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
Nov 25, 2018, 6:29 pm
#241
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 1,815
This is completely ridiculous. How about calling LNF to help you out? They can probably get in touch with MR to straighten it out.
Hotel kept saying the same thing and won't even provide a folio receipt. They said I need to get my receipt from third party booking channel. 
Nov 25, 2018, 6:38 pm
#242
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: New York, NY, USA
Posts: 12,482
I am just sharing my experience. As I had been granted "one time exception" there is not much to pursue other than 1,000 point. Not sure if it is worthwhile.
Nov 25, 2018, 6:49 pm
#243
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 1,815
Let’s just hope your experience was a one time exception and not the new norrm.
Nov 25, 2018, 9:25 pm
#244
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Atlanta Metro
Programs: DL , AC, BA, Hhonors Diamond, IH Platinum, Bonvoy Gold, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 2,353
I was just trying to think of a reason they could have confused your booking for a 3rd party reservation. I thought perhaps there were two bookings, and in correcting the rate someone accidentally corrected the wrong one, and deleted the Marriott.com reservation. But not possible if there were never two of them. Still, this reeks of human error--someone screwing up in some data entry.
Nov 26, 2018, 2:48 am
#245
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 88
I would appreciate some advice. I have just had a claim rejected and i can't really work out why (although they say they can't locate the price I have)
I have booked 4 nights 24 – 28th at Lido House in Newport beach. Marriot Rate is $1800 for the 4 nights with free cancellation. I have got a price (and booked it) from Hotels.com for $1400 also with free cancellation. I have told them this was via the UK site, I sent them a copy of the booking. They have rejected it starting they cannot find the rate.
I then emailed them a screen shot of the search showing it is still available. They again rejected it saying they cannot verify it and the case if closed and will no longer respond.
Anyone have any ideas?
I have booked 4 nights 24 – 28th at Lido House in Newport beach. Marriot Rate is $1800 for the 4 nights with free cancellation. I have got a price (and booked it) from Hotels.com for $1400 also with free cancellation. I have told them this was via the UK site, I sent them a copy of the booking. They have rejected it starting they cannot find the rate.
I then emailed them a screen shot of the search showing it is still available. They again rejected it saying they cannot verify it and the case if closed and will no longer respond.
Anyone have any ideas?
Nov 26, 2018, 4:08 am
#246
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 1,815
I would appreciate some advice. I have just had a claim rejected and i can't really work out why (although they say they can't locate the price I have)
I have booked 4 nights 24 – 28th at Lido House in Newport beach. Marriot Rate is $1800 for the 4 nights with free cancellation. I have got a price (and booked it) from Hotels.com for $1400 also with free cancellation. I have told them this was via the UK site, I sent them a copy of the booking. They have rejected it starting they cannot find the rate.
I then emailed them a screen shot of the search showing it is still available. They again rejected it saying they cannot verify it and the case if closed and will no longer respond.
Anyone have any ideas?
I have booked 4 nights 24 – 28th at Lido House in Newport beach. Marriot Rate is $1800 for the 4 nights with free cancellation. I have got a price (and booked it) from Hotels.com for $1400 also with free cancellation. I have told them this was via the UK site, I sent them a copy of the booking. They have rejected it starting they cannot find the rate.
I then emailed them a screen shot of the search showing it is still available. They again rejected it saying they cannot verify it and the case if closed and will no longer respond.
Anyone have any ideas?
If they won’t respond, make a new reservation and try again with explicit step, by step instructions including device used. Try to find another backup site and also tell them to look there.
Good luck.
Nov 26, 2018, 5:14 am
#247
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 88
thanks - thats what i've just done - its annoying they wont except a reservation email as proof! not sure how much more evidence can be provided! haha
Nov 26, 2018, 5:25 am
#248
Join Date: May 2003
Location: LCY
Programs: SQ Krisflyer, QR Privilege Club, MB LT Plt (1K+ nights thx MB)
Posts: 1,038
One thing to remember is that sometimes different geographical locations yields different rates, so if you are searching from outside the US check by using VPN if when you change country to the US If you get the expected rates.
Nov 26, 2018, 5:30 am
#249
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 88
i think is the problem - the usa sites are more? do they have to match a non-US site?
