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SPG Best Rate Guarantee (BRG) 2017: Success, failure & discussion thread

Old Jan 1, 2017, 9:36 am
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Last edit by: margarita girl
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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.
The rate you submit the BRG against must be a rate that is available to the general public. SPG will deny member only rates from 3rd party websites.
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
If a room category is available on an external website but not on Starwood, you may still make a claim. You still need to make a booking with Starwood using any other category of room - if your claim is approved the room type in the booking will be modified to match the room type you are claiming for
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. There are a few exceptions where properties impose stricter cancellation term based on competing rates.
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.
Per the FAQ, "Any questions regarding claims should be directed to [email protected] or call 1-866-500-0368." A human is available at this number beginning at 9am EST.

OTAs not eligible because they do not confirm instantly:
  • AsiaWeb
  • Cancelon
  • Ctrip (Known as MyTrip from Dec 2017)
  • Elvoline
  • HappyRooms
  • Hoteling
  • HotelsClick (Some rates on request, some instant)
  • Ostrovok
  • Roomertravel
  • Laterooms (according to BRG team 24 Oct 2016)
  • Hotelius (according to BRG team 21 Sept 2017)
  • Zenhotels (according to BRG team 10 Nov 2017)
  • Travelbag (according to BRG team 22 Dec 2017)

Special Conditions for BRG & Design Hotels
  • You may only claim against the absolute lowest rate on SPG.com, for the date(s) in question.
  • The rate must be the lowest on sale on SPG.com, and is regardless of the type of room you actually want, the number of occupants, cancellation policy and the amenities provided. In all likelihood this will mean you have to use a rate for a standard room, for 1 person, non-refundable and without any amenities.
  • It is not necessary for the rate on the external website to match the SPG.com rate in any way including room type and number of occupants. The only requirement for a successful BRG claim is that the rate be lower than the lowest rate on SPG.com for the date(s) in question.
  • As with normal BRG claims, you need to make a booking before submitting a claim. Since this will likely be a non-refundable booking, note that you are responsible for any and all charges including cancellation charges, even if the claim is not approved.
  • Amenities that are included in the external website's rate but which are not included in the Starwood rate may or may not be provided.
  • You will retain the category of room booked on SPG.com, even if the external website rate submitted for the claim refers to a different category of room. This is especially pertinent in situations where the hotel continues to sell lower categories of rooms on other websites, while not making them available on SPG.com. You will then be able to book a higher category of room on SPG.com, BRG the lower rate, and retain the higher category of room while paying the lower rate.
  • If you need to BRG Design Hotels for Double or higher occupancy.
    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 view your reservation after BRG has been approved
    • The BRG will be processed for a single occupant, even if the rate does not change for more than one occupant. You must book the actual number of occupants intended. Effectively, you can only BRG for single occupant unless double rate happens to be the same as single. It is not possible to BRG if double rate is higher than single. No modification to occupancy is allowed if BRG is approved. If you submit with single rate, you will be stuck with single room; if you submit with double rate and single rate is lower, it will be automatically denied irrespective of competing rates.
    • Log into your SPG account
    • Click on your stays to view your current reservation
    • Click on "Set Stay Preferences", then SAVE
    • Refresh your stays page and the reservation should be visible again. You may need to repeat this step if the hotel touches your reservation. If you apply for Your24, you will not be able to view the reservation details.
How to cancel 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 "Set Stay Preferences" link for the BRG reservation, then SAVE
reload the page and you should now be able to cancel the reservation

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 "Set Stay Preferences" link for the BRG reservation, then SAVE
reload the page and you should now be able to select "apply SNA to this stay" link


POSTING FORMAT

Hotel Name:
Arrival Date:
Departure Date:
Number of Rooms:
Number of Guests:
Room Type:
Starwood Brand Web Site Room Rate:
Company Room Provider:
Other Company Room Provider:
Competing rate:
Comments:

Q: Are SPG benefits honored for BRG stays?
A: Yes. You should receive the same SPG elite member benefits and stay/night credit as for a normal paid stay.
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SPG Best Rate Guarantee (BRG) 2017: Success, failure & discussion thread

 
Old Jan 23, 2017, 7:39 am
  #76  
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Sweden
Programs: Marriott Platinum - LT Gold
Posts: 688
Originally Posted by travelswithmyself
Worse than Hyatt? Wow... like just, wow.

