Marriott's Look No Further-Best Rate Guaranteed Master Thread
 

This thread is about Marriott's LNF. If you don't know what LNF is - here's the Marriott LNF.

If you are new to this, and would like to ask fellow FTers questions regarding LNFs, then the below thread is the place to start:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/marriott-ritz-carlton-rewards/1337248-lnf-newbies-thats-marriotts-version-brg.html


For general discussion about LNF - experiences, rant, praise etc., please post in the thread below:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/marri...scussions.html

If you need help in finding a lower rate, please post in the below thread (remember to be nice :)):

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/marri...-lnf-rate.html

Finally if you are so lucky/skilled that you did score a LNF, please post your success here. Or if you see that someone got a LNF and you may need it, please PM the poster (please remember to be nice, as the poster is doing you a favour):

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/marri...esses-137.html

Excellent idea! I have had quite a bit of success with LNF rates and think that LNF deserves a sticky on its own.

Why is this a sticky?

Because we want to keep things organized in the several different threads (linked above) about different aspects of LNF, and instead of making 4 separate threads sticky, one sticky "meta" thread with links to the other threads seems more "compact". (Some newcomers seem to have a hard time finding the right thread since it may not be on the first page, and then post in the wrong thread because that's all they can find.)

So if this is for the benefit of newcomers, should we layoff of the acronyms a little bit? LNF and BRG is going to be foreign to most newcomers. They probably wouldn't know to click on this post to begin with based on the title. Something like "Marriott's Look No Further-Best Rate Guaranteed Master Thread" perhaps? I little wordy but at least you know what to expect inside.

Great suggestion! I can't change it myself, I will ask Bruce to help me.

Thanks!

How strict is Marriott with the comparable rate? Does the room type need to match exactly? I noticed a few OTAs uses different names to describe the rooms. If their site says refundable up to same day 6pm and the non Marriott site say the day before will they honor the LNF?

I usually book the cheapest rate, so if the name doesn't exactly match, I'd put on the comment saying that 'both rooms are the lowest category room'. I got it through this way - however if it's for a specific bed type then the number of beds/bed type has to match if the price is not the same for 1 king/2 double.

If mine gets rejected then I write back also explaining. I have not had any problems as far the cancelation dates being a little different. The only problem I can foresee is if you use a refundable rate to a non refundable rate.

I just did a claim. The lowest rate on Marriott was the prepay non refundable. I booked with the higher refundable rate and my LNF came through almost $100 less than the non refundable one.

Most Ritz-Carlton Hotels Are Now Avaiable For BRG Claims!
 

I think this may be a significant change to the Marriott BRG requirements -- it appears that most Ritz Carlton hotels can now have BRGs submitted.


The rules were recently updated to preclude BRG claims for Protea hotels, but I also see that only a handful of Ritz hotels are now off-limits:

http://www.marriott.com/hotel-prices/travel.mi

Further, the rules now instruct one to make a reservation for a Ritz property prior to submitting a BRG claim:



So, it would appear that a BRG claim can now be processed for all but a few Ritz properties!

the new Ritz rule is very interesting ... I may try that in Seoul ... let's see if I can still find the comparison ...

LNF
 

Does the LNF guarantee work if I book the other reservation on hotels.com at a rate they refer to as their 'private sale'?

I once was declined using some promo on travelocity. Even though it was available to all it was a no go.

But that wouldn't stop me from trying. You never know. I always try to have a back up site. If declined I email them back to check out the other.

private sale is o.k. for LNF as long as the site allows everyone to book that sale.

obviously any kind of code/coupon/cashback etc. won't work for LNF. They only accept the price that is listed (pre-tax that is)

Nevermind different room categories

Has anyone had issues with a LNF claim and being told that the availability has disappeared when it hasn't? Or that the claim website isn't working when it is working perfectly?

Haven't had that problem lately.

Mine is that they are taking their sweet time and by the time they get to it, the rate really does disappear.

Happened to me wore a few times, especially with sites that they are not familiar with.

Something new? Instead of getting the regular canned response, this time they asked for further info such as the device I was using so they can duplicate.

Of course this was after 4 emails, 3 different sites for comparisons,0 over 2 days. They were very nice and I finally got approved.

I have been on a LNF approval winning streak with AC properties in Spain and Turkey until today...denied for the Courtyard Toronto Airport due to the other website being sold out.

Overall the response times for me with Marriott are slightly ahead of Starwood and much faster than awful Hilton. ^

I recently have been receiving some hassle when checking in on a LNF rate. All my recent LNF claims included breakfast. But when I checked in, the hotel could only see the rate as room only, and I had to spend time explaining / insisting that the hotel's record was incorrect. Fortunately I would bring along a printout of my reservation from the Marriott website and that would put a stop to the dispute. But really, such experiences were rather awkward at reception and something I could have done without.

And occasionally after explaining to reception at check in, I would have the hassle repeated when I turned up at the restaurant for breakfast... where the restaurant staff refused to accept that my stay was inclusive of breakfast. Another embarrassing interaction that I could do without.

Interesting.

I have a stay tonight with the same breakfast included LNF approved and, being Spain, I anticipate a back and forth about it at the front desk or warden at the breakfast area.

Which brand have you been experiencing these issues at? Just curious.

