Oct 5, 2018, 3:54 pm
Last edit by: margarita girl
Marriott's Best Rate Guarantee Discussion Thread
This thread is about Marriott's BRG. If you don't know what BRG is - here's the Marriott BRG and here's the claim form.
If you're not satisfied with the outcome of your claim and wish for a second review you may reply back by email or call Marriott's BRG hotline 1-800-771-5665. A human is available at this number beginning at 9 am EST.
If you are new to this, and would like to ask fellow FTers questions regarding BRGs, then this thread is the place to start.
Hotel Name:
Date of stay:
Number of Guests:
Room Type:
Marriott Brand Website Rate:
Competing Rate:
Actual Approved Rate:
This thread is about Marriott's BRG. If you don't know what BRG is - here's the Marriott BRG and here's the claim form.
If you're not satisfied with the outcome of your claim and wish for a second review you may reply back by email or call Marriott's BRG hotline 1-800-771-5665. A human is available at this number beginning at 9 am EST.
If you are new to this, and would like to ask fellow FTers questions regarding BRGs, then this thread is the place to start.
Hotel Name:
Date of stay:
Number of Guests:
Room Type:
Marriott Brand Website Rate:
Competing Rate:
Actual Approved Rate:
Marriott BRG Best Rate Guarantee (formerly LNF) Success, failure & discussion thread
Dec 2, 2018, 2:01 pm
#271
Join Date: Aug 2016
Programs: BA Gold, Hilton Lifetime Diamond, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 149
Design hotels now excluded?
Have been trying to get a claim approved for a newly listed Design hotel - there were a number of websites with lower rates than marriott/spg.com - but was refused twice with different excuses which seemed to be different than the T&Cs, even those that were more specific for this brand.
Was thinking of trying again, but notice the T&Cs have just been updated to:
”Effective December 1, 2018, the Look No Further Best Rest Guarantee does not apply to Design Hotels branded properties.”
Guess I will just book via another website!
Was thinking of trying again, but notice the T&Cs have just been updated to:
”Effective December 1, 2018, the Look No Further Best Rest Guarantee does not apply to Design Hotels branded properties.”
Guess I will just book via another website!
Dec 2, 2018, 6:42 pm
#272
Join Date: Mar 2014
Programs: SPG Platinum, Marriott Plat, Hyatt Diamond, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 236
Have been trying to get a claim approved for a newly listed Design hotel - there were a number of websites with lower rates than marriott/spg.com - but was refused twice with different excuses which seemed to be different than the T&Cs, even those that were more specific for this brand.
Was thinking of trying again, but notice the T&Cs have just been updated to:
”Effective December 1, 2018, the Look No Further Best Rest Guarantee does not apply to Design Hotels branded properties.”
Guess I will just book via another website!
Was thinking of trying again, but notice the T&Cs have just been updated to:
”Effective December 1, 2018, the Look No Further Best Rest Guarantee does not apply to Design Hotels branded properties.”
Guess I will just book via another website!
Dec 2, 2018, 10:39 pm
#273
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: ZRH
Programs: QR Gold / M&M FTL / Marriott Bonvoy Titanium
Posts: 653
Dec 3, 2018, 4:34 am
#274
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: MEX/YVR/YYF
Programs: AS MVP/AC75K/AM Gold/UA*S/SPG-Marriott Lifetime Titanium/Accor-FPC Gold/HHDiamond/Hyatt Exp
Posts: 5,035
Hotel Name: Hotel Stripes, Kuala Lumpur
Arrival Date: Dec 2018
Departure Date: Dec 2018
Number of Rooms: 1
Number of Guests: 2
Room Type: Deluxe
Marriott Brand Website Rate: MYR 257 plus taxes/fees
competing rate confirmed by LNF Associate:MYR 200.79
Actual Approved Rate: MYR 150.59 plus taxes/fees
Comment: my claim was approved as no prepaid advanced purchase rate was available directly from the hotel for my date of stay
pretty happy as this is 2nd time getting an approved LNF from Marriott (1st time Design Hotels)
Arrival Date: Dec 2018
Departure Date: Dec 2018
Number of Rooms: 1
Number of Guests: 2
Room Type: Deluxe
Marriott Brand Website Rate: MYR 257 plus taxes/fees
competing rate confirmed by LNF Associate:MYR 200.79
Actual Approved Rate: MYR 150.59 plus taxes/fees
Comment: my claim was approved as no prepaid advanced purchase rate was available directly from the hotel for my date of stay
pretty happy as this is 2nd time getting an approved LNF from Marriott (1st time Design Hotels)
However, its not a Design Hotel property its an Autograph Collection property.
