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 28, 2019, 4:20 am
#466
Join Date: May 2003
Location: LCY
Programs: SQ Krisflyer, QR Privilege Club, MB LT Plt (1K+ nights thx MB)
Posts: 1,038
Yes obviously you get a smaller discount with respect to the non-refundable. But you get two rate categories per room category to compare. In my experience the flex premium on marriott.com is sometimes unrealistic. Anyway I understand that SPG BRG program had many benefits that we do not get with LNF. On a note last year I stayed 95 Nights all on LNF flex rate approximate 75% of those LNF claims would not have been successful under SPG BRG rules. This of course do not mean that it would have been impossible to obtain successful claim under SPG legacy rules just not with the OTA I was using. However it illustrate my point being able to play the flex premium make it easier to get ansucessful LNF, but maybe not at the lowest rate.
Last edited by X-ON; Jan 28, 2019 at 5:54 am
Jan 28, 2019, 5:52 am
#467
Join Date: Aug 2018
Posts: 902
SPG BRG was a guarantee of lowest best available rate—they only compared SPG-BAR v OTA-BAR as the booked rate was irrelevant in the comparison (in fact, for a long time one didn’t even need to book a reservation in order to submit a claim). LNF is a guarantee of lowest actual booked rate. Marriott guarantees the best available rate for the same roomtype, amenities and cancelation policy as the ones on the reservation. Individual experiences differ, but I had at the most a 50% success rate with SPG and now have ~70% success rate with LNF. But what bothered me the most with SPG was the long delays in getting a reply, the slopiness with which they approached claim proccessing and the great lengths staff went to deny a claim, often by just making completely bogus excuses.
Jan 28, 2019, 6:01 am
#468
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
SPG BRG was a guarantee of lowest best available rate—they only compared SPG-BAR v OTA-BAR as the booked rate was irrelevant in the comparison (in fact, for a long time one didn’t even need to book a reservation in order to submit a claim). LNF is a guarantee of lowest actual booked rate. Marriott guarantees the best available rate for the same roomtype, amenities and cancelation policy as the ones on the reservation. Individual experiences differ, but I had at the most a 50% success rate with SPG and now have ~70% success rate with LNF. But what bothered me the most with SPG was the long delays in getting a reply, the slopiness with which they approached claim proccessing and the great lengths staff went to deny a claim, often by just making completely bogus excuses.
Jan 28, 2019, 6:25 am
#469
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: HKG • Ex SFO, NYC
Programs: UA 1K, AA EXP; Marriott Amb; Hyatt Globalist; Shangri-la Diamond; IHG SpireAmb; Hilton D; Accor G
Posts: 3,319
I wasn't thrilled with the delays, but I did appreciate having a lot less risk in booking. No I very easily end up with a denied claim on a rate I can no longer cancel. It's not like Marriott is that great at responding within 24h
Jan 28, 2019, 8:51 am
#470
Join Date: Aug 2018
Posts: 902
It’s regrettable that you feel you are the arbiter of the good sense other people’s opinions, even when they are predicated on “personal experiences differ.” And please do include the Indian desk, the North American desks and the Irish language desks (especially the German) in my statement. The occasional good thing about the way SPG BRG slacked so bad is that every now and then their slopiness would result in a completely meritless claim being approved or being approved with a mistakenly heavily reduced rate just because they failed to do a correct rate comparison. Still, I have no wish to score an undeserved hotel rate, rather would like to have them process my claims diligently and speedily. Marriott’s LNF does that, at least in my personal experience.
Jan 28, 2019, 10:50 am
#471
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Sweden
Programs: Marriott Platinum - LT Gold
Posts: 688
When Spg responded quickly within 24 hours they had the best brg program in business. Some of us here were good at it, some were not. That's how it is. Was it working perfectly? Of course not. But it didn't let me gamble with my own wallet.
Today with Marriott it's a risk to book a prepaid rate and you'll have to read carefully so that the prepaid rate is cancellable within 24 hours. If not the hotel basically forces you to gamble with your wallet and let your claim be decided by someone in Marriott's brg staff or book a much higher flex rate and compare that one.
Currently I can save 400usd on JW Hong Kong but of course of their nonsense to not allow 24 hour free cancellation i really don't dare to make a prepaid reservation and gamble and take the risk.
Gamble never happened with Spg.
Today with Marriott it's a risk to book a prepaid rate and you'll have to read carefully so that the prepaid rate is cancellable within 24 hours. If not the hotel basically forces you to gamble with your wallet and let your claim be decided by someone in Marriott's brg staff or book a much higher flex rate and compare that one.
Currently I can save 400usd on JW Hong Kong but of course of their nonsense to not allow 24 hour free cancellation i really don't dare to make a prepaid reservation and gamble and take the risk.
