Jan 1, 2015, 7:35 am
Last edit by: TravelinSperry
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What is the Best Rate Guarantee (BRG ?)
If a lower rate at a Starwood Hotel is made available on a non-Starwood website or non-Starwood mobile application, upon its receipt of a claim that satisfies these Best Rate Guarantee terms and conditions, Starwood will honor that Competing Rate and provide the individual that submitted the valid claim one of the following rewards: (1) an additional 20% discount off the Competing Rate per room per night (up to a maximum of three rooms); or (2) 2,000 Starwood Preferred Guest® Starpoints® per room per stay (up to a maximum of three rooms).
BRG Wiki on Flyertalk
• You cannot BRG against a rate on a Starwood Website/App (hot escapes, promos, Gov. Rate etc.). It has to be a 3rd party website/App.
• Cancellation policy has no bearing on a BRG claim with one exception if the rate difference is within 1%.
"Starwood may deny claims where the difference between the Competing Rate and the rate on the Starwood Website is less than one percent; provided that Starwood will not use the fact that the difference between the Competing Rate and the rate on the Starwood Website is less than one percent to deny such claims if the cancellation policy for the Competing Rate is more favorable to the guest than the cancellation policy for the rate on the Starwood Website."
• A valid Starwood website reservation is required to submit a BRG (only exception is when there is no availability on the Starwood website)
• Only one claim may be submitted per reservation number (If your first claim is denied, you may submit a new claim for that reservation if you find another lower rate after you receive the denial email)
• Make sure to book a flexible rate on SPG.com. This will allow you to then cancel this booking if you find a lower Starwood rate later (like the hot escapes etc.) or if your travel plans change.
• You can BRG with a flexible rate against a prepaid rate. In other words, if expedia is offering a room for $100 prepaid, and spg.com shows a prepaid room for $150 or a flexible room for $200, you can book the FLEXIBLE spg.com rate and BRG it against the PREPAID $100 expedia rate. And you will receive the flexible cancel terms if the BRG is approved.
• If your comparable rate includes extras like breakfast or parking, make sure there is a room available on spg.com that includes the exact amenities. If there is the same room type with the same amenities on SPG.com, they will compare and if lower on third party, the claim may be approved for the room type and with the amenities. If there is the same room type available but no/different amenities offered, the claim may still be approved, but the rate will be room only.
• Room types must be the same for a BRG.
• If you have an approved and finalized claim and you find an even cheaper rate later, then you may submit a new BRG claim that is not connected to any existing reservation. If this BRG claim is approved, you will need to make a new flexible reservation on SPG.com. Once the process is completed, you will then email the BRG desk to cancel your first reservation, if it is within the cancellation deadline.
• If you find availability for the room type you want on a third party website/app but there is no availability for that room type or no availability for any room type on the Starwood Website, then this may be an approved claim if it meets all other terms and conditions. You will need to make sure that you specify the room type you actually want on the Starwood Website section and enter 0 in the rate and currency. This will ensure that the processing associates know that the room type you want is not available on the Starwood Website. You may also add additional comments near the end of the claim form indicating that there is no availability on the Starwood Website to help clarify.
Differing currencies
• "The Best Rate Guarantee department will approve a claim if there is a difference of 2.5% or greater where the currencies are different or a difference of 1% or greater if the currencies are the same."
Link to T&C
https://www.starwoodhotels.com/bestrate/terms.html
Practicalities During/After Stay
• Reconfirm your rate at check-in; normally the hotel will have the correct BRG rate in your reservation, but sometimes you will need to remind them.
• If you choose points, they will be credited after the stay; check in one week to see if they have posted. If not contact the BRG office to arrange to have them posted.
How to add a SNA to a BRG reservation
• Log into your SPG account
• Click on your stays to view our your current reservation
• Look for your BRG reservation and click on "send confirmation" link for the BRG reservation
• reload the page and you should be able to now select "apply SNA to this stay" link
What is the Best Rate Guarantee (BRG ?)
If a lower rate at a Starwood Hotel is made available on a non-Starwood website or non-Starwood mobile application, upon its receipt of a claim that satisfies these Best Rate Guarantee terms and conditions, Starwood will honor that Competing Rate and provide the individual that submitted the valid claim one of the following rewards: (1) an additional 20% discount off the Competing Rate per room per night (up to a maximum of three rooms); or (2) 2,000 Starwood Preferred Guest® Starpoints® per room per stay (up to a maximum of three rooms).
BRG Wiki on Flyertalk
• You cannot BRG against a rate on a Starwood Website/App (hot escapes, promos, Gov. Rate etc.). It has to be a 3rd party website/App.
• Cancellation policy has no bearing on a BRG claim with one exception if the rate difference is within 1%.
"Starwood may deny claims where the difference between the Competing Rate and the rate on the Starwood Website is less than one percent; provided that Starwood will not use the fact that the difference between the Competing Rate and the rate on the Starwood Website is less than one percent to deny such claims if the cancellation policy for the Competing Rate is more favorable to the guest than the cancellation policy for the rate on the Starwood Website."
