Sorry you feel I'm caught up in a smoke screen - I can assure you that isn't the case given my background, no I didn't miss the OP's posting either - It still feels to me as though additional details are missing however one important piece of information was disclosed in a later posting by the OP

let me make a call and get back to you on this

I understand the hotels.com rate included free internet and free breakfast.

Did the Marriott rate you were comparing on hotels.com also include free internet and breakfast? Because if it didn't, that is the reason the hotels.com rate was not a valid comparison for your stay.

The comparison rate must be for the exact same room type and any additional extra's such as breakfast, internet, gift cards, etc... I have seen lower rates on many websites vs. marriott.com but they sometimes include extra's where as the marriott rate does not. That would not qualify as a valid comparison for a LNF claim.

Even a pre-payment or cancellation policy difference will not qualify for a LNF claim.

I have to make a statement on the prepayment thing...

I scored a successful LNF when comparing an Expedia.com rate to a Marriott rate. If what y'all are saying is true, they should've rejected my claim because the Expedia rate was a PREPAY IN FULL rate. One of their special Expedia rates. I believe they refer to it as Expedia Special Rate. The Marriott website rate was not a prepay rate; only a reservation.

At any rate, I saved a ton of money and was very impressed with how easy it was to file the claim. The turn around time was amazing!

They key word is "should've". I too have had one approved (and I know of others who have), but they are supposed to reject them & almost always will. Somehow they missed yours........enjoy your savings!

If what your saying is true it only makes my point that the rate guarantee from MC is an unethical fraud.

You say if MC is charging $100. per nite, room only, but Hotels.com is charging $95 per room nite plus internet and breakfast....that this would not qualify for the MC rate matching cause hotels.com is not offering the same product. Of course not, they are offering a better product for a lower rate. The room nite is an equal product, but the extra amenities are an added inducement to book out of the MC channel. Which is what any "rate match" would be designed to stop, to keep you booking at MC knowing you are getting the best deal available.

Likewise on the prepay issue. Yes, at Hotels.com they charge your credit card. But if you no-show at MC, the charge your credit card also. I don't see the difference.

Prepayment or free breakfast do not justify MC's actions. Neither of these issues makes MC's behavior any less unethical. In the case of the free breakfast MC's action seems even more unethical.

Not sure why Hotels.com would not count in a BRG, as you see the property and price before you book. As for pre-pays, I saw a pre-pay on Expedia, put in a BRG request to Marriott and at first was denied since I didn't book it with Expedia. I shot back that had I booked at Expedia and my BRG was denied, I was out the money with no recourse. (I did book a cancelable res at Marriott for comparison before I filed as Marriott did not have a comparable pre-pay rate)
My next email was my new no-pre pay BRG rate, cancelable until 6p the day of check in, so now I had my cake and could eat it as well...Seems Marriott does do the right thing based on my one recent experience.

sorry didn't have time on Friday - but I'll do my best to see what's up on Monday

I'm not sure what's unethical about this....not rational yes, unethical no

Usually on most competing sites, pre-paid rates are non-changeable & non-refundable. You have the option of canceling before a set time without penalty with Marriott as long as its not pre-paid rate.

For example: Let's say you booked a room with hotels.com and it was prepaid, the day of arrival something comes up and you are not able to complete the stay, you would not be able to recoup the money with hotels.com yet if you had booked with Marriott you would have until 6pm the day of arrival without penalty.

Sometimes the flexibility of canceling without penalty outweighs the savings from the competing site. After-all, what good are the savings if you think there is a chance you might have to cancel the stay?

I may not always agree with the LNF policy but I along with others have saved thousands of dollars with the program.

It is NOT a Fraud nor is it Unethical.

Soc, I think the opposite. It's rational in the sense that Marriott is interpreting the rule literally so as to preclude its having to match a lower price. It's unethical in the sense that the rule wasn't intended for this purpose, but to preclude Marriott from having to match package prices. In other words, the right thing for Marriott to do in these situations is to match the lower price, and not necessarily provide the extras.

That's a good point and I totally agree :)

Marriott 'best rate guarantee' is much better than the competition and if you don't like the T&Cs, you can simply stay elsewhere and avoid the confusion. As you can see from most responses, people are generally sucessful with LNF ... sometimes even when the comparison rate is pre-pay vs. refundable on marriott.com. To call marriott unethical is hilarious: they simply go by the rules they published and how can this be unethical?
While most of my LNFs go through, sometimes I lose and then I either try again later or book another hotel. LNF has saved me a ton of money and my stay over Memorial day in YUL and for the Brooklyne tour in NYC both got approved within minutes.

Usually I agree with you both - but in this instance, I offer an alternative point of view:

If the rate is $99 and included Brekkie and HSIA; then Marriott matches it with a 25% off but no bennies - new rate is $75 - BUT in most hotels, HSIA and Brekkie costs more than the $25 savings. So why would anyone want to do that?

99.9% of the time LNF works - asking for interpretations, adjustments, and compromises is a slippery slope - (think "enhancements").

I recently had a similar situation with the VISA Buy 2, Get 3 rate. In the resort I was pricing, they had a daily price lower than the VISA rate. Did that make the VISA rate BOGUS? No. When I checked, that was not the case in any other resort. IMO - be happy I got a better rate OR change hotels.

+1 for cfischer....

Kindly,

GO AWAY.

IMHO, too many people have given you much too much of their time and for nothing.

I am not enamored with Marriott when they reject my claim, but at least they are consistent with their reasons and they abide by the terms and conditions they have set forth -- even if I thnk that it might benefit them in certain circumstances, e.g. -- voucher rates are inadmissible.

On the other hand, they have matched certain rates on other occasions for me, as well -- and the savings are considerable.

You don't like them. Fine.

You think them unethical, well that's your purview.

Just stop bleating like a broken record.