anandm

Saw a thread a few days back on a FT member stating he was trying to take advantage of a glitch to stay in S Korea at a low rate

I had a similar experience in New York (Algonquin - Level 8 hotel) and Marriott doesn't honour website glitches wrt low prices as you will read below

"I hope your day is going well. I am writing you in regards to a reservation that was booked via Marriott.com a few days ago. The Alqonquin hotel’s website experienced a glitch with its rates over the week of January 17th and a rate of $19.90 was inadvertently offered for sale.

According to the terms of our website found Here (#8) we will need to adjust your rate. We are happy to offer you a $199 discounted rate that includes breakfast for the inconvenience. If you decide not to use our hotel please let us know so we can cancel your reservation without any penalty. Once again we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and hope to welcome you to the Algonquin".

Attaching that rule # 8 for your benefit as well
"Marriott and Ritz-Carlton Information may contain technical inaccuracies and typographical errors, including but not limited to inaccuracies relating to pricing or availability applicable to your transaction. Marriott and Ritz-Carlton shall not assume responsibility or liability for any such inaccuracies, errors or omissions, and shall have no obligation to honor reservations or information affected by such inaccuracies. Marriott and Ritz-Carlton reserve the right to make changes, corrections, cancellations and/or improvements to Marriott and/or Ritz-Carlton Information, and to the products and programs described in such information, at any time without notice, including after confirmation of a transaction."

so there's no honouring low prices even if you find them

stallion114

They are pretty generous with LNF. In fact more generous and easier to match then any other chain. I agree with the ruling.

Minneapolis

Be reasonable. Is $19.90 a fair amount for the Algonquin? No. That won't even cover their housekeeping costs for one day.

anandm

Minneapolis, agree with your point. What I was trying to highlight is the fact that Marriott has the ability to change prices...Algonquin had a price of $ 99 as well for a weekend later and this was promptly fixed as well to $169

ohmark

Are you saying they refused to honor reservations made at the $99 rate?

anandm

That is correct. Even that rate was passed off as a glitch and I was quoted the price of $ 169 which I mentioned there. I can understand the messup of decimals in $19.90 to $199 but then $99 to $169...

fireworksboy

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.1030 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/104)

If they never have to honor an mistakenly low rate, where's their incentive to run an efficient website / rate structure? I may be alone here but if the company I work for was put in this position (and we have been) we've honored the rate. We do it because we put the price out there, the customer didn't invent it out of thin air.

It actual shows us where are weaknesses are and allows us to address them. Jsut my two cents.

ohmark

$99 does not sound like a "mistake" rate in the sense of a glitch.

Twickenham

You are certainly not alone. I totally agree with you, and this thread for me reiterates why error rates should be honoured. I mean, why would a $19.90 rate be an error but a $99 one not? Why respect one but not the other? And for that matter, even taking the $19.90 price in isolation, IHG properties in the UK recently had a promotion where, in celebration of their being the official hotel company for the London 2012 olympics, they were offering rates of £20.12, so why is it so far-fetched that the hotel had some sort of special promotion going on?

Accountability is the only way to keep businesses honest. The law where I live says that if an item is marked with a certain price, a store is not allowed to charge more. I see no reason why a hotel company shouldn't be held to the same high standard.

socrates

I personally dont see Marriott allowing a hotel to call a $99 rate a glitch and then change it, $19.90 certainly (under our laws there is the "common man theory" - would someone assume this rate is a mistake, certainly most people would assume $19.90 in NYC isn't correct....$99 - not so much)...if the hotel is trying to change a $99 rate I would encourage the OP to contact Guest Relations to discuss the matter further

TrojanHorse

if the property is not honoring the reservation; if the property sent an email stating that, then there should be no penalty even if the OP does not cancel since a valid rez does not exist