I work a compressed week-40 hours in 4 days. To accomplish this, I stay at a motel 3 nights a week. (Live about an 1-1/4 hour away). Always looking for a better deal. Just found it!

Triprewards changed their guarantee (If curious-see below) (I do not know when). What happened for me: Before I booked 4 separate nights between now and the end of December, I called their reservation line and asked about a lower rate I found. They could not match it. I already had reservations at other motels, but I booked the 4 on line and filled the claims. LO and Behold, I got all 4 nights free.

Still on a roll, I booked 4 more dates in January. Those became free also.

I might try for February tomorrow. At least give them a chance to change.
Their guarantee used to be: lower rate less 10%. This new way is saving me almost $400.

Besides sharing my good news, it lets me share the idea: Even if you are already booked, keep checking. Check out Guarantees, and prices for dates you already have booked.

**************************

TripRewards guarantees that the triprewards.com web site and the TripRewards toll free number (1-800-FOR-TRIP/1-800-367-8747) will have the same low room rates available through our participating hotel chains' websites and toll-free numbers, which will be the lowest rates publicly available to consumers on the Internet. If you find a rate lower than the best available rate on our website or toll-free number that is viewable and bookable on an unrelated web site for the same hotel, same room type, same number of guests, same currency and for the same dates, and advise our Customer Service within 24 hours after booking your room on triprewards.com or through the TripRewards toll-free number, we will provide you with the first night of your stay for free. If there is a rate available on triprewards.com or through the TripRewards toll-free number that is the same or lower than the rate on the other web site, this rate will be offered to you instead

I booked a room the other day at a Travelodge near SFO airport & got quoted a corporate rate of about 57 or something - then I saw on a third party website that there was a 52-something rate available. I filed a claim for their best price guarantee & they denied it because I booked a "special corporate rate" - turns out their leisure rate was only 45 bucks. So, find out what kind of rate you're booking before you book it (and make sure it's cancellable). I did get a free room at a Ramada in CMH though - the local CVB has them as having special rates (which, it appears from the plaques on the wall at the hotel, the last time they paid their membership dues to the CVB was 2002 & the rates were probably loaded then!)

Almost sounds too good to be true!

I did try the next day for rooms in February. The competing site @ 8:30 AM showed the special rate(40.63). I booked 4 dates in February(45.00). Kept copies of the competing rate. They responded within 4 hours and denied my claim, stating that they could not confirm the rate. I went to the competing web site and that motel was no longer shown. I called the person I was dealing with and sent them a copy of the rates as of 8:30. No such luck. Said that I already had 8 nights free and they could not confrim the rate. I think that they had some pull with the competing web site (TravelWeb), to remove the offending rate.

Yesterday, I looked again and the competing website was back at 40.63 and the Triprewards website had 40.00.

I will keep trying.

This program does seem too good to be true.

Can we get some feedback from travellers who have used the free nights awarded through this program?

I am booking a two week vacation in southern CA in August, and with very little looking, there is no trouble to get a free night stay at almost any destination. I am wondering what I can expect, when I show up with a 0.00 rated reservation confirmation number...abuse from the owner/ desk clerk? Or, are the individual owners reimbursed in some way, for the free hotel nights they are giving away?

If anyone has some experience with redeeming these nights, I would love to hear about it.

Thanks!

Canada1

In talking to CS, I found out that www.cheaptickets.com is also owned by parent company "Cendant Corp".

First try I got 8 nights between December and January. NO hassle at front desk. They called it a direct bill. No taxes, zero.

The next four were in February and the front desk person adjusted and called it a Web rate. The fourth stay they charged taxes only. Talked to CS and they said that this was the correct way.

Booked 12 between March and April. Received confirmation that I would receive the stays free. The motel manager left me a message at home and when I talked to him, He said that I was "Scamming" some how and he would refuse me service. Talked to CS and after two weeks of "Negotiation(?)", he agreed to honor the reservations.

