Apr 17, 2017, 8:50 am
Last edit by: FLYGVA
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
Older Thread (Prior to December 31, 2016) could be found here. The Wiki was taken from this thread.
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
Older Thread (Prior to December 31, 2016) could be found here. The Wiki was taken from this thread.
New IHG Best Rate Guarantee - Discussion & Feedback from January 2016
Sep 25, 2017, 4:57 am
#797
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: U.K.
Programs: QR P; HH D; IHG SpAmb
Posts: 774
Is it just me or do others also get only denied claims with the reason that they cannot find the lower rate (which then magically reappears when i search for it again shortly after receiving their email).
Sep 25, 2017, 4:58 am
#798
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: U.K.
Programs: QR P; HH D; IHG SpAmb
Posts: 774
Oh, i have to correct myself, that's not the only reason i got from them, i also had one stating that the "2 Single Bed" room i booked does not match the "Twin Room" on the 3rd party site...
Sep 26, 2017, 1:07 am
#799
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
i)2x single beds (or no description of bed type as sgls/dbls/queens) then escalate back, BPG claim should not be rejected
ii)2x Dbl/Queen beds , then BPG is correctly rejected
note
I have yet to come across an hotel with a twin category room having choiuce of 2x Singles OR 2x Queens
Sep 29, 2017, 1:50 am
#801
Join Date: Jul 2012
Programs: Delta Gold, Alaska Gold 75K, LATAM Black
Posts: 3,393
I actually received a positive response:
Please accept our apologies as we were unable to adjust your reservation to reflect your free night on August __, 2017 (one night) at the Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Orlando SW - Celebration Area. In order to fulfill the Best Price Guarantee promise of providing a free night stay for confirmation number ___________, we will reimburse the amount paid through a US Dollar (USD) denominated check via mail. In line with our Terms and Conditions of the program, the check shall be sent out the address listed on your reservation.
Then today I receive:
We understand that we have initially advised you that we will reimburse the amount you have paid during your stay at Holiday Inn Hotel and Suites Orlando SW - Celebration Area last August __, 2017 through a US Dollar (USD) denominated check via mail. However, upon attempting to process the payment, we reviewed that the hotel made the necessary adjustment. Thus, please be advised that the reimbursement is no longer forthcoming from our office.
The only problem is that the hotel charged the prepayment for my room to my credit card in July and has never refunded it. And now, IHG is not responding to my emails.
Please accept our apologies as we were unable to adjust your reservation to reflect your free night on August __, 2017 (one night) at the Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Orlando SW - Celebration Area. In order to fulfill the Best Price Guarantee promise of providing a free night stay for confirmation number ___________, we will reimburse the amount paid through a US Dollar (USD) denominated check via mail. In line with our Terms and Conditions of the program, the check shall be sent out the address listed on your reservation.
Then today I receive:
We understand that we have initially advised you that we will reimburse the amount you have paid during your stay at Holiday Inn Hotel and Suites Orlando SW - Celebration Area last August __, 2017 through a US Dollar (USD) denominated check via mail. However, upon attempting to process the payment, we reviewed that the hotel made the necessary adjustment. Thus, please be advised that the reimbursement is no longer forthcoming from our office.
The only problem is that the hotel charged the prepayment for my room to my credit card in July and has never refunded it. And now, IHG is not responding to my emails.
Bizarre, I had something like this happen to me recently. IC LA Century City. IHG says, pay and get your check later. Ok, fine. A week after check out (after I paid full price) I get an email from IHG stating that "since the hotel updated the room rate to $0" I would not longer be receiving a check. BUT IF this was an error, and I did actually pay, let them know by sending a copy of the receipt and they will still reimburse me.
Haven't received the check yet, but this was certainly weird as this has never happened to me before. Luckily for me, they responded saying they fwded to accounting.
It seems that "accounting" is always making the final decisions on these things, in your next email I would try addressing it specifically to them. With a copy of your receipt ..
Sep 29, 2017, 1:53 am
#802
Join Date: Jul 2012
Programs: Delta Gold, Alaska Gold 75K, LATAM Black
Posts: 3,393
Unfortunately not everybody understands this, that is when you see people calling them a fraud, bait and switch .. blah blah.
I will say, IHG BRG still works for me quite well. Maybe <50% of the time .. but still better than nothing.
Oct 10, 2017, 8:46 am
#803
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 3,665
If the lowest price is non-cancellable you have to book it for the BRG!
I tried the BRG for Montreal - Expedia was $122 and IHG $160. Both rates are for a cancellable standard room and the IHG site was in "Best Available Rate". It was denied because there is a lower non-cancellable rate on IHG of $150, which is more than the cancellable rate on Expedia. IHG told me that I have to have booked the non-cancellable rate. There is no choice. I am not interested in the non-cancellable rate as we have to deal with family health issues. This seems to contradict the policy listed in the lead post of the Wiki. IHG responded when I challenged it - I have to book at the lowest rate on IHG, no matter what. This is a bad deal and I will avoid IHG. I wrote back and the decision was confirmed. In my experience, Marriott does not play these petty games. What IHG is saying is that they guarantee a rate - but only the rate for the type of booking that is the lowest on their web page, even if that "best" rate is more than Expedia. This is a game not a guarantee.
