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
Mar 21, 2019, 9:32 am
#646
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Homeless
Programs: Hyatt Glob; Hilton Dia; Marriott AMB; Accor Dia; IHG Dia Amb; GHA Tit
Posts: 4,835
I am unable to approve your claim because the rate you have compared on *** includes breakfast. You did not secure a rate including breakfast on our website.
Mar 21, 2019, 9:35 am
#647
Join Date: Mar 2019
Posts: 12
Well this is a first for me - it makes no sense. The competitor website has more generous conditions (such as breakfast) AND a lower price and it's refused? What if we compare a flexible rate at the competitor website to a pre-paid rate on marriott.com, is that also a reason to refuse the claim?
Mar 21, 2019, 12:37 pm
#648
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Homeless
Programs: Hyatt Glob; Hilton Dia; Marriott AMB; Accor Dia; IHG Dia Amb; GHA Tit
Posts: 4,835
After asking by e-mail to reconsider and pointing out to them that their denial did not make sense, here is the answer:
I am not sure what change in T&C they are referring to, but bottom line is that it remains non-sensical to deny a claim when the competitor website is more generous than on marriott.com
It's the same agent who answered me when I asked to reconsider so perhaps it's just a bad agent, I will cancel, rebook, and file a new claim and see what happens.
With the change to our terms and conditions to match Marriott's Look No Further Best Rate Guarantee program, we now compare exactly what you have secured on your reservation. If you are wanting to compare a room with breakfast and we offer that option on our website, you are required to book the room including breakfast.
It's the same agent who answered me when I asked to reconsider so perhaps it's just a bad agent, I will cancel, rebook, and file a new claim and see what happens.
Mar 21, 2019, 2:35 pm
#649
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Sweden
Programs: Marriott Platinum - LT Gold
Posts: 688
Type of room with extra like breakfast with the OTA needs to be bookable on marriott.com in order to file a BRG.
Of course you cannot compare something that's not comparable and doesn't match.
The agent is right by denying you claim. This is actually clearly written in the terms as well.
Of course you cannot compare something that's not comparable and doesn't match.
The agent is right by denying you claim. This is actually clearly written in the terms as well.
Mar 21, 2019, 2:49 pm
#650
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: perth
Programs: SPG(LTG), QANTAS gold, Korean, Accor Plat
Posts: 1,500
After asking by e-mail to reconsider and pointing out to them that their denial did not make sense, here is the answer:
I am not sure what change in T&C they are referring to, but bottom line is that it remains non-sensical to deny a claim when the competitor website is more generous than on marriott.com
It's the same agent who answered me when I asked to reconsider so perhaps it's just a bad agent, I will cancel, rebook, and file a new claim and see what happens.
I am not sure what change in T&C they are referring to, but bottom line is that it remains non-sensical to deny a claim when the competitor website is more generous than on marriott.com
It's the same agent who answered me when I asked to reconsider so perhaps it's just a bad agent, I will cancel, rebook, and file a new claim and see what happens.
Mar 21, 2019, 6:03 pm
#651
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Homeless
Programs: Hyatt Glob; Hilton Dia; Marriott AMB; Accor Dia; IHG Dia Amb; GHA Tit
Posts: 4,835
1. Breakfast + prepaid
or
2. No breakfast + free cancellation
Third party website = Breakfast + free cancellation
So the third party website is the most generous regardless how you look at it, but if they stick to their guns, a LNF won't be possible. This is some brainless stuff going against the spirit of LNF.
Mar 21, 2019, 6:08 pm
#652
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Homeless
Programs: Hyatt Glob; Hilton Dia; Marriott AMB; Accor Dia; IHG Dia Amb; GHA Tit
Posts: 4,835
Type of room with extra like breakfast with the OTA needs to be bookable on marriott.com in order to file a BRG.
Of course you cannot compare something that's not comparable and doesn't match.
The agent is right by denying you claim. This is actually clearly written in the terms as well.
Of course you cannot compare something that's not comparable and doesn't match.
The agent is right by denying you claim. This is actually clearly written in the terms as well.
- Marriott.com = prepaid, room only, $500 per night
- Third party website = free cancellation, free breakfast, free transportation from the airport, one hour spa per day free, free dinner, free bottle of wine every day, etc. etc., $100 per night
Mar 21, 2019, 6:36 pm
#653
Join Date: Aug 2018
Posts: 902
LOL. Going by your logic, you would deny this claim:
- Marriott.com = prepaid, room only, $500 per night
- Third party website = free cancellation, free breakfast, free transportation from the airport, one hour spa per day free, free dinner, free bottle of wine every day, etc. etc., $100 per night
- Marriott.com = prepaid, room only, $500 per night
- Third party website = free cancellation, free breakfast, free transportation from the airport, one hour spa per day free, free dinner, free bottle of wine every day, etc. etc., $100 per night
That claim would be denied not only on that poster’s logic, but also under the T&Cs of the BRG program. Btw, anything included on the comparison rate, other than breakfast, will not be honoured on the BRG approved rate.