Was working on May and June. Rates were $49.50 vs $47.00. Got up to June 7 and the rates went down to $46.12 on their own website. Filled the claims and I was watching dates earlier than this start to change. Their guarantee will give you free, or the "lower rate" on their website. (This was the $46.12). Lo and behold, I now had 12 reservations at $46.12.

They changed their prices to "avoid" the guarantee. ( One other time, I had copies of the web pages, showing the lower rate, But they said that they would not accept, since at that time I already had 8 stays free)

Have one last example: Booked a Days Inn in Champaign IL. They agreed in email to a Free night. Called the Motel to confirm, and they were not aware of the Zero Rate. Called CS. They stated a three step approach. Hope everything is wonderful. Have them check with central reservations and look at the reservation. If clerk does not agree, or know how to handle, the third step is to pay and then get reimbursed by Trip Rewards. Luckly, stage one occured.


All in All, I am still scanning the prices, including those that I already have booked at the $46.12. Might still find some lower.

Final note, as stated above: Verify that the rate found is not some special rate (IE Government, etc.)

Thank you for that personal experience advice.

I have so far received 6 confirmations back on the free nights. I am waiting on several more which I filed over the weekend. If all goes as planned, we will have about 10 nights of a 2 weeks vacation, in free nights! We are travelling with another family, so they are also filing for the same nights. I was just worried that things will go 'wrong' once we reach the check in counter! (and I would be responsible!!) My husband is the type that thinks nothing is ever 'free', so I wanted to hear from someone who has done it.

The best sites I have found to deliver lower prices are arestravel.com (sounthern CA), orbitz.com, travelocity, roomsusa.com, destina.ca, and expedia.

This guarantee does seem too good to be true...but if they are giving free nights away, why not take them??

I wonder if they will change their policy, once they see how many 'free nights' they are giving away?

Canada1

A few days ago I took advantage of the "free night" guarantee and Cendant CS reserved me a free night at Ramada Limited Phoenix Airport. After they responded with the free room, I noticed that the price on the competing web site went up to match the price on Ramada's web site. I also noticed that my reservation, viewable from the web site, did indeed say $0.

Due to travel plan changes, I probably won't be using the free night, but it was interesting to see that they do (at least on paper) follow through with their guarantee.

Tonight I looked to see other rates around Phoenix just for fun... Cheaptickets pulled up a price of $10 (yes, TEN DOLLARS) per night for Travelodge Phoenix/Tempe-University at the end of March. Wow! Another chance to get the rate guarantee? Nope... travelodge.com has the same hotel room for $9 per night!!! No coupons required. Did someone mess up when they put this rate in the reservations system?

BTW, I've always found Cendant customer service to be polite and helpful.

Last night I booked 9 stays for an Amerihost Inn for June. Received confirmation this morning, that they will be free. Found rate on Expedia of $55.00. Booked Rate? - $55.20.

Now looking to back fill some in May and June. Booked another 10 for a Days Inn at $61.20 - Competing rate was $59.00. Hope this works.

I booked a hotel, and filed a rate claim...
I am on the East coast, and the hotel booking is in California.
I received the rate claim response, verifying I will receive a free night.
In the middle of the night, I got a phone call from a rather irate ?owner ? desk clerk, about the 'free night' saying that he has a comparable rate that was available, and it was a misunderstanding, etc etc. Asked if he could change my rate to the lower rate. Of course, I said no....and asked him to contact customer service. He said they are closed...so I politely told him to call them in the morning.
Seems he was desperate at the thought of having to give away a free night....not sure how this will go.
I have talked to Best Rate Guarantee office, and asked about this scenario. I was told that they have no choice but to award the free night. If they refuse, and I have to pay at the check in desk, I will definitely be reimbursed, and the hotel will be charged back, plus a hefty fee.
I was also told that if I should be told at the check in counter that they did not want me in the hotel, and I was asked to leave, that my hotel night in another hotel would also be covered, through the program. (not necessairly at a Cendant hotel)
It does seem that they are serious about enforcing this program. I am, however, a little nervous about what will happen at the check in counter of this hotel!
Has anyone has a similiar experience?

