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
#496
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: India
Programs: Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium, IHG Plat, HH Gold, Trident Plat, DL Diamond, AI Maharajah
Posts: 29,678
Hotel Name: four points by sheraton midtown times square....
Dates : 2 nights in april, 2015....
Number of Adults : 1
Number of Rooms : 1
Starwood Room Type : traditional king....
Starwood Rate : $280.00....
Competing Website : www.expedia.co.in via www.hotelscombined.com
Competing rate : $223.76....
Comments : the rate i found was a little lower but by the time the brg team got back to me the rate jumped up by about $15 a night....
BRG Reward : 20% off....
Actual confirmed rate: $179.00 plus taxes per night....
Dates : 2 nights in april, 2015....
Number of Adults : 1
Number of Rooms : 1
Starwood Room Type : traditional king....
Starwood Rate : $280.00....
Competing Website : www.expedia.co.in via www.hotelscombined.com
Competing rate : $223.76....
Comments : the rate i found was a little lower but by the time the brg team got back to me the rate jumped up by about $15 a night....
BRG Reward : 20% off....
Actual confirmed rate: $179.00 plus taxes per night....
#497
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: New York, NY, USA
Posts: 12,482
BRG Rate Adjustment Time Frame
How long doesn't it take for BRG department to adjust your rate? I have a last minute BRG approved and reservation number sent at 650pm yesterday. Rate still has not been adjusted. I am getting concerned as check in time is tomorrow. I called Platinum line but was told nothing can be done but to wait.
#498
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: perth
Programs: SPG(LTG), QANTAS gold, Korean, Accor Plat
Posts: 1,500
If it is approved then relax. I have never had the confirmation give the actual BRG rate and have always received the correct rate.
#499
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: NYC
Posts: 498
How long doesn't it take for BRG department to adjust your rate? I have a last minute BRG approved and reservation number sent at 650pm yesterday. Rate still has not been adjusted. I am getting concerned as check in time is tomorrow. I called Platinum line but was told nothing can be done but to wait.
#500
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: New York, NY, USA
Posts: 12,482
My experience is that the rate changes to $1 then it gets adjusted to BRG rate at check in. My issue is my reservation for tomorrow still shows non-adjusted rate which is close to double of BRG rate.
#501
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
Just bring a copy of the BRG confirmation to present at check-in. @:-)
#502
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: New York, NY, USA
Posts: 12,482
Technically, they can claim that I never completed the BRG process. BRG is only valid if you email your confirmation number within 24 hours and get rate adjusted.@:-) I was approved without a booking.
#503
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: CEB - primary/YVR -secondary
Programs: AC*Super Elite (100K) / PR*Elite / AY*Platinum (OWE) / SPG*Bonvoy Titanium (LTT)
Posts: 2,272
Your arrival date is tomorrow, I'm sure they'll understand
#504
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
Or as supatight80 says, call the BRG department at 866-500-0368.
#505
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: New York City
Programs: QFWP, UA 1k, Bonvoy Titanium, IHG Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 10
Hotel Name: Pine Cliffs Residence, A Luxury Collection Resort
Dates : 4 nights in May 2015
Number of Adults : 2
Number of Rooms : 1
Starwood Room Type : Two bedroom residence suite
Starwood Rate : 409 Euro
Competing Website : www.otel.com
Competing rate : 297.29 Euro
Comment: Response time was about 36 hours - not as good as it has been
BRG Reward : 20% off
Actual confirmed rate: 237.83 Euro
Even with the slower turnaround times I'm still having a good success rate this year.
Dates : 4 nights in May 2015
Number of Adults : 2
Number of Rooms : 1
Starwood Room Type : Two bedroom residence suite
Starwood Rate : 409 Euro
Competing Website : www.otel.com
Competing rate : 297.29 Euro
Comment: Response time was about 36 hours - not as good as it has been
BRG Reward : 20% off
Actual confirmed rate: 237.83 Euro
Even with the slower turnaround times I'm still having a good success rate this year.
#506
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: New York, NY, USA
Posts: 12,482
Anyway, I just got BRG confirmation email. However, the property charged my full stay already as it has passed cancellation deadline. Looks like I need to file for partial refund after my stay.
Last edited by TerryK; Mar 31, 2015 at 9:59 pm
#507
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 1,748
At the bottom of the BRG FAQ:
"What if I don’t hear back from the Customer Service center after submitting my claim?
Any questions regarding claims should be directed to [email protected] or call 1-866-500-0368."
#508
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
#509
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: New York, NY, USA
Posts: 12,482
At the bottom of the BRG FAQ:
"What if I don’t hear back from the Customer Service center after submitting my claim?
Any questions regarding claims should be directed to [email protected] or call 1-866-500-0368."
"What if I don’t hear back from the Customer Service center after submitting my claim?
Any questions regarding claims should be directed to [email protected] or call 1-866-500-0368."
I wonder why TennisNoob complained about not being able to call SPG BRG in post #389? Sounds like anyone can call and get instant approval of BRG claims.