Gamble never happened with Spg.
Last edited by joakgarp; Jan 28, 2019 at 10:55 am
Jan 28, 2019, 11:39 am
#472
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: BKK
Programs: World of Hyatt Globalist; Marriott Bonvoy LTP; IHG Plat
Posts: 2,234
Delay in response from spg brg just occured recently after the merger.
i remeber the old days when spg brg response was fast and reliable and i got almost 100% successful claim.
obviously the best brg program in the industry.
i remeber the old days when spg brg response was fast and reliable and i got almost 100% successful claim.
obviously the best brg program in the industry.
Jan 28, 2019, 3:44 pm
#473
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: CA
Programs: AA PLT / MR LTPP 1/1/19 / Hilton Diamond
Posts: 541
Anyone have issues with the 5000 points posting? I had a LNF approved for a stay in Dec. and picked the points. Points haven't and LNF team keeps telling me to be patient and that the points will eventually show up in my account.
Jan 28, 2019, 4:01 pm
#474
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: SFO/YYZ
Programs: AC 25K, AS MVP Gold, BA Bronze, UA Silver, Marriott Titanium, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 2,472
Not to be pedantic, but generally non-refundable rates are defined as a discount on the rack rate, which is refundable. Not the other way around.
Jan 28, 2019, 8:20 pm
#475
Join Date: Dec 2017
Posts: 23
The good thing about SPG BRG is that you can almost always book a refundable rate and BRG the lowest SPG rate (typically non-refundable) against the 3rd party rate which is non-refundable and you ended up with a very low rate and refundable bookings. In this instance, you can even rebook and BRG in the future if u see a lower rate elsewhere.
LNF will require matching terms on refundable/non-refundable. Thus, you cannot get the super low rate on a refundable booking while the non-refundable rates would have risk that the BRG not approved. Even if approved, you are stuck with this rate and cannot benefit from further rate reduction in the future.
The major problem with LNF is the apparent lack of combination between refundable / non-refundable and breakfast/non-breakfast rate. You may not have all 4 rates available and thus may not be able LNF on the rates that you wanted. In contrast, SPG will only need to have 2 separate rates (w or w/o breakfast) - the refundable rates are almost guarantee to be available while non-refundable rates may not be available for some properties.
Jan 29, 2019, 1:08 am
#476
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
I can top that. Still waiting for 5000 LNF points from an Aloft stay on Nov 29.
Jan 29, 2019, 1:15 am
#477
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
The good thing about SPG BRG is that you can almost always book a refundable rate and BRG the lowest SPG rate (typically non-refundable) against the 3rd party rate which is non-refundable and you ended up with a very low rate and refundable bookings. In this instance, you can even rebook and BRG in the future if u see a lower rate elsewhere.
Also, legacy SPG properties BRGs are now often processed by the LNF team whose standard rejection verbiage is "I am DENYING your claim …" followed by some non-sensical reason. Welcome to Marriott LNF!
Jan 29, 2019, 5:45 am
#478
Join Date: Dec 2017
Posts: 23
Guess you haven't BRGed in a while nor have you been following this thread. The BRG rules for legacy SPG properties changed back in May 2018. Cancellation policies have to match, room types have to match and can no longer BRG if the hotel is showing no availability as they cannot process a claim without a reservation!
Also, legacy SPG properties BRGs are now often processed by the LNF team whose standard rejection verbiage is "I am DENYING your claim …" followed by some non-sensical reason. Welcome to Marriott LNF!
Also, legacy SPG properties BRGs are now often processed by the LNF team whose standard rejection verbiage is "I am DENYING your claim …" followed by some non-sensical reason. Welcome to Marriott LNF!
Jan 29, 2019, 10:03 am
#479
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
Jan 29, 2019, 2:59 pm
#480
Join Date: Jun 2011
Programs: DL, Amex MR
Posts: 287
I do a handful of LNF every year with Marriott and every single time the rate is changed right away to reflect the LNF rate if it is approved.
I just did an LNF request today and it came back approved but instead of having the rate changed the email says to "Please present this e-mail upon arrival at the hotel. Here are the approved details our hotel colleagues will update for you prior to check in:" and "if you have any questions regarding your Best Rate Guarantee claim or if you have any issues with the rate charged at check out, please contact us at [email protected] within 15 days of departure. I wish you a pleasant stay at our property."
Is this normal?
I just did an LNF request today and it came back approved but instead of having the rate changed the email says to "Please present this e-mail upon arrival at the hotel. Here are the approved details our hotel colleagues will update for you prior to check in:" and "if you have any questions regarding your Best Rate Guarantee claim or if you have any issues with the rate charged at check out, please contact us at [email protected] within 15 days of departure. I wish you a pleasant stay at our property."
Is this normal?