BEAV

My reimbursement check arrived exactly 7 days after check-out, even though I was told to expect 4-6 weeks. This was for a domestic U.S. stay and my residence also being U.S.

samwkchan

OK. My stay is in Asia but my residence is in US.
Do you have to file or fax any documents to IHG for the reimbursement?

BEAV

I thought I'd have to, but I didn't. All the BRG folks asked me for was the mailing address to send the check to. They took care of the rest internally.
I was amazed how fast and efficient this part of the overall ordeal went.

Despite the quick reimbursement, I still maintain pre-payment on an approved BRG is ridiculous. IHG Corporate needs to remove the guest from the "argument" between they and the hotels who refuse to adjust BRG-approved rates. Transparency to the customer should be the rule of the day, especially in the so-called "hospitality" industry!

IAN-UK

Dunno, I think you got a bit too much transparency As you say, it would be better if they lowered the shutters round the sorry business of non-conforming hotels.

samwkchan

Just one quick question. Did they charge your card without further notification? If they don't, I would prefer paying with another card at the hotel because of my spending requirement on a lately applied credit card.

BEAV

I was not on an advance pay rate if that's what you mean. No payment was required until check-out.

3xter

is it all over? I havn't looked at the terms in a while?

http://www.priorityclub.com/rewards/...-internet-rate

zux85

Im confused. The room was a non cancelable/prepaid rate. It should be reduced to zero.

If i dont show, will they charge me $0 or will they charge me the full original rate?

Pentech

This is simply incorrect. IHG BRG will allow comparisons to Skoosh as long as:

1) The rate is immediately bookable.
2) The rate is publicly available.

This applies to 3rd party website.

lfc84

i asked the BRG line and they said that if you book an advance purchase rate, submit a claim and have the claim verified to reduce the rate to zero on the first night, it will still be subject to the original cancellation policy

zux85

i asked them as well and was told the same. Which means on a $400 room which was a prepaid night reduced to $0, i would be billed the $400 if i dont show.

blindman

Do you have first hand experience of this or are you guessing?

blindman

This is the same BRG team who seem to make up their own rules and give strange interpratations of what's a valid calim

I may need to cabcel one of my free nights. I rang CS and they quite happily said I could cancel as it was a free night.

I have not done so yet-so unlike others I cannot give sound advice from experience.

My view is that as my CC was refunded with the money, the night is "comped" on the booking it should be fine.

If I do so I will let you know.

Likewise if anyone has cancelled a free night that was booked under a non-refundable rate, then let us know if you got charged.

Thanks

tangey

So, I've a BRG night in Madrid IC in March. BRG could not make contact with the hotel. When it was raised with Senior Case managment, they rechecked and revalidated the calim, but also failed to get a reply from the hotel, and advised that refund would occur after stay etc.

I decided to contact the hotel directly. (this is about a month later)

My first email went un-answered.

a week or more later, I emailed again.

2 weeks after that, I got a response from the hotel, saying they'd look into it, and respond no later than 3 days afterwards. Shortly after that I saw the booking go to "call for details". "Great, they've adjusted the rate", I thought. But I got no follow-up email. I was on holidays, so it was 2 weeks before I was able to email asking for the outcome.

They came back saying they had reviewed the issue, and noted that the rate comparision was made using a different currency from their own currency, and had it been made with the same currency, I would see that the BRG would have failed, and thus they reckon they had complied with the program. As a good will gesture, they would offer me club access and an upgrade to a suite.

Thats right, the hotel had actually examined the BRG case and decided to tell the customer they were over-ruling both BRG department and the senior case management, and denying the claim !

Now a few things sprung to mind in my reply to them. First of all, my claim was made when different currencies WERE allowed, and thankfully someone on here had emailed a copied of the original T&C, which I forwarded in my reply. I also reminded them that it was not me that validated the claim, but if had been validated twice by IHG corporate.

I expressed my shock that they would there attempt to deny the claim, and then offer me "upgrades", when a) club access is included in the room thats booked, and b) as a Royal Ambassador I would expect a 2 level room upgrade and all the usual benefits that come with royal ambassador. I asked them to review the issue once more and reply confirming that they would be agreeing with IHG corporates request to adjust the rate to a free night.

To be fair, they came back quickly with a response of:-
"I truly understand your concerns and therefore we will proceed to amend your booking."

I'm *assuming* this means a free night, but of course the room detail is still just showing "call for details", so I can't be sure. I still have the refund route to go down if all else fails.

It is however interesting that this hotel had ALL the details of the BRG claim, including the competitive website and the nature of the comparision. Its also interesting that they thought they could overrule IHG corporate, deny the claim, and enter into negotiations with the customer ?

BEAV

Unbelievable.

I don't care what positive spin the IHG care folks put on a BRG program that affords properties the permission to do as they please, even if the customer is ultimately reimbursed in the end.

And there's nothing positive you can spin when a BRG claim approved two months ago is still dragging the customer through the mud with back-and-forth "negotiations" with the hotel. I wonder if IHG cares that their current program is very labor intensive when you take into consideration Tangey's continuing saga?

If you'd made a claim with Hyatt, Marriott, etc, you're either approved or denied for whatever reason. Done. Period. End of story.