Nov 26, 2018, 5:33 am
#250
Join Date: May 2003
Location: LCY
Programs: SQ Krisflyer, QR Privilege Club, MB LT Plt (1K+ nights thx MB)
Posts: 1,038
Nov 26, 2018, 6:14 pm
#251
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: perth
Programs: SPG(LTG), QANTAS gold, Korean, Accor Plat
Posts: 1,500
Hotel Name: Le Meridien Fairway Dubai
Arrival Date: Jan 2019
Departure Date: Jan 2019
Number of Rooms: 1
Number of Guests: 2
Room Type: Delux
Marriott Brand Website Rate: 350 per night aed flexible before taxes
Actual Approved Rate: 174 per night aed flexible
Comments: My first successful LNF. I took the 25%. I had compared it against an Booking.com rate at first and was rejected as I had not noticed the rate was for single occupancy. Looked a couple of days later and found a rate that was refundable for the same price as the Marriott non refundable on a Philippine website. I have found another similar one that was approved which I have listed below. Have two more bookings that I will keep checking for. The Philippines sites seem to have some good rates, I didnt check to see if other country equivalents have the same rates available.
Hotel Name: Sheraton Dubai Creek
Arrival Date: Jan 2019
Departure Date: Jan 2019
Number of Rooms: 1
Number of Guests: 2
Room Type: Delux
Marriott Brand Website Rate: 517 per night aed flexible before taxes
Actual Approved Rate: 277 per night aed flexible
Comments: Both approvals took approximately 14 hours so that is impressive against some of the old SPG wait times.
Arrival Date: Jan 2019
Departure Date: Jan 2019
Number of Rooms: 1
Number of Guests: 2
Room Type: Delux
Marriott Brand Website Rate: 350 per night aed flexible before taxes
Actual Approved Rate: 174 per night aed flexible
Comments: My first successful LNF. I took the 25%. I had compared it against an Booking.com rate at first and was rejected as I had not noticed the rate was for single occupancy. Looked a couple of days later and found a rate that was refundable for the same price as the Marriott non refundable on a Philippine website. I have found another similar one that was approved which I have listed below. Have two more bookings that I will keep checking for. The Philippines sites seem to have some good rates, I didnt check to see if other country equivalents have the same rates available.
Hotel Name: Sheraton Dubai Creek
Arrival Date: Jan 2019
Departure Date: Jan 2019
Number of Rooms: 1
Number of Guests: 2
Room Type: Delux
Marriott Brand Website Rate: 517 per night aed flexible before taxes
Actual Approved Rate: 277 per night aed flexible
Comments: Both approvals took approximately 14 hours so that is impressive against some of the old SPG wait times.
Nov 26, 2018, 9:57 pm
#252
Join Date: Mar 2011
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 1,178
I was told that they don’t use VPNs if you’re seeing the rates from a different country as Marriott IT said there wasn’t a VPN without security issues so no LNF staff use it. It makes the whole BRG very US-centric.
Nov 26, 2018, 10:05 pm
#253
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: Nov 2018
Departure Date: Dec 2018
Number of Rooms: 1
Number of Guests: 2
Room Type: Deluxe
Marriott Brand Website Rate: 760 MYR for 3 nights plus taxes/fees
Actual Approved Rate: 615 MYR for 3 nights plus taxes/fees
Comments: Approval took approximately 23 hours, and against the good ole Orbitz App which hasn't helped with claims in a long time
Arrival Date: Nov 2018
Departure Date: Dec 2018
Number of Rooms: 1
Number of Guests: 2
Room Type: Deluxe
Marriott Brand Website Rate: 760 MYR for 3 nights plus taxes/fees
Actual Approved Rate: 615 MYR for 3 nights plus taxes/fees
Comments: Approval took approximately 23 hours, and against the good ole Orbitz App which hasn't helped with claims in a long time
Nov 27, 2018, 2:07 am
#254
Join Date: May 2003
Location: LCY
Programs: SQ Krisflyer, QR Privilege Club, MB LT Plt (1K+ nights thx MB)
Posts: 1,038
What do they mean by a VPN without security issues? Nord VPN or HMA is well established VPN providers. They should change the T&C then to "publicly available from a US IP address" then. Actually more than once I have found that from the US the rates was lower for properties in Europe and Asia than using local IP address so it can work to our advantage as well. Anyway Marriott has always been US-centric more so than Starwood so I am not surprised but it is quite lame not to have a VPN to emulate a geographic location since it is publicly available for the customers location not the location of the proxy server they use at the MAR LNF teams location.
Nov 28, 2018, 3:28 am
#255
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 88
Just a quick note to say thanks for all the help on this forum - got my claim approved ater supplying step by step breakdown on how to use against UK site - reduced the price from $1800 for 4 nights to $1100!