Canada1

A little over 2 weeks ago I stayed at the Ft. Lauderdale Beach Howard Johnson during spring break (the hotel was full of spring breakers and the Ft. Lauderdale police were roaming the halls all evening and into the early AM when we were there). Hojo.com had it for $160, Expedia $159, I submitted claims for my friends and myself in late February for one night and the free night was honored for each room (within two hours of the submission).

At check-in at the hotel, no verbal mention of the guarantee (it was printed on the registration form) and no problems either. I felt treated just like any other guest. We even checked in early with no problem. We did have to pay per room a $17.XX tax and mandatory $2 safe charge (as is mentioned on the HoJo FLL Beach website).

This isn't the worlds greatest hotel but I will chalk it up to location, location, location.

For the next night I found the Howard Johnson Deezerland Miami Beach had a lower Expedia rate for multiple room categories. I went for the highest one, Oceanfront with balcony. The guarantee was also honored for my friends rooms and my room (I found this less than a week before our hotel stay).

Again at check-in, no verbal mention of the guarantee. But it was printed on the registration form just as it was on the Ft. Lauderdale beach location. I felt I was treated just like any other guest at this hotel as well - very nicely. We were given great higher floor oceanfront rooms with balconies (my only complaint about this hotel is thin walls, the shower which would go from scalding hot to cold to scalding hot over and over) and an $8 breakfast buffet which must be avoided at all costs). This room was over $190 on hojo.com and I found it for $159 on Expedia during the peak spring break season.

All we had to pay at this hotel was the $6 resort fee per room and a one-time $8 parking charge. No tax.

I have future reservations with the guarantee at a Ramada in San Diego, the HoJo Express in Palm Springs and The Inn on Bourbon in New Orleans.

So far I have only used rates from Expedia and Yahoo! Travel (same as Travelocity) to claim the guarantee. Only one was rejected (a Yahoo! Travel rate they claim was viewable but not bookable). I resubmitted that rejection with an Expedia rate for the same night and that was honored.

They are quick in responding to you when submitting a claim. The quickist has been less than one hour, the most 3 hours (I always submit during their business hours during the week). I am quite impressed with their professionalism. And I am not easily impressed!

I have received free night awards on this program in the past...but I have just spent hours looking for lower quotes for a night in Miami, and a night in Toronto, Canada, with no luck. It seems they have all gotten 'wise' and closed all the loopholes, of web sites having lower rate quotes?
Anyone else have any tips on this?
Canada1

I'm sure some hotels have become "wise" (or in reality been burned from this program numerous times) and finally got their revenue managers to get their act together.

On the other hand, I still come upon MANY hotels in the system that still don't control their rates well. For example, I now have all my rooms for free between the Amerihost and (Ramada) Inn on Bourbon over an upcoming major holiday weekend in New Orleans. Each property took days or weeks to change their rate on the competing website (Hotels.com, Expedia.com and Travelocity.com) so they left themselves vulnerable to many free rooms. And between myself and 6 other friends we each have free rooms for each night of a 5 night stay. The only downside is we have to check-out and check-in daily at a each hotel - back and forth.

Keep looking and I'm sure you'll eventually find a hotel to make a claim on in your desired area of stay. I only have used the above websites and TripReservations.com to invoke the guarantee.

Thank you for those tips.
The sites that I have fund the lower rates on, in the past, were ones like orbitz.com , travelocity. com , expedia. com , roomsusa.com , and arestravel.com for rooms in California.

I have checked all of those, and then some, all to no avail, for the ones I am currently looking for. I will I guess keep checking...but the availability has certainly tightened up on them.

I am still aprehensive re the above situation, where the hotel owner called me immediately upon received the $0 rated reservation, saying he could not do that, etc...it will be interesting to see how that plays out.

If you have any more booking sites to share, that would be great.
I found one today called hotelclub.net but it seems to work a little differently...and when I read the About Us page, it is owned by Cendant Corporation!!

Thanks again!

To date : 34 nights. HOWEVER, in the area that I normally stay in, I have not found any new ones for the last month or two. I have found a couple in other areas.

I keep checking several times a week and hope to find some again in my area.

Never hurts to try.