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
May 5, 2014, 8:59 pm
#5806
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 4,431
When you guys (and gals) have a multi-night stay planned and find a potential BRG, do you book all the nights and submit the BRG? Or do you typically test it by booking 1 night only first?
May 5, 2014, 11:12 pm
#5807
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Amsterdam, Asia, UK
Programs: IHG RA (Spire), HH Diamond, MR Platinum, SQ Gold, KLM Gold, BAEC Gold
Posts: 5,072
Yeah, I got that. But if they they don't honor the BRG submission, I'd be stuck with 4 nights at the higher IHG rate. So I figured I'd test it and only booked the first night. If they don't honor it, I'm only paying the higher rate for 1 night (non-refundable rate) and I can use the other website for the final 3 nights. What I'm worried about is that if they do honor it, do they make the 3rd party website raise their prices to match IHG? That would force me to pay higher prices for the remaining 3 nights.
When you guys (and gals) have a multi-night stay planned and find a potential BRG, do you book all the nights and submit the BRG? Or do you typically test it by booking 1 night only first?
When you guys (and gals) have a multi-night stay planned and find a potential BRG, do you book all the nights and submit the BRG? Or do you typically test it by booking 1 night only first?
Depends if you need the 3days qualifying nights and points for nights 2-4 to maintain elite status. If not needed and a high price differential then yes you could brg 1night and book 3nights with OTA.
Or you can just simply book all 4nights with the OTA if saving per night is that good? Bear in mind hotels do not need to honour elite status bennies for OTA 3rd party reservations.
If you can find a better rate on one OTA website, that will usually mean you can find other OTAs also beating the IHG.COM rate.
May 6, 2014, 2:03 am
#5808
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: London
Programs: Hilton, IHG - BA, GA, LH, QR, SV, TK
Posts: 17,008
Yeah, I got that. But if they they don't honor the BRG submission, I'd be stuck with 4 nights at the higher IHG rate. So I figured I'd test it and only booked the first night. If they don't honor it, I'm only paying the higher rate for 1 night (non-refundable rate) and I can use the other website for the final 3 nights. What I'm worried about is that if they do honor it, do they make the 3rd party website raise their prices to match IHG? That would force me to pay higher prices for the remaining 3 nights.
When you guys (and gals) have a multi-night stay planned and find a potential BRG, do you book all the nights and submit the BRG? Or do you typically test it by booking 1 night only first?
When you guys (and gals) have a multi-night stay planned and find a potential BRG, do you book all the nights and submit the BRG? Or do you typically test it by booking 1 night only first?
Just how quickly they carry out this rationalisation of prices has to be a gamble.
Trying to be too clever at gaming the system (AKA being greedy!) carries risks.
You don't seem very certain of the validity of your claim. The "rules" are pretty clear, but you could be playing in a fuzzy area of interpretation of the rules.
The only certainty seems to be the OTA rate is significantly better than the IHG one, and as points /qualifying stays don't seem important to you, go with the agency.
May 6, 2014, 5:50 am
#5809
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: SJC
Programs: DL DM, F9 100k, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Plat
Posts: 98
Just had a claim take thirty hours. By the time thirty hours rolled around, the OTA rate was long gone (of course). I like to call this the "stall and deny" tactic.
Hopefully this isn't now par for the course.
Hopefully this isn't now par for the course.
May 6, 2014, 9:37 am
#5810
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 4,431
You don't seem very certain of the validity of your claim. The "rules" are pretty clear, but you could be playing in a fuzzy area of interpretation of the rules.
The only certainty seems to be the OTA rate is significantly better than the IHG one, and as points /qualifying stays don't seem important to you, go with the agency.
The only certainty seems to be the OTA rate is significantly better than the IHG one, and as points /qualifying stays don't seem important to you, go with the agency.
