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
Jan 16, 2019, 3:27 pm
#436
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Paris, France
Programs: HHonors, Marriott Rewards, AAdvantage
Posts: 127
Hotel Name: AC Hotel Chicago Downtown
Arrival Date: January 29
Departure Date: January 31
Number of Rooms: 1
Number of Guests: 1
Room Type: Classic King
Marriott Brand Website Rate: $104 (+ tax)
Competing Rate: $67.60 (+ tax)
Actual Approved Rate: $50.70 (+ tax)
Comments: 3 day back and forth that ultimately resulted in me booking through the third party to prove the rate existed. Not their fault at all though. And it's well worth it in this case, IMO.
Arrival Date: January 29
Departure Date: January 31
Number of Rooms: 1
Number of Guests: 1
Room Type: Classic King
Marriott Brand Website Rate: $104 (+ tax)
Competing Rate: $67.60 (+ tax)
Actual Approved Rate: $50.70 (+ tax)
Comments: 3 day back and forth that ultimately resulted in me booking through the third party to prove the rate existed. Not their fault at all though. And it's well worth it in this case, IMO.
Jan 16, 2019, 3:52 pm
#437
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: YXU / YUL
Programs: AA LT Gold, Aeroplan, Marriott Titanium (LT Platinum), HH Diamond
Posts: 407
I submitted 2 LNF claims about 4 hours ago and have yet to receive a confirmation email. Is anyone else having the same issue?
Jan 16, 2019, 4:47 pm
#438
Join Date: May 2018
Posts: 112
This is interesting. Things appear to have changed.
Marriott has repeatedly denied a BRG/LNF for a hotel that is offering one of their rooms on a competing channel BUT with both a better price and with breakfast, which they do not offer outside of the "deals and packages rate family" on Marriott.com
Marriott's first denial was because the rate and competing rate have to be exactly the same, including amenities like breakfast even if the competing rate is better than any rate offered by that property.
So naturally I went and booked the equivalent rate at Marriott.com under the deals and packages rate to include breakfast (which is not the lowest available rate, which excludes breakfast) and have been denied because the rate must be the lowest available rate at the property.
How does this make any sense? Now Marriott can weasel out of their LNF by offering lower rates with different amenity sets to outside channels without breaching the BRG/LNF.
Marriott has repeatedly denied a BRG/LNF for a hotel that is offering one of their rooms on a competing channel BUT with both a better price and with breakfast, which they do not offer outside of the "deals and packages rate family" on Marriott.com
Marriott's first denial was because the rate and competing rate have to be exactly the same, including amenities like breakfast even if the competing rate is better than any rate offered by that property.
So naturally I went and booked the equivalent rate at Marriott.com under the deals and packages rate to include breakfast (which is not the lowest available rate, which excludes breakfast) and have been denied because the rate must be the lowest available rate at the property.
How does this make any sense? Now Marriott can weasel out of their LNF by offering lower rates with different amenity sets to outside channels without breaching the BRG/LNF.
Hotel Name: Le Meridien Saigon
Arrival Date: June
Departure Date: June
Number of Rooms: 1
Number of Guests: 2
Room Type: Classic
Marriott Brand Website Rate: $196 (+ tax)
Competing Rate: $154 (+ tax)
Actual Approved Rate: $116 (+ tax)
w/ Breakfast and Cancellation
Jan 17, 2019, 9:25 am
#439
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: EDI/GLA
Programs: DL 2 MM Unobtainum | UA 1.1MM Gold | MR Bonvoy Titanium
Posts: 2,268
I used to file some BRG requests but I've never submitted a LNF claim under Marriott before so I'm curious about this situation.
OTA has lower room category with breakfast offered while Marriott has one room category higher with breakfast offered but has the lower room category available without breakfast. I am thinking that since I booked the higher category with breakfast and the OTA has a lower category available that this might be a successful claim.
Thoughts?
OTA has lower room category with breakfast offered while Marriott has one room category higher with breakfast offered but has the lower room category available without breakfast. I am thinking that since I booked the higher category with breakfast and the OTA has a lower category available that this might be a successful claim.
Thoughts?
Jan 17, 2019, 10:46 am
#440
Join Date: Apr 2009
Posts: 298
Yes; I had the same issue. Re-submitted until I had a confirmation email. However, the confirmation email did not have a case number as they used to in the past...
Jan 17, 2019, 10:52 am
#441
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: LHR
Programs: Accor PLT,Thai Silver, HH Dia, SPG Titanium (LT Gold), Aegean Gold, BA Silver
Posts: 5,116
I used to file some BRG requests but I've never submitted a LNF claim under Marriott before so I'm curious about this situation.
OTA has lower room category with breakfast offered while Marriott has one room category higher with breakfast offered but has the lower room category available without breakfast. I am thinking that since I booked the higher category with breakfast and the OTA has a lower category available that this might be a successful claim.
