm not holding my breath...
FWIW, Hyatt has a much better price match process. It can all be done over the phone (when I called the number posted above the woman said I had to submit the claim online), the woman checked kayak herself directly, saw the lower rate, and matched it. And Hyatt will beat the competing rate by 20%, not just 10%. That process was much less painful than this one... at some point I will just call it quits because it's not worth trying to save fifteen bucks, though at this point it's the principle of the matter...
Well in the meantime kayak is back down to $221, so hopefully they'll match it. With the 10% off, I should get a rate of $198.90. I'm not holding my breath...
FWIW, Hyatt has a much better price match process. It can all be done over the phone (when I called the number posted above the woman said I had to submit the claim online), the woman checked kayak herself directly, saw the lower rate, and matched it. And Hyatt will beat the competing rate by 20%, not just 10%. That process was much less painful than this one... at some point I will just call it quits because it's not worth trying to save fifteen bucks, though at this point it's the principle of the matter...