Jul 8, 2013, 11:43 am
Last edit by: FLYGVA
Recent discussion (After January 01, 2016) could be found in this thread.
Most important points to consider for a valid BRG:
1. The comparison website MUST bill in the same currency as the hotel .
2. The cancellation terms must be equal or better, than the terms by the hotels.
3. The Website needs to provide INSTANT confirmation.
4. The room names should match, but if you can demonstrate, that the room is comparable, it will also work with discrepancies in the name.
5. The price difference has to be more than either USD 1 or 1% (whichever is higher).
5.b In regards to hotels located in australia and New Zealand the price difference must be greater than 3% .
Hotels for which you will get reimbursed:
(Note: There have been significant problems with getting full reimbursements from IHG, especially for reimbursements in other currencies than USD)
IC Istanbul ( BRG claim from the 17.05.2013/ "Technical Difficulties")
IC Frankfurt ( BRG claim from the 20.08.2013/ "Technical Difficulties")
Link to the Terms and Conditions : https://www.ihg.com/hotels/us/en/cus...rms-conditions
Most important points to consider for a valid BRG:
1. The comparison website MUST bill in the same currency as the hotel .
2. The cancellation terms must be equal or better, than the terms by the hotels.
3. The Website needs to provide INSTANT confirmation.
4. The room names should match, but if you can demonstrate, that the room is comparable, it will also work with discrepancies in the name.
5. The price difference has to be more than either USD 1 or 1% (whichever is higher).
5.b In regards to hotels located in australia and New Zealand the price difference must be greater than 3% .
Hotels for which you will get reimbursed:
(Note: There have been significant problems with getting full reimbursements from IHG, especially for reimbursements in other currencies than USD)
IC Istanbul ( BRG claim from the 17.05.2013/ "Technical Difficulties")
IC Frankfurt ( BRG claim from the 20.08.2013/ "Technical Difficulties")
Link to the Terms and Conditions : https://www.ihg.com/hotels/us/en/cus...rms-conditions
New IHG Best Rate Guarantee - Discussion & Feedback
Jun 23, 2013, 7:44 am
#4068
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: N/A
Programs: 100m swimming certificate level 5
Posts: 1,456
Pre paid, I even have an email from the competitor website saying they provide instant confirmation from a live booking system, but still they won't honour the claim, giving me a free night on a one night stay. I'm determined not to give in and push the complaint as far as I can
I'm waiting it out for few days will cancel and rebook and re claim as its best flex , funny thing is Ive used the same site to claim a few and both have been approved and the rate changed already..so we shall see.
Jun 23, 2013, 8:04 am
#4069
Join Date: Mar 2007
Programs: ICH plat RA,HH Dia
Posts: 549
palazzo
Called the PMG office to ask how the process works and they said I needed to book and give them the confirmation. I explained the direct hotel site offered a better rate (with additional perks by the way). Exact same room type, same booking requirements (deposit etc). I booked the higher rate and called back. Now the fun starts..... PMG now takes the position that the added perks make the rate from the Palazzo website a "package" and therefore doesn't qualify. What? Got nowhere after 2 calls. Even a Palazzo supervisor can't believe it.
Jun 23, 2013, 8:44 am
#4070
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Australia
Programs: QF, LM, AA,VA Silver, Qatar, Accor Gold, CC Gold, HH Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott B Plat
Posts: 535
Called the PMG office to ask how the process works and they said I needed to book and give them the confirmation. I explained the direct hotel site offered a better rate (with additional perks by the way). Exact same room type, same booking requirements (deposit etc). I booked the higher rate and called back. Now the fun starts..... PMG now takes the position that the added perks make the rate from the Palazzo website a "package" and therefore doesn't qualify. What? Got nowhere after 2 calls. Even a Palazzo supervisor can't believe it.
Jun 23, 2013, 9:04 am
#4071
Join Date: Mar 2007
Programs: ICH plat RA,HH Dia
Posts: 549
so, the lower rate from the property website with all the same booking terms PLUS perks does not qualify? you must be kidding
Jun 23, 2013, 10:34 am
#4072
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Australia
Programs: QF, LM, AA,VA Silver, Qatar, Accor Gold, CC Gold, HH Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott B Plat
Posts: 535
Jun 23, 2013, 11:44 am
#4073
Join Date: Mar 2007
Programs: ICH plat RA,HH Dia
Posts: 549
actually booking terms identical (plus extra). my argument is I can get the identical room, same rate T&C and same payment terms. and lower rate. you are supporting their position?
Last edited by bello; Jun 23, 2013 at 11:45 am Reason: added
Jun 23, 2013, 1:12 pm
#4074
Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 727
i've found a package offered on ihg.com which is a flexible cancellation policy. the competitor website offers the same package but the rate is a more restrictive cancellation policy. ihg doesnt have the package with any other policy than flex. they dont do the package with adv purchase.
would this be a valid claim ? im aware i can call and find out since the booking on ihg can be cancelled without penalty but i'd like to get an idea of the chances of success prior to calling
would this be a valid claim ? im aware i can call and find out since the booking on ihg can be cancelled without penalty but i'd like to get an idea of the chances of success prior to calling
Last edited by lfc84; Jun 23, 2013 at 1:22 pm
Jun 23, 2013, 3:30 pm
#4075
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: London
Programs: Hilton, IHG - BA, GA, LH, QR, SV, TK
Posts: 17,050
i've found a package offered on ihg.com which is a flexible cancellation policy. the competitor website offers the same package but the rate is a more restrictive cancellation policy. ihg doesnt have the package with any other policy than flex. they dont do the package with adv purchase.
would this be a valid claim ? im aware i can call and find out since the booking on ihg can be cancelled without penalty but i'd like to get an idea of the chances of success prior to calling
would this be a valid claim ? im aware i can call and find out since the booking on ihg can be cancelled without penalty but i'd like to get an idea of the chances of success prior to calling
Jun 23, 2013, 4:20 pm
#4076
Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 727
i suppose im just wondering what the current position is. i know they've tightened up recently....