Thoughts?
OTA has lower room category with breakfast offered while Marriott has one room category higher with breakfast offered but has the lower room category available without breakfast. I am thinking that since I booked the higher category with breakfast and the OTA has a lower category available that this might be a successful claim.
Thoughts?
Jan 17, 2019, 12:56 pm
#442
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: EDI/GLA
Programs: DL 2 MM Unobtainum | UA 1.1MM Gold | MR Bonvoy Titanium
Posts: 2,268
I read the T&Cs and see that it has to be the same room category but I've read some posters have successful LNFs because a lower category was not available on Marriott but on the OTA.
Jan 17, 2019, 12:59 pm
#443
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: EDI/GLA
Programs: DL 2 MM Unobtainum | UA 1.1MM Gold | MR Bonvoy Titanium
Posts: 2,268
I just noticed that as well but did receive the e-mail so all I can do is wait and see how they treat my LNF as.
Jan 18, 2019, 7:26 pm
#444
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: JFK, DCA, BUR, YVR
Programs: AC, AS, BA, DL, HH (D), MR (T/LTP), UA (*S), UScAAre (PLT/1,87MM), WN
Posts: 5,207
So I had a bunch of issues processing two LNFs in Vancouver for the same reason as above. I originally booked an LNF for two nights at the Westin Bayshore Vancouver, and then an additional night at Westin Grand Vancouver since the 14th wasn't available at the first property. The LNF for the Bayshore gets rejected because the agent couldn't find the rate, so I cancel the reservation. The LNF for the Grand gets approved, but they invoked the 2+ stay in the same city rule to reject the claim, but not reject it. It gets weirder. The agent decided to find a rate for the Grand based on a two night stay. This made my Grand claim CA$10 higher than it should've been. I called into BRG (not LNF) because something stupid was afoot. A regular BRG agent took the call (thank dog) and she thought it was weird also because we both interpreted the 2+ stay rule to apply to point claims and not discount claims. APPARENTLY, Marriott issued guidance which now applies this rule to discount claims as well. In the interim, the BRG agent went back to my claim and gave me two nights at the Bayshore for the same rate as the Grand. This came in way higher than my original LNF for the Bayshore. I also didn't like the days used for that, so I re-submitted a claim for the Grand and got that approved. Then, after all of that, I received an E-mail from an LNF agent who claimed to have been working on the matter all day. I hadn't a clue anyone was working on my claims, but this agent decided to work on the Bayshore claim. She left me a voicemail at my office (because Marriott is slow), but I was out of the office, so I didn't get the message until a half hour after she left for the day. She decided to honour the rate I found and adjusted it to reflect the discount on the new Bayshore reservation that was created by the BRG agent. This now leaves me with the following three approvals:
Hotel Name: Westin Grand Vancouver
Arrival Date: 14 February 2019
Departure Date: 15 February 2019
Number of Rooms: 1
Number of Guests: 2
Room Type: Suite
Marriott Brand Website Rate: CA$387.20 (+ tax)
Competing Rate: US$197.48* (+ tax)
Actual Approved Rate: CA$195.00 (+ tax)
Hotel Name: Westin Grand Vancouver
Arrival Date: 14 February 2019
Departure Date: 16 February 2019
Number of Rooms: 1
Number of Guests: 2
Room Type: Suite
Marriott Brand Website Rate: CA$312.83 (+ tax)/night
Competing Rate: US$187.00 (+ tax)/night
Actual Approved Rate: CA$186.46 (+ tax)/night
Hotel Name: Westin Bayshore Vancouver
Arrival Date: 15 February 2019
Departure Date: 17 February 2019
Number of Rooms: 1
Number of Guests: 2
Room Type: Suite
Marriott Brand Website Rate: CA$212.80 (+ tax)/night
Competing Rate: US$124.00 (+ tax)/night
Actual Approved Rate: CA$119.14 (+ tax)night
Hotel Name: Westin Grand Vancouver
Arrival Date: 14 February 2019
Departure Date: 15 February 2019
Number of Rooms: 1
Number of Guests: 2
Room Type: Suite
Marriott Brand Website Rate: CA$387.20 (+ tax)
Competing Rate: US$197.48* (+ tax)
Actual Approved Rate: CA$195.00 (+ tax)
Hotel Name: Westin Grand Vancouver
Arrival Date: 14 February 2019
Departure Date: 16 February 2019
Number of Rooms: 1
Number of Guests: 2
Room Type: Suite
Marriott Brand Website Rate: CA$312.83 (+ tax)/night
Competing Rate: US$187.00 (+ tax)/night
Actual Approved Rate: CA$186.46 (+ tax)/night
Hotel Name: Westin Bayshore Vancouver
Arrival Date: 15 February 2019
Departure Date: 17 February 2019
Number of Rooms: 1
Number of Guests: 2
Room Type: Suite
Marriott Brand Website Rate: CA$212.80 (+ tax)/night
Competing Rate: US$124.00 (+ tax)/night
Actual Approved Rate: CA$119.14 (+ tax)night
Jan 19, 2019, 8:00 am
#445
Join Date: May 2011
Programs: SPG Plat, Hilton Diamond, BA Exec Continental, AAdvantage, Virgin,
Posts: 47
Got my first LNF approved since Marriott took over SPG
Hotel Name: Sheraton Sand Key
Arrival Date: Oct
Departure Date: Nov
Number of Rooms: 1
Number of Guests: 2+2
Room Type: Classic
Marriott Brand Website Rate: $265
Competing Rate: $237
Actual Approved Rate: $178
non ref comparison
First time I did a non refundable match thanks to advice on here.