I was underwhelmed with the Executive Lounge though, just meh.
Dec 3, 2018, 8:34 am
#275
Join Date: Oct 2017
Programs: ANA,Qantas,asiamiles,Royal Skies,Enrich
Posts: 198
about the Executive Lounge,I think they just added recently.saw someone posted on TripAdvisor the menu for the evening cocktail! The lounge in New world pj can easily beat that with its full spectrum of alcoholic drinks,wine and beer lol!
Dec 4, 2018, 1:20 am
#276
Join Date: Apr 2009
Posts: 298
Have been trying to get a claim approved for a newly listed Design hotel - there were a number of websites with lower rates than marriott/spg.com - but was refused twice with different excuses which seemed to be different than the T&Cs, even those that were more specific for this brand.
Was thinking of trying again, but notice the T&Cs have just been updated to:
”Effective December 1, 2018, the Look No Further Best Rest Guarantee does not apply to Design Hotels branded properties.”
Guess I will just book via another website!
Was thinking of trying again, but notice the T&Cs have just been updated to:
”Effective December 1, 2018, the Look No Further Best Rest Guarantee does not apply to Design Hotels branded properties.”
Guess I will just book via another website!
Dec 4, 2018, 8:47 am
#277
In memoriam
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: MAN
Programs: Marriott Lifetime Titanium, IHG Spire, UA Silver, Dennis The Menace Fan Club
Posts: 1,457
The final contractural mishmash clearly doesn’t give Marriott the control it would dearly like to exercise and the Design hoteliers clearly dislike the LNF scheme, indeed its limited participation in SPG and now Marriott Rewards indicates that the hoteliers themselves are pretty lukewarm about the benefit of the program itself. It is noticeable that all the brands Marriott controls are on LNF but Design, a brand it inherited from SPG on an indirect structure is proving able to flex its semi-independent muscles.
This is proof of Marriotts lack of control rather than its icy grip!
Dec 4, 2018, 9:18 am
#278
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: MEX/YVR/YYF
Programs: AS MVP/AC75K/AM Gold/UA*S/SPG-Marriott Lifetime Titanium/Accor-FPC Gold/HHDiamond/Hyatt Exp
Posts: 5,035
It was known that a number of Design Hotels owners went ballistic when the BRG award increased from 20% to 25%, and after a few months reverted back to 20%.
For those of us that have had BRG/LNF approvals with Design Hotels, it was beyond tricky for some of them and then the stay would rarely post, if ever, without repeated follow-up.
While it disappoints me, I am selective with those properties to begin with as some are greatly overhyped and poorly run. There are still quite a few gems as well.
For those of us that have had BRG/LNF approvals with Design Hotels, it was beyond tricky for some of them and then the stay would rarely post, if ever, without repeated follow-up.
While it disappoints me, I am selective with those properties to begin with as some are greatly overhyped and poorly run. There are still quite a few gems as well.
Dec 4, 2018, 9:56 am
#279
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Toronto
Programs: UA 1K, AC MM E75, Marriott LT Ti, IHG Dia Amb, Hyatt Glob
Posts: 15,521
Frustration with Marriott's awful IT
Marriott's IT is beyond awful when it comes to trying to research LNF opportunities. When you do a search for rates, there are 3 tabs.
STANDARD RATES
PREPAY AND SAVE
DEALS AND PACKAGES
Initially, I always went to Standard Rates to find the lowest FLEXIBLE rate. (I won't book non-cancellable rates whether they have a 24 hr cancellation or not.) Then I was admonished by a LNF agent for not booking the lowest rate available, which happened to be in the Deals and Packages tab. My bad.
A few days ago, I submitted another LNF using the lowest rate in Standard Rates (which was lower than the Deals and Packages rates). This time I was told that the lowest rate was in the Prepay and Save tab. Sure enough, the Prepay and Save rate only needs a credit card to hold the reservation and can be cancelled until 3 days before arrival (for a March reservation). Whiskey, Tango, Foxtrot. How is this a prepaid rate? I can just see the LNF agents snickering "Gotcha"!
Yes, I know. Marriott has state of the art, cloud based, 2 year old IT system. They shouldn't have gone with the Walmart version!