Last edited by B1; Oct 10, 2017 at 9:52 am Reason: corrected title
Oct 23, 2017, 9:59 pm
#804
Join Date: May 2015
Programs: Marriott Titanium Elite, United Gold
Posts: 60
Have to agree this is a farce compared to how it was a few years back.
Tried twice booking lowest non-member rate since I thought membership rates were excluded before getting the same rejection twice. Then I searched this thread and found out the YOUR RATE IHG membership rate is required to be booked if it's the lowest...requiring membership isn't part of their terms!
Anyway rebooked with the YOUR RATE membership rate and now they're claiming room type is not comparable. IHG description is "1 King Bed Executive Suite Non-Smoking" and competing rate is "King Executive Hearing Accessible Tub". There is no lower King Executive on their site available!
Responses all 3 times have been 28-30 hrs which is not reasonable either.
Tried twice booking lowest non-member rate since I thought membership rates were excluded before getting the same rejection twice. Then I searched this thread and found out the YOUR RATE IHG membership rate is required to be booked if it's the lowest...requiring membership isn't part of their terms!
Anyway rebooked with the YOUR RATE membership rate and now they're claiming room type is not comparable. IHG description is "1 King Bed Executive Suite Non-Smoking" and competing rate is "King Executive Hearing Accessible Tub". There is no lower King Executive on their site available!
Responses all 3 times have been 28-30 hrs which is not reasonable either.
Oct 24, 2017, 7:35 am
#805
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: U.K.
Programs: QR P; HH D; IHG SpAmb
Posts: 774
Anyway rebooked with the YOUR RATE membership rate and now they're claiming room type is not comparable. IHG description is "1 King Bed Executive Suite Non-Smoking" and competing rate is "King Executive Hearing Accessible Tub". There is no lower King Executive on their site available!
Oct 24, 2017, 7:48 pm
#806
Join Date: May 2015
Programs: Marriott Titanium Elite, United Gold
Posts: 60
It doesn't specify anything more. There is only one King Executive room type on the IHG website. I'd understand they could argue if they had different variations of King Executive rooms on their site at different prices, such as with a view etc, but they don't - only a single one. I haven't called the property to see if all King Executives are hearing accessible or not. I replied to IHG asking them to specify in detail why the rooms are not comparable if only one such room type exists to begin with and asked them to escalate to a supervisor. Probably a lost cause.
Oct 25, 2017, 6:05 pm
#807
Join Date: May 2015
Programs: Marriott Titanium Elite, United Gold
Posts: 60
Have to agree this is a farce compared to how it was a few years back.
Tried twice booking lowest non-member rate since I thought membership rates were excluded before getting the same rejection twice. Then I searched this thread and found out the YOUR RATE IHG membership rate is required to be booked if it's the lowest...requiring membership isn't part of their terms!
Anyway rebooked with the YOUR RATE membership rate and now they're claiming room type is not comparable. IHG description is "1 King Bed Executive Suite Non-Smoking" and competing rate is "King Executive Hearing Accessible Tub". There is no lower King Executive on their site available!
Responses all 3 times have been 28-30 hrs which is not reasonable either.
Tried twice booking lowest non-member rate since I thought membership rates were excluded before getting the same rejection twice. Then I searched this thread and found out the YOUR RATE IHG membership rate is required to be booked if it's the lowest...requiring membership isn't part of their terms!
Anyway rebooked with the YOUR RATE membership rate and now they're claiming room type is not comparable. IHG description is "1 King Bed Executive Suite Non-Smoking" and competing rate is "King Executive Hearing Accessible Tub". There is no lower King Executive on their site available!
Responses all 3 times have been 28-30 hrs which is not reasonable either.
Turns out on the IHG site accessibility has to be selected differently and doesn't appear by default when best rate available is selected. So it turns out there indeed is a King Executive Hearing Accessible Tub available at the same rate as the competitor if you go through this menu.
At least they responded logically eventually, but response times back and forth could have been much more reasonable than around 30 hours each time.
Last edited by RobotsRock; Oct 25, 2017 at 6:06 pm Reason: typo
Nov 6, 2017, 11:09 pm
#808
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: PWM/CDG
Programs: AF/KL Plat, AA Plat, HH Diamond
Posts: 789
Interesting experiment here: planned staying at the same hotel with relatives, submitted two claims for each booking against the same websites with the same comments.
Claim 1: theirs denied, mine “further verification”,
Claim 2: theirs approved, mine denied.
Claim 1: theirs denied, mine “further verification”,
Claim 2: theirs approved, mine denied.