Mar 21, 2019, 9:49 pm
#654
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Sweden
Programs: Marriott Platinum - LT Gold
Posts: 688
LOL. Going by your logic, you would deny this claim:
- Marriott.com = prepaid, room only, $500 per night
- Third party website = free cancellation, free breakfast, free transportation from the airport, one hour spa per day free, free dinner, free bottle of wine every day, etc. etc., $100 per night
- Marriott.com = prepaid, room only, $500 per night
- Third party website = free cancellation, free breakfast, free transportation from the airport, one hour spa per day free, free dinner, free bottle of wine every day, etc. etc., $100 per night
Especially if you decide to argue with one of their agents.
Mar 22, 2019, 2:59 am
#655
In memoriam
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: MAN
Programs: Marriott Lifetime Titanium, IHG Spire, UA Silver, Dennis The Menace Fan Club
Posts: 1,457
Sorry to pile in escape4 but the terms are clear. Same room type, same cancellation, same inclusions (which can only be B&B or DBB). I agree it can turn out disingenuous, I’ve once found a cheaper 3rd party B&B rate than the room only offered on Marriott.com, but since Marriott.com didn’t offer B&B at all, it wasn’t accepted as valid by LNF.
Mar 22, 2019, 6:19 am
#656
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 573
It was as LNF or SPG BRG, now this what you call 'best brg' is only marketing slogan. For the first time in eight years I book Marriott/SPG hotels thru OTA pages.
Mar 22, 2019, 6:46 am
#657
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Homeless
Programs: Hyatt Glob; Hilton Dia; Marriott AMB; Accor Dia; IHG Dia Amb; GHA Tit
Posts: 4,835
Well thank you all for educating me, this is very useful. In light of this I confirm my opinion that denying a claim because a third party website offers more than marriott (breakfast, flexible cancel, etc.) makes no sense. Going back to basics, LNF/BRG is supposed to give an incentive to customers to book on marriott.com rather than a third party website when the third party offers something better. That means price most of the time, but it can mean cancellation policy and breakfast. To deny when the third party has pre-paid and marriott has flexible makes sense, but not the other way around. Same for breakfast.
Given that Hilton BRG works as it should (denying only if third party is more restrictive and less generous), then for all the flak Hilton BRG gets (as it is far from perfect), how can we state that Marriott has the best BRG program?
Not to mention Fairmont BRG beats both Hilton and Marriott BRG except for the fact that it's only 10% not 25%. But in terms of how easy it is to work with, humans using common sense to judge whether a claim is valid or not...
However it's the best brg program on the market
Not to mention Fairmont BRG beats both Hilton and Marriott BRG except for the fact that it's only 10% not 25%. But in terms of how easy it is to work with, humans using common sense to judge whether a claim is valid or not...
Mar 22, 2019, 9:13 am
#658
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Sweden
Programs: Marriott Platinum - LT Gold
Posts: 688
Well thank you all for educating me, this is very useful. In light of this I confirm my opinion that denying a claim because a third party website offers more than marriott (breakfast, flexible cancel, etc.) makes no sense. Going back to basics, LNF/BRG is supposed to give an incentive to customers to book on marriott.com rather than a third party website when the third party offers something better. That means price most of the time, but it can mean cancellation policy and breakfast. To deny when the third party has pre-paid and marriott has flexible makes sense, but not the other way around. Same for breakfast.
Given that Hilton BRG works as it should (
Given that Hilton BRG works as it should (
Mar 22, 2019, 10:43 am
#659
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Homeless
Programs: Hyatt Glob; Hilton Dia; Marriott AMB; Accor Dia; IHG Dia Amb; GHA Tit
Posts: 4,835
HUCA is alive and well. After I cancelled my first reservation, I made a second reservation and requested BRG again, this time the second agent approved it. I would have thought the first agent was wrong to decline and the second was correct to approve, but it sounds like the consensus here is that it's actually the opposite: the first was correct to decline and the second made a mistake by approving.
Mar 22, 2019, 10:46 am
#660
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Homeless
Programs: Hyatt Glob; Hilton Dia; Marriott AMB; Accor Dia; IHG Dia Amb; GHA Tit
Posts: 4,835
Well I am a frequent user of Hilton BRG and it has *generally* not been my experience. Regarding the cancellation dates I agree with you, Hilton will refuse sometimes if off by one day and Marriott will not. But in other aspects, Hilton BRG is ok.
I realize several people are not happy at all about Hilton's BRG and the Hilton BRG team certainly has their faults (me too, on occasion I have not had the best experiences), but I don't recall ever having a BRG declined because the third party website was more generous.
I realize several people are not happy at all about Hilton's BRG and the Hilton BRG team certainly has their faults (me too, on occasion I have not had the best experiences), but I don't recall ever having a BRG declined because the third party website was more generous.