• A valid Starwood website reservation is required to submit a BRG (only exception is when there is no availability on the Starwood website)
• Only one claim may be submitted per reservation number (If your first claim is denied, you may submit a new claim for that reservation if you find another lower rate after you receive the denial email)
• Make sure to book a flexible rate on SPG.com. This will allow you to then cancel this booking if you find a lower Starwood rate later (like the hot escapes etc.) or if your travel plans change.
• You can BRG with a flexible rate against a prepaid rate. In other words, if expedia is offering a room for $100 prepaid, and spg.com shows a prepaid room for $150 or a flexible room for $200, you can book the FLEXIBLE spg.com rate and BRG it against the PREPAID $100 expedia rate. And you will receive the flexible cancel terms if the BRG is approved.
• If your comparable rate includes extras like breakfast or parking, make sure there is a room available on spg.com that includes the exact amenities. If there is the same room type with the same amenities on SPG.com, they will compare and if lower on third party, the claim may be approved for the room type and with the amenities. If there is the same room type available but no/different amenities offered, the claim may still be approved, but the rate will be room only.
• Room types must be the same for a BRG.
• If you have an approved and finalized claim and you find an even cheaper rate later, then you may submit a new BRG claim that is not connected to any existing reservation. If this BRG claim is approved, you will need to make a new flexible reservation on SPG.com. Once the process is completed, you will then email the BRG desk to cancel your first reservation, if it is within the cancellation deadline.
• If you find availability for the room type you want on a third party website/app but there is no availability for that room type or no availability for any room type on the Starwood Website, then this may be an approved claim if it meets all other terms and conditions. You will need to make sure that you specify the room type you actually want on the Starwood Website section and enter 0 in the rate and currency. This will ensure that the processing associates know that the room type you want is not available on the Starwood Website. You may also add additional comments near the end of the claim form indicating that there is no availability on the Starwood Website to help clarify.
Differing currencies
• "The Best Rate Guarantee department will approve a claim if there is a difference of 2.5% or greater where the currencies are different or a difference of 1% or greater if the currencies are the same."
Link to T&C
https://www.starwoodhotels.com/bestrate/terms.html
Practicalities During/After Stay
• Reconfirm your rate at check-in; normally the hotel will have the correct BRG rate in your reservation, but sometimes you will need to remind them.
• If you choose points, they will be credited after the stay; check in one week to see if they have posted. If not contact the BRG office to arrange to have them posted.
How to add a SNA to a BRG reservation
• Log into your SPG account
• Click on your stays to view our your current reservation
• Look for your BRG reservation and click on "send confirmation" link for the BRG reservation
• reload the page and you should be able to now select "apply SNA to this stay" link
Best Rate Guarantee (BRG) 2015 : *now 20% off*; Success, failure & discussion thread
Jan 6, 2015, 8:02 pm
#31
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2004
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Jan 6, 2015, 9:54 pm
#32
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: York, PA
Programs: MRSPG LT Tit, HH Diamond, Hertz Pres.
Posts: 1,737
Traveling but lighter and thought I would try it.
Meriden, ct 1/13-15. Cancellable rate is 125 for king. Expedia was 115. Brg was denied because spg has a prepaidrate for 115. Open to any tips to facilitate success.
Jan 6, 2015, 10:09 pm
#33
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Toronto
Programs: UA 1K, AC MM E75, Marriott LT Ti, IHG Dia Amb, Hyatt Glob
Posts: 15,521
You might try reading the wiki to familiarize yourself with the BRG rules. One of the first ones is:
This is unlike most other hotels' BRG policy.
Don't give up. But you must find a rate which is lower than SPG's lowest rate.
Cancellation policy has no bearing on a BRG claim with one exception if the rate difference is within 1%.
Don't give up. But you must find a rate which is lower than SPG's lowest rate.
Jan 6, 2015, 11:24 pm
#34
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Toronto
Programs: UA 1K, AC MM E75, Marriott LT Ti, IHG Dia Amb, Hyatt Glob
Posts: 15,521
Jan 6, 2015, 11:26 pm
#35
Join Date: May 2012
Location: SIN
Programs: JL GC | Marriott LT Silver | Global Entry | SQ Silver
Posts: 6,820
That's why I like SPG's BRG policy, very clean and clearcut compared to alot of other chains.
Jan 7, 2015, 1:09 am
#36
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Miami, FL
Programs: UA 1MM, AA Plat, Marriott LT Titanium, Hyatt Glob, IHG ♢ Amb, Hilton ♢, Hertz Pres
Posts: 6,018
A better question is what are you doing to make it so easy? I am simply finding lower rates on 3rd party websites and they are denying them every time. I then simply grab screen shot and re-email them and then they miraculously approve it. Although they always state they can't accept my screen shot and they were correct in denying me before. As though the rate I found mysteriously disappeared right after my brg submission and mysteriously reappeared exactly as before right after my follow up email.