Autograph Collection - Glasshouse in Edinburgh and St Ermins in London. I find their standard, though supposedly luxury boutique, to be not very polished. I attribute to general poor levels of staff training.

Sadly, the Autography Collection properties can be very reluctant to acknowledge they are even a part of Marriott - a bit frustrating. I am having this same experience at the AC properties in Spain...high speed internet needs to be paid for, etc and priority check-in does not exist.

The challenge with LNF approvals and escalating the issue to corporate will likely not go far I fear, nor accomplish anything.

LNF w/ breakfast has always been a problem. It is SOP to bring the printout of the reservation (where it is noted) as well as the LNF Email.
So far I have not seen any issues at the front desk to get it adjusted.

^

Ummm...have you been to the AC properties in Europe yet? ;)

I had a 10ish minute back and forth with the FDM about the breakfast (I had 2 Nespresso and an orange juice) and they assured me they were correct. I showed the LNF confirmation email and he replied "of course, but with breakfast the rate goes back to the original higher rate". I pushed back and suggested that I forward him the email to check with his Marriott contacts and:

Dear Mr. PW,
I would like to inform you that everything is cleared
Marriott confirmed the breakfast included, apologize for inconveniences.
We hope to see you soon and provide you an stay without incidents.
Best regards,

(name withheld)| Front Desk Manager | AC Hotel (property withheld)| Madrid, Spain

Now I am of 2 minds on this incident. Firstly, I give kudos to the FDM for replying in a timely manner with a sincere apology, however, it never should have happened in the first place. :cool:

As an aside, I arrived at the newish AC property in Istanbul and am quite pleased. The FDS is awesome and should be sent to Spain to whip those staff into shape. ^ ^

yup, AC Hotels ... showed my confirmation which said 'breakfast included' and they took it off instantly.

Exactly! You expect any Marriott hotel to be fully apprised of their own LNF policy - that breakfast inclusive rates may be approved under LNF. And even if they were ignorant, they should have gotten the reservation corrected at check-in after I had shown them the LNF printout.

At The Glasshouse Edinburgh, I had the further hassle at breakfast... where after all my family and I were seated, the restaurant waitress asked if it would be OK for whatever we ordered to be charged to the room. I said no firmly and reiterated that my room rate had included BF, and I had informed reception at check in. She called reception and reception presumably checked the (uncorrected) hotel reservation system, and told her (incorrectly) that my reservation didn't include BF. When she informed me of that, I was livid and demanded to see the duty manager immediately. We had to wait for the duty manager to come down to the restaurant to verify that I was telling the truth before we were allowed to order anything. Anticipating that 'proof' was needed yet again, I had to trudge back to my room to retrieve my LNF printout. And after that my family and I sat for a full 15 minutes or so in awkward silence until the duty manager arrived. While he did quickly sort it out by asking the waitress to charge all our BFs as complimentary, it still left a somewhat unpleasant start to the morning...

to add to the +BF situation ... I must confess it can be a mess. Booked the RC in Vienna for my uncle w/ BF and they flat out refused at check-in. I got on the phone and explained it to them but they quoted 'breakfast is listed under 'not guaranteed' and thus we don't provide it'.
Anyway, had to call Marriott corporate in SLC today who did not know what to do either and finally transfer me to LNF where someone called the hotel and sorted things out.
That's a mess.

Same here. I have this same problem of having breakfast included in the LNF claims multiple times in Mariott, Renaissance and Courtyards hotels here in Asia. Luckily, on all these occasions, I happen to know the Manager / Director of room / Front Desk and they managed to waive off the breakfast charges.

Occasionally, I had to show them the printout of my rate which included breakfast.

I told them to feedback this problem to HQ Marriott. It's either their IT system fault or the LNF team who did not include breakfast into the revised rate.



Very True

That's terrible. And how very untrue. Marriott LNF really needs to get their act together in at least educating these wayward hotels.

I'm confused as to who advised you that 'bfst is listed under not guaranteed'. Whomever that was needs to sent for remedial training. :rolleyes:

wrong thread

actually, that's how the last 10/10 of my LNF claims w/ BF have come out? How else have you seen it annotated if I may ask? Not sure who needs re-training here, but it's not the person who approved the claim in the first place.

After I got my LNF approved, I too noticed on my reservation that it stated breakfast not quarrented. That's what prompted my phone call to make sure I would have no problems when checking in which I didn't.

Really? All my emails back from the LNF say "including breakfast" and my Marriott reservations were not changed to say "breakfast not guaranteed".

w/o it being annotated in the booking itself you can run into much more issues. The note has definitely helped before and yes, it is very common.

I had a similar experience recently at the Boscolo Budapest (again an Autograph Collection hotel in Europe) on a LNF rate with breakfast included. On entering the dining room for breakfast, the member of staff said that breakfast wasn't included, so I asked her to check again whilst I had breakfast. When I was leaving the restaurant, the same member of staff came up to me, presented me with a bill, insisting that breakfast wasn't included, and telling me to pay for it on the spot. I refused, asked her to check again and, in any case, add any charges to my room bill.

At check-out, the front desk manager was aware of the breakfast issue and told me not to worry as breakfast would be given 'on the house'.

I was grateful not to be charged for breakfast on check-out, but really I should not have been pestered on entering and leaving the restaurant. Marriott really needs to change its reservation system so that LNF rates with breakfast included can be recognised without any issue by hotel staff.