wrong thread

Okay - I want to go back to what the guy at LNF told me. He was being helpful and was an experienced staffer. I had lost out because the link I used in the claim was no longer available. He told me to make a reservation that's fully cancelable if possible and note how to access it in the comments section. That worked for me. They will not accept a screen shot and they can take a full 24 hours to confirm so the link for the price can disappear, which happened to me. But when I made the other reservation they accepted the same claim. He also said if the saving is big enough, consider what the cancellation fee is as part of the cost of getting the LNF rate.

Just had a successful claim on the Envoy, an Autograph Collection Hotel in Boston for Christmas Eve. Filed the claim last night at 11PM, Had a response this morning by 7AM. Booked a Deluxe larger King with water view for $199, was reduced to $104.00 after claim was approved.

LNF is a joke
 

For non-US hotels, LNF has become a joke with the 'voucher rule' being imposed. Has anybody had a successful LNF claim recently for a non-US hotel? Anybody?

the voucher rule is not new and to the best of my knowledge there is no change at all to how ex-US hotels are handled.

I have had 7 successful claims (out of 8 bookings) for non-US hotels this year so yes, it is most definitely possible ... but very difficult.

+1

the voucher rule is a bit of stretch on many mainstream websites but Marriott like to play games and lets their properties get away with it.

I like to think I am a patient person and I have been successful out of country many times this year but it takes extra work to be sure.

Just remember it could be worse in dealing with IHG or Accor.

Yes, me and many others. Voucher rule is not a recent change and makes it harder, but not impossible.

Well, this was bad
 

I have used the SPG BRG program for years, and also had some luck with the Hyatt BRG program. I thought I would give the Marriott LNF program a try. Seven claims submitted over the last 14 days - all rejected because the LNF person "does not see the competing rate". Lovely. Each time I have provided them with a link in the form with the competing rate, and they still cannot see it. When I ask them if they could please click on the link, they say "they have to verify it themselves". No clicking on my link. No screenshot accepted. No discussion. Thank you for choosing Marriott. Are you kidding me? And I thought Hyatt BRG was bad.

If this is the standard Marriott service, I will continue to cry myself to sleep over the SPG/Marriott merger.

no, it's not (but I'll still send you a big box of tissues)

I have to disagree with you about the Marriott service. Over the years I have found them to be first rate and always willing to go above and beyond to satisfy their guests in every aspect.

I just filed 2 the other day. First was approved. The other site had suites and standard rooms for same rate. My suite is now about ⅓ the Marriot rate and around half of what the standard room would have cost.

The other claim I knew was a long shot due to fluctuations in currency conversion. I was turned down so I will keep on looking.

As per the LNF team, make sure to include which device iPad, mobile phone etc or browser you used in the comments. It will help them expedite your claim.

Took some doing, but I actually got my LNF rate. By "took some doing" it means I saw a lower rate through Tripadvisor, took a screenshot because my IHG experience has taught me that I would need one, submitted the initial request, was denied and told that the rate was no longer bookable (12 hours later, of course it wasn't) and because I had booked a subsequent night with points I would be denied anyways (...srsly?), canceled the points night, replied with the description of the process through which I found the rate (and a few choice words for the program as a whole), finally got it pushed through.

All of this for a nonrefundable reservation, by the way. I did learn a valuable lesson: apparently "non-refundable" means "non-refundable after 24 hours" in Marriottspeak. Good to know - I don't think this kind of window is afforded IHG members.

Admittedly I had only previously used Marriott's LNF guarrentee till the other day. I tried making a claim at IHG. Awful experience. After rejecting my claim, I responded back. It took them another 12 hours to respond to me and they tried to shut me down claiming it was over the 24 hours which it wasn't as I squeezed by about 15 minutes. The LNF team are usually very prompt in emailing you back and are not as rigid as those other guys were.

Back to Marriott for me and yes just got another claim approved.

The Marriott LNF process, particularly for non-US properties, is BAD. Either they will not see/find the lower rates pointed out in the claim or will interrpret an e-mail confirmation from the third party site as a 'voucher' and deny the claim. They are plain and simple dishonest.

There are a number of Marriott apologists on this board who will quickly spring to the defence of Marriott, but they either have zero recent experience of filing LNF claims for non-US properties or are simply delusional.

And yes, the SPG takeover is unfortunate news since that program will now sink to Marriott standards, at least as regards a best rate guarantee is concerned.

IMO, your earlier post 767 in
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/marri...on-brg-53.html
indicates you're a novice and have no idea of how the LNF system works, but certainly do like to complain about it!

Marriott has now removed the voucher exclusion for pre-paid stays outside the US and Canada!

See the updated Look No Further terms and conditions: http://www.marriott.com/online-hotel-booking.mi