Having all sites sell the same lowest rate is destroying the market? In what way? Isn't that the point, that the customer should be able to find the lowest rate wherever he/she goes?
I admit I exaggerated a bit and edited my post after you quoted it From a scale from 1-5. Hyatt is 0 and SPG is 2.
I believe: If every 3rd party and 1st offer the exact same rate all the time the competition will die and so will the 3rd party hotels in the end since it won't make any sense to book by a 3rd party anymore. The reason why a 3rd party exist is to offer rates lower than hotel chains back in the days when it all started. That's why hotel chains started a BRG program to bring back their customers. Rates should never be fixed.

Last edited by joakgarp; Jan 23, 2017 at 7:49 am
joakgarp is offline  
Old Jan 23, 2017, 7:44 am
  #77  
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 1,748
Originally Posted by joakgarp
I admit I exaggerated a bit and edited my post after you quoted it From a scale from 1-5. Hyatt is 0 and SPG is 2. Marriott is a 5.
Hahah

I personally rate SPG 5 and Hyatt 2. I haven't tried Marriott so I'll have to give that a go.
travelswithmyself is offline  
Old Jan 23, 2017, 9:02 am
  #78  
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: CEB - primary/YVR -secondary
Programs: AC*Super Elite (100K) / PR*Elite / AY*Platinum (OWE) / SPG*Bonvoy Titanium (LTT)
Posts: 2,257
Originally Posted by joakgarp
I admit I exaggerated a bit and edited my post after you quoted it From a scale from 1-5. Hyatt is 0 and SPG is 2.
I believe: If every 3rd party and 1st offer the exact same rate all the time the competition will die and so will the 3rd party hotels in the end since it won't make any sense to book by a 3rd party anymore. The reason why a 3rd party exist is to offer rates lower than hotel chains back in the days when it all started. That's why hotel chains started a BRG program to bring back their customers. Rates should never be fixed.
No offence, but the reason why we have BRG programs are so that hotels would ensure their own portals (e.g. SPG.com, hyatt.com, etc.) offer the lowest rate out there. If there is a lower rate offered by OTAs, then the hotel loyalty program penalizes the property. If guest books at OTAs, OTAs get the commission and not Starwood as an example. So if you were Starwood, would you not want to get the $$$ instead of the OTA getting the commission?

BRG program was not created so we could have our fill of 2K points and 20% offs.

But feel free to stay at Marriott....
supatight80 is online now  
Old Jan 23, 2017, 9:54 am
  #79  
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Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: CPH
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Posts: 11,000
Originally Posted by joakgarp
One of many reasons why I try to stay away from SPGs hotels as much as possible and use them as a last resort. Their BRG-rules are almost or close as bad as Hyatt's. Somehow every 3rd party hotel site has a deal with SPG to always offer the exact same locked rate as SPG's lowest uncancellable rate. It's obvious. Flexible rate could differ but you may not compare SPG's flexible rate with another Flexible rate from a 3rd party.
Been trying to compare SPG hotels from Japan and Seoul. Same exact locked rate everywhere, no matter which month I pick and dates. Experienced the same last summer in Tokyo. Ridiculous and shouldn't be allowed. It's destroying the market.

This is not the case with Marriott. Am afraid Marriott is approaching the same locked rate in the future but I sure hope not.
Tried SPG BRG once, so far so good. Tried Marriott A LOT and it's getting more and more difficult - and they are using all sorts of bogus reasons to deny my claims.

Yes big chains are trying to lock their rate and yes it's destroying the market.
nacho is offline  
Old Jan 23, 2017, 10:40 am
  #80  
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 1,748
Originally Posted by joakgarp
If every 3rd party and 1st offer the exact same rate all the time the competition will die and so will the 3rd party hotels in the end since it won't make any sense to book by a 3rd party anymore. The reason why a 3rd party exist is to offer rates lower than hotel chains back in the days when it all started. That's why hotel chains started a BRG program to bring back their customers. Rates should never be fixed.

Well, I wouldn't say that the 3rd party exists to offer lower rates - they exist because they want to make money selling tours hotels and flights to us!

And yes, that's why SPG and the others started the BRG programmes. To bring the $$$ back to themselves, and penalise the hotels for selling cheap rates to the 3rd parties.

Do the 3rd parties provide competition? Not really. I think the real competition still comes from other chains and hotels. If prices are low it's because another hotel is offering relatively the same product at a better price, not because a 3rd party is selling it for less. Your own experience in JP/KR shows how hard it is to BRG properties there. But the SPG hotel prices remain comparable to similar non-SPG properties, even though there is no "competition from 3rd parties".

Wishful thinking to hope that rates will not eventually be in line across the board, IMO.
travelