Hyatt no longer processing BRGs over the phone, new online form
 

Just tried to process a Hyatt BRG and they've implemented a new system. Phone number has disappeared off their website and it's been replaced by a form at http://www.hyatt.com/hyatt/specials/...gClaimPage.jsp.

Called in to inquire about this since I had the number saved and I was told that the change was rolled out today. Claims will be processed after they're submitted without any details on how long the process will take. Also was told that they won't offer any protection on prepaid rates, and if a website offers a refundable rate that's more expensive than Hyatt's prepaid rate, the claim won't be considered valid. In other words, this claim won't work:

Amoma refundable: $149
Hyatt prepaid: $145
Hyatt refundable: $179

This is a pretty substantial change, given how efficient the Hyatt BRG program had been in terms of instant confirmation.

Terrible change.

FAQ says they will respond within 24 hours. http://www.hyatt.com/hyatt/customer-...-guarantee.jsp

They're also asking for a screenshot of the rate (in JPG/PDF form only), which should hopefully defend some against rate fluctuations between the time the rate appears and the time the Hyatt rep books it. But it's much different from the instant confirmation that came with the old system. The rep told me that it would be a much easier system for both parties. I can't say that I agree.

The screenshot of the rate we submit "will not" protect us at all.

Read on:
"When you submit an online claim form, you will be asked to provide the URL where the lower rate was found, and a screenshot showing the lower rate on the competing website. A Hyatt.com representative will attempt to validate availability of the lower rate, and verify that it complies with the Terms and Conditions of the guarantee. If the rate is no longer available, the guarantee will not apply."

That means for up to 24 hours the rate we submit has to stay the same.
We can almost be sure that if several claims are received for the same property, the competitive rate will be corrected after the first claim and the claims that immediately follow will be denied.

A solution would be for the claim to be handled within two hours and if a claim is not handled within that time, then the rate on the screenshot should be validated.

I've done a few successful BRG and if I remember correctly I was on the phone for 30+ minutes. So I can see how it may be taking a lot of resources to process these.

A BRG should not take 30+ minutes.

The majority of my BRGs took 10+ minutes. When the agents took 30+ minutes there was either something wrong with their website, they needed help or they were just incompetent and by that I mean refusing to validate what another agent found to be a perfectly valid claim.

Wow this is a TERRIBLE change. Big :td:

My BRGs all took 10, 15 minutes tops.

I am on the phone with them now and they are flat out refusing to take a BRG over the phone, and wont honor a rate that is on a screen shot if when processed the room is no longer on the site...seems like they just made the BRG worthless.

I pushed for a supervisor, and was told that for now, they will still process BRGs over the phone. She has informed the rep that gave me the wrong information that for now this is still allowed, but they don't know how much longer that will be true.

Shame

The BRG phone number is still available from the Google cache, if you have forgotten/lost it.

So BRG is saying that they can only do one over the phone if it's within 72 hours of arrival. Or else, it's the online form.

I don't mind the change. Perhaps that's because on my first attempt with Hyatt I got a $299 a night hotel reduced to $85. :D

I sent in the request last night and it was approved by the morning.

I've always been put off by having to spend ages on the phone with Hyatt and reports of agents doing their best to not find the competing rate...

At least you still don't need an existing reservation to do a BRG. Any other chains allow that? (Looks like SPG does. Dunno about others, but I'm sure some don't.)

Nothing more annoying than only one room of a particular type left, with a lower price elsewhere. So you book it to do a BRG, but then since it was the last room, the room disappears from the competing site and no BRG is possible.

When I first called yesterday, they told me within 24 hours. So maybe this is a pushback on that policy (or a sign of where they expect the return time to eventually fall).