I also got a great BRG rep- after first declining she was extremely helpful.
Hotel Name: Sheraton Sand Key
Arrival Date: Oct
Departure Date: Nov
Number of Rooms: 1
Number of Guests: 2+2
Room Type: Classic
Marriott Brand Website Rate: $265
Competing Rate: $237
Actual Approved Rate: $178
non ref comparison
First time I did a non refundable match thanks to advice on here.
I also got a great BRG rep- after first declining she was extremely helpful.
Jan 19, 2019, 8:07 am
#446
Join Date: May 2003
Location: LCY
Programs: SQ Krisflyer, QR Privilege Club, MB LT Plt (1K+ nights thx MB)
Posts: 1,038
What a bunch of fools ... so how are you supposed to book two different hotels on the same reservation because that is what you need to do to follow this guidance i.e. treat it is as one claim .... wonder if they can even sit on chairs ....
Jan 19, 2019, 8:24 am
#447
Join Date: Aug 2018
Posts: 902
What this means — and it has always been like that, even during SPG times, only poorly enforced — is that multiple reservations at different properties located in the same area cannot all obtain a LNF reward. One may always submit LNF claims for all reservations and have then approved (i.e. price matched), but only one of those claims (the first submitted) will receive the LNF reward (5k points or additional 25% off the matched rate).
Jan 19, 2019, 8:50 am
#448
Join Date: May 2003
Location: LCY
Programs: SQ Krisflyer, QR Privilege Club, MB LT Plt (1K+ nights thx MB)
Posts: 1,038
What this means — and it has always been like that, even during SPG times, only poorly enforced — is that multiple reservations at different properties located in the same area cannot all obtain a LNF reward. One may always submit LNF claims for all reservations and have then approved (i.e. price matched), but only one of those claims (the first submitted) will receive the LNF reward (5k points or additional 25% off the matched rate).
The wording is "Multiple claims for a stay consisting of two or more nights in the same week at the same Marriott hotel or Marriott hotels in the same geographic location (e.g. city) may be treated as one claim for one stay, even if booked through more than one reservation."
This is means that we can define a stay consisting of a set of m reservations S ={R1, R2,, Rm} in order to compare the rates associated with the reservations spanning the stay S you need to compare each reservation individually since there is no other way of doing this. A a successful claim for stay S spanned by the reservations R1 to Rm, do not mean that only one of the reservations spanning stay S gets the discount if the claim for stay S is successful ALL reservations spanning the stay should subject to the 25% discount, equivalent with if the reservations R1 to Rm being under one reservation number..Where it makes a difference is with points award since if a stay S would have been under one reservation number it would be awarded with 5K once not 5K for each individual reservation.
Jan 19, 2019, 8:50 am
#449
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: JFK, DCA, BUR, YVR
Programs: AC, AS, BA, DL, HH (D), MR (T/LTP), UA (*S), UScAAre (PLT/1,87MM), WN
Posts: 5,207
That was how I explained it. Since the first claim was denied, they should only treat the second claim as one claim. I also made note that I didn't claim 5000 pesos on either rate match. In any case, I now have three approved BRGs and am trying to figure out which one(s) I'll keep. I wrote on the Marriott family Vancouver thread, but people seem to suggest Bayshore over Grand.
Last edited by uxb; Jan 19, 2019 at 8:56 am
Jan 19, 2019, 6:02 pm
#450
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: EDI/GLA
Programs: DL 2 MM Unobtainum | UA 1.1MM Gold | MR Bonvoy Titanium
Posts: 2,268
That was how I explained it. Since the first claim was denied, they should only treat the second claim as one claim. I also made note that I didn't claim 5000 pesos on either rate match. In any case, I now have three approved BRGs and am trying to figure out which one(s) I'll keep. I wrote on the Marriott family Vancouver thread, but people seem to suggest Bayshore over Grand.