Jan 7, 2015, 2:23 am
#37
Join Date: May 2012
Location: SIN
Programs: JL GC | Marriott LT Silver | Global Entry | SQ Silver
Posts: 6,820
A better question is what are you doing to make it so easy? I am simply finding lower rates on 3rd party websites and they are denying them every time. I then simply grab screen shot and re-email them and then they miraculously approve it. Although they always state they can't accept my screen shot and they were correct in denying me before. As though the rate I found mysteriously disappeared right after my brg submission and mysteriously reappeared exactly as before right after my follow up email.
I use a free VPN to US to make sure I see what the BRG Team will see (since they are in the US I presume).
Jan 7, 2015, 4:22 am
#38
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 46
how long does it usually take for them to respond to a brg claim?
i submitted mine 24 hours ago and no reply yet.
also any phone number that i can call and follow up? i tried calling the number on the brg faq page and its just a voicemail.
just to clarify that cancellation policy is not a consideration for starwood? meaning i can compare a prepaid non refundable rate with the starwood cancelable rate?
just another question, to make a brg claim, i have to make an online reservation through starwood? If i called in a reservation that is not counted. I just re-read the terms again now.
i submitted mine 24 hours ago and no reply yet.
also any phone number that i can call and follow up? i tried calling the number on the brg faq page and its just a voicemail.
just to clarify that cancellation policy is not a consideration for starwood? meaning i can compare a prepaid non refundable rate with the starwood cancelable rate?
just another question, to make a brg claim, i have to make an online reservation through starwood? If i called in a reservation that is not counted. I just re-read the terms again now.
Jan 7, 2015, 4:26 am
#39
Join Date: May 2006
Location: KSNA/KLAX
Programs: IML GOLD, Bonvoy LTPE, WOH Globalist, AAEXPLT
Posts: 645
First attempt at best rate, impression so far is that its a crapshoot at best. Booked a certain Sheraton for $580 while Agoda had it for $490 during the same periods. Sent a BRG request, they denied that the $490 rate existed. When I looked again, the room was sold out, and showed a slightly more expensive room.
Replied back with a time stamped screen shot, they then came back and said:
Thank you for your reply regarding your Best Rate Guarantee Claim.
I would like to take this time to explain that rates are validated on both the competing website and our own website at the time of processing; not at the time a claim is submitted or a reservation is made.
By my estimation, all they need to do is read the BRG's claim little later to increase the chance of those cheaper rooms being booked up. Seems very deceptive to me... But since I do 50+ nights a year, its definitely worth making the rounds at all of the travel booking sites... 20% is substantial provided they put their money where their mouth is.
Replied back with a time stamped screen shot, they then came back and said:
Thank you for your reply regarding your Best Rate Guarantee Claim.
I would like to take this time to explain that rates are validated on both the competing website and our own website at the time of processing; not at the time a claim is submitted or a reservation is made.
By my estimation, all they need to do is read the BRG's claim little later to increase the chance of those cheaper rooms being booked up. Seems very deceptive to me... But since I do 50+ nights a year, its definitely worth making the rounds at all of the travel booking sites... 20% is substantial provided they put their money where their mouth is.
Jan 7, 2015, 4:27 am
#40
Join Date: May 2006
Location: KSNA/KLAX
Programs: IML GOLD, Bonvoy LTPE, WOH Globalist, AAEXPLT
Posts: 645
how long does it usually take for them to respond to a brg claim?
i submitted mine 24 hours ago and no reply yet.
also any phone number that i can call and follow up? i tried calling the number on the brg faq page and its just a voicemail.
just to clarify that cancellation policy is not a consideration for starwood? meaning i can compare a prepaid non refundable rate with the starwood cancelable rate?
i submitted mine 24 hours ago and no reply yet.
also any phone number that i can call and follow up? i tried calling the number on the brg faq page and its just a voicemail.
just to clarify that cancellation policy is not a consideration for starwood? meaning i can compare a prepaid non refundable rate with the starwood cancelable rate?
Jan 7, 2015, 4:39 am
#41
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 46
my rate got even cheaper than what i initially submitted.
Jan 7, 2015, 4:55 am
#42
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 46
also, if the the brg claim gets denied, will we hear from them or simply no reply means denied?
Jan 7, 2015, 6:03 am
#43
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: New York, NY, USA
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Jan 7, 2015, 6:16 am
#44
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: New York, NY, USA
Posts: 12,483
.... Thank you for your reply regarding your Best Rate Guarantee Claim.
I would like to take this time to explain that rates are validated on both the competing website and our own website at the time of processing; not at the time a claim is submitted or a reservation is made....
I would like to take this time to explain that rates are validated on both the competing website and our own website at the time of processing; not at the time a claim is submitted or a reservation is made....
Jan 7, 2015, 6:16 am
#45
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: New York, NY, USA
Posts: 12,483