Adam1222

I'm not sure why this would be a "bait and switch" to use your lingo, but the Ritz wouldn't be.

I draw the line at if you know it's a mistake when you book it, you have no moral authority to insist it be honored - whether it's 50% off or 90% off or 20% off. (Note, if you booked at 49 and the compromise rate was 119, that suggests the correct price was over $120, meaning it was a lot less than 50% off)

A mistake rate is not bait and switch. It is not trickery. it's a mistake. Stop accusing businesses of things that you have no proof of..

Oh, and spg.com has had plenty of mistake rates in the past, many of which have not been honored.

You ended up with a cheap room, and the hotel didn't have to cover a mistake from someone who saw a rate on booking.com less than 40% of its standard rate. After counting the food and beverage you wouldve eaten with club access, the hotel would have lost money on you. Win win.

sdisney

I would love a great rate at a Westin but I would want to know that as a corporation they usually honor the reduced rate.

Adam1222

Westin is part of Starwood. Individual properties determine whether to honor mistake rates, and usually it depends on the circumstances. (Hotels are not owned by Westin or Starwood, but by other companies or occasionally individuals) This thread is about mistake rates, not "great rates".

To the extent you seek certainty that a mistake rate will be honored, please read the first few pages of this thread.

Big4Flyer

I have my first mistake rate stay coming up for a hotel in San Diego. The rate we got was obviously a mistake, I haven't contacted the hotel since booking it about 4 months ago, and haven't heard anything from the hotel in regards to it. Our plan is to check in like normal, and if they decline to honor it at check in, ask to speak to a manager to explain that we would have liked knowing before check in about it not being honored. If they hold their ground we have a backup plan for somewhere else to stay. The rate we paid was about $30 for a room that goes for well over $400. Does this plan sound acceptable or us there anything else I should plan on doing that would increase our chance of it being honored?

akr1970akr

What booking channel did you use for that?

idealflyer

The only reason I brought up bait and switch is because the Sheraton DFW hotel rate was non-refundable. I had to make the commit of paying up front with my cc charged already and with terms and conditions that would not allow me to cancel without penalty. Now the hotel is back pedaling and trying to get me to pay more. And to cancel, required speaking to supervisors as agents could not get around the non-refundable condition. Reservation has since been canceled but I am told refund may appear 1-2 billing cycles.

I can also cite examples of foreign hotels booked where the refund appeared later and with variable amounts due to currency exchange. It is minor, but a hassle for all involved. I do not believe that is perfectly legal either.

I have participated and shared mistake rates here and offline. I am thankful for the deals I have gotten but do not see many of them much different than sales or great promotions. How would people feel if they went shopping on Black Friday and the $29 laptop advertised was not honored as it was a price mistake and should be $299. Would people's reaction be any different?

Big4Flyer

It was booked directly through the hotel's website, not an OTA.

Mrdeals805

The hotel del Coronado?

Quarantine

I recently a booked a mistake rate via booking.com and got an attempted phone call and email from them in trying to offer me a "middle ground" price.

Should I bother responding, or will responding not help anything in preserving the rate?

Adam1222

Well if you don't respond, they may just cancel your reservation. And you'll have little recourse if you show up demanding it be honored.

Marco159

i have booked in total around 10-15 Errors on booking.com .... they only accept one of them - all other were cancelled by booking.com

ENOTTY

One thing I've done with mistake rates is request some additional stuff from the hotel when they try to change the rate on me.

For example, I booked a Hampton Inn in St. Louis for 4 nights for $12/night through Booking.com. They contacted me 10 days later saying the rate was supposed to be $129/night, but they offered me $90/night.

I countered asking for complimentary parking and for the stay to be counted as a HHonors qualifying stay. They didn't give me free parking, but they did agree to give me 5000 points ($90/night for 4 nights would typically earn 3600-5400 points depending on your tier status). They didn't discuss if it would be a qualifying stay.

They even offered to immediately post the points if I replied with my HHonors number. I wonder if I gave them the number, then canceled the booking later, what would happen to these points? It seems mildly unethical.

ZBigFam

Hi there, novice at working with mistake rates...I booked the Hyatt regency wichita for 65/night yesterday. I got a confirmation from priceline. About 30 minutes later I get an email from the Hyatt Regency Wichita (standard reservation confirmation) showing my rate to be 165 and not 65.

Any suggestions on what i should do? I take it I shouldn't call the hotel? Any best practices you experts can share?

Adam1222

Yes, the first several pages of this thread list best practices.

Big4Flyer

Can you give us a little more information? Is the reservation prepaid? If prepaid I would say don't worry about it. If not, typically hotels can't see the price actually paid to an OTA so I wouldn't worry unless priceline tries to contact you.