Jun 23, 2013, 6:06 pm
#4077
Join Date: Dec 2012
Programs: SPG platinum; UA plus member; Delta Member; HHornors Gold, Priority Club Platinum
Posts: 102
booked a club room with breakfast at a crowne plaza. Found a cheaper rate on a third party. On the third party website, there is the exact same club room type, but one say "breakfast included", and the other one doesn't say. The agent on the phone now says my claim is invalid because the room type I booked already have 2 breakfast, one in the lounge and one in the restaurant.
I argued that in this case, the third party website club room that says "breakfast included" include resaurant breakfast AND club lounge breakfast; while the club room that doesn't say "breakfast included" includes only club lounge breakfast. because as long as you are in the club room, you have breakfast at the lounge!
also, to futher prove my point. the third party website rate club room with breakfast has an old rate of the exact same rate I booked on IHG.com. they are offering a lower rate now for that room on this third party website. which is a futher evidence of why these are the exact same room.
but the agent insisted that the third party website club room "with breakfast" is with the club lounge breakfast, not the restaurant's. i THEN ask him then does that mean the club room that doesnt have "breakfast included" doesn't even have club lounge breakfast, even though you are in a club room? then the agent couldn't counter that argument and told me this is what they can verify on their end, and he cannot approve the claim.
what ?!
I argued that in this case, the third party website club room that says "breakfast included" include resaurant breakfast AND club lounge breakfast; while the club room that doesn't say "breakfast included" includes only club lounge breakfast. because as long as you are in the club room, you have breakfast at the lounge!
also, to futher prove my point. the third party website rate club room with breakfast has an old rate of the exact same rate I booked on IHG.com. they are offering a lower rate now for that room on this third party website. which is a futher evidence of why these are the exact same room.
but the agent insisted that the third party website club room "with breakfast" is with the club lounge breakfast, not the restaurant's. i THEN ask him then does that mean the club room that doesnt have "breakfast included" doesn't even have club lounge breakfast, even though you are in a club room? then the agent couldn't counter that argument and told me this is what they can verify on their end, and he cannot approve the claim.
what ?!
Jun 23, 2013, 6:12 pm
#4078
Join Date: Dec 2012
Programs: SPG platinum; UA plus member; Delta Member; HHornors Gold, Priority Club Platinum
Posts: 102
booked a club room with breakfast at a crowne plaza. Found a cheaper rate on a third party. On the third party website, there is the exact same club room type, but one say "breakfast included", and the other one doesn't say. The agent on the phone now says my claim is invalid because the room type I booked already have 2 breakfast, one in the lounge and one in the restaurant.
I argued that in this case, the third party website club room that says "breakfast included" include resaurant breakfast AND club lounge breakfast; while the club room that doesn't say "breakfast included" includes only club lounge breakfast. because as long as you are in the club room, you have breakfast at the lounge!
also, to futher prove my point. the third party website rate club room with breakfast has an old rate of the exact same rate I booked on IHG.com. they are offering a lower rate now for that room on this third party website. which is a futher evidence of why these are the exact same room.
but the agent insisted that the third party website club room "with breakfast" is with the club lounge breakfast, not the restaurant's. i THEN ask him then does that mean the club room that doesnt have "breakfast included" doesn't even have club lounge breakfast, even though you are in a club room? then the agent couldn't counter that argument and told me this is what they can verify on their end, and he cannot approve the claim.
what ?!
I argued that in this case, the third party website club room that says "breakfast included" include resaurant breakfast AND club lounge breakfast; while the club room that doesn't say "breakfast included" includes only club lounge breakfast. because as long as you are in the club room, you have breakfast at the lounge!
also, to futher prove my point. the third party website rate club room with breakfast has an old rate of the exact same rate I booked on IHG.com. they are offering a lower rate now for that room on this third party website. which is a futher evidence of why these are the exact same room.
but the agent insisted that the third party website club room "with breakfast" is with the club lounge breakfast, not the restaurant's. i THEN ask him then does that mean the club room that doesnt have "breakfast included" doesn't even have club lounge breakfast, even though you are in a club room? then the agent couldn't counter that argument and told me this is what they can verify on their end, and he cannot approve the claim.
what ?!
Jun 23, 2013, 6:16 pm
#4079
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: In the air
Programs: Occasional RTW club
Posts: 6,925
Jun 23, 2013, 6:19 pm
#4080
Join Date: Dec 2012
Programs: SPG platinum; UA plus member; Delta Member; HHornors Gold, Priority Club Platinum
Posts: 102
while it's clearly in the restaurant. because I can see the third party webstie cross off the original price, which is equivalent to the one I booked, and marked the new price as the lower one, which coincidentally matches the IHG rate of best price only for this room, but that doesn't mean they downgraded the room type to NOT include restaurant breakfast.