STANDARD RATES
PREPAY AND SAVE
DEALS AND PACKAGES
Initially, I always went to Standard Rates to find the lowest FLEXIBLE rate. (I won't book non-cancellable rates whether they have a 24 hr cancellation or not.) Then I was admonished by a LNF agent for not booking the lowest rate available, which happened to be in the Deals and Packages tab. My bad.
A few days ago, I submitted another LNF using the lowest rate in Standard Rates (which was lower than the Deals and Packages rates). This time I was told that the lowest rate was in the Prepay and Save tab. Sure enough, the Prepay and Save rate only needs a credit card to hold the reservation and can be cancelled until 3 days before arrival (for a March reservation). Whiskey, Tango, Foxtrot. How is this a prepaid rate? I can just see the LNF agents snickering "Gotcha"!
Yes, I know. Marriott has state of the art, cloud based, 2 year old IT system. They shouldn't have gone with the Walmart version!
Dec 4, 2018, 9:58 am
#280
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: YUL
Programs: AC E75, WS Gold, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Titanium, Hilton Diamond, GHA Plat, UA Silver, SQ Silver
Posts: 215
This is my 5th BRG and first under Marriott LNF
Marriott hotel name: Four Points by Sheraton Singapore, Riverview
Check-in date: 2018-12-15
Check-out date: 2018-12-16
Number of Rooms: 1
Number of Guests: 1
Room Type: Deluxe
Marriott Brand Website Rate: SGD 171 plus taxes/fees
competing rate confirmed by LNF Associate: SGD 165.05
Actual Approved Rate: SGD 165.05 plus taxes/fees + 5000 MR points
Marriott hotel name: Four Points by Sheraton Singapore, Riverview
Check-in date: 2018-12-15
Check-out date: 2018-12-16
Number of Rooms: 1
Number of Guests: 1
Room Type: Deluxe
Marriott Brand Website Rate: SGD 171 plus taxes/fees
competing rate confirmed by LNF Associate: SGD 165.05
Actual Approved Rate: SGD 165.05 plus taxes/fees + 5000 MR points
Dec 4, 2018, 10:01 am
#281
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: YUL
Programs: AC E75, WS Gold, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Titanium, Hilton Diamond, GHA Plat, UA Silver, SQ Silver
Posts: 215
Next one
Marriott Hotel Name: Sheraton Dubai Creek Hotel & Towers
Arrival Date: January 12, 2019
Departure Date: January 14, 2019
Room Type: One deluxe Room with one guest (Room only)
Marriott Brand Website Rate: 510 AED plus taxes/fees
Competing rate confirmed by LNF Associate: 412.61 AED plus taxes/fees
Actual confirmed rate: 309.46 AED (412.61 AED – 25%) per night excluding taxes, service charge and fees.
Marriott Hotel Name: Sheraton Dubai Creek Hotel & Towers
Arrival Date: January 12, 2019
Departure Date: January 14, 2019
Room Type: One deluxe Room with one guest (Room only)
Marriott Brand Website Rate: 510 AED plus taxes/fees
Competing rate confirmed by LNF Associate: 412.61 AED plus taxes/fees
Actual confirmed rate: 309.46 AED (412.61 AED – 25%) per night excluding taxes, service charge and fees.
Dec 4, 2018, 2:45 pm
#282
Join Date: Dec 2018
Posts: 20
Marriott LNF rate showing only $1 per night??
I successfully filed a LNF claim for a Westin hotel. The rate showing in my account for that reservation is $1 per night, instead of the 25% discount off the matched rate. Is it normal?
Dec 4, 2018, 3:36 pm
#283
Join Date: Dec 2018
Posts: 20
I successfully filed a LNF claim for a Westin hotel. The rate showing in my account for that reservation is $1 per night, instead of the 25% discount off the matched rate. Is it normal?
Dec 4, 2018, 4:26 pm
#284
Moderator: Hyatt; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: WAS
Programs: :rolleyes:, DL DM, Mlife Plat, Caesars Diam, Marriott Tit, UA Gold, Hyatt Glob, invol FT beta tester
Posts: 18,926
Assuming it's still the same backend systems as the olden days of BRG, in theory the $1 rate is a placeholder and should get updated when you check-in.
Dec 4, 2018, 9:37 pm
#285
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: BOS
Programs: DL DM 2MM, Marriott LT Titanium, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 15,197
Marriott IT error in your favor, collect $150? 