May 6, 2014, 3:25 pm
#5811
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 866
I do care about the points, but not the qualifying stays. The third-party rate is significantly lower, but there are way too many reports of rejection for me to be certain about the validity of my claim. But as far as meeting the T+C, yes, the rate I found meets the criteria. The only fuzzy area is the OTA site has a "double standard" room, whereas IHG has a "double" room.
May 7, 2014, 3:30 am
#5812
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: BER
Posts: 512
Response times are currently longer than 3 days for claims I have submitted and both of them have been rejected. The reason provided was they were unable to find the lower rate, I can still see it though. Of course they will not provide a screenshot and only point at the T&C and claim they verified the rates properly. This was for pre-paid, nonrefundable rates. Go figure. 
May 7, 2014, 5:59 am
#5813
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Germany
Posts: 1,244
3 Day? Got one approved yesterday within 27 hours.
May 7, 2014, 6:05 am
#5814
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 2,363
The ihg BRG is a joke. I submitted a BRG last week on Friday. I didn't hear from them on Monday so I called. The csrs said that they could not locate my BRG claim and so they asked me to cancel my original reservation and submit a new one. Then on Tuesday I hear back from BRG and they say "we wanted to process your BRG but you cancelled your reservation...... " Arrrgh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What a complete cluster.
What a complete cluster.
May 7, 2014, 6:51 am
#5815
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: N/A
Programs: 100m swimming certificate level 5
Posts: 1,456
May 7, 2014, 8:16 am
#5816
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 4,431
I submitted my BRG claim on Monday afternoon, about 4 PM PST. I have not heard from them since and it is been well over 30 hours, but I understand that I submitted my claim late in the day, so I'll be patient. But I haven't heard anything from them, not even that they received my claim. Am I supposed to get some sort if confirmation that they received my claim?
May 7, 2014, 8:36 am
#5817
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: LHR
Programs: M&M,HH Gold,Accor Plat.,Priority Club Plat. Ambassador,Club Carlson Gold,Marriott Gold,GHA Plat.
Posts: 1,627
The ihg BRG is a joke. I submitted a BRG last week on Friday. I didn't hear from them on Monday so I called. The csrs said that they could not locate my BRG claim and so they asked me to cancel my original reservation and submit a new one. Then on Tuesday I hear back from BRG and they say "we wanted to process your BRG but you cancelled your reservation...... " Arrrgh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What a complete cluster.
What a complete cluster.
^In my opinion quite all the BPG programs are a scam. IHG, Radisson, Accor. It's a sort of bait and switch because they convince people to book on their website, hoping for a BPG benefits, in the meantime the (lower) OTA rate is gone and people are fuc**d up!
For what I've been able to observe and heard, the BPG policies are made by the company to "control" the super low rates that often are published on many OTA by the hotel management. I dunno if it's true, but I suspect that something real is behind it!
Just one time Hilton honored a BPG promise, matching the fare and offering 50$ extra bonus, so nothing special, except for the pts!
May 7, 2014, 8:51 am
#5818
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Manchester, UK
Programs: IHG Spire Ambassador, HH Diamond
Posts: 945
Just had one turned down due to different cancellation terms.
Took about 27 hours.
I think I'm going to resign from this now. Have had a few decent ones in the past but they've clearly tightened up on approving them and there a very few websites out there, if any in the uk, that have cancellation policies which are exactly the same as 4pm on day of check in
Took about 27 hours.
I think I'm going to resign from this now. Have had a few decent ones in the past but they've clearly tightened up on approving them and there a very few websites out there, if any in the uk, that have cancellation policies which are exactly the same as 4pm on day of check in
May 7, 2014, 9:43 am
#5819
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Northern VA, MSP
Programs: Marriott Platinum, US Silver
Posts: 49
I submitted a claim last Friday and I haven't heard anything. Should I call the general customer service number to ask about it?
May 7, 2014, 10:44 am
#5820
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 4,431
Is IHG supposed to contact us to notify us that they received out claim, or is the BRG acceptance/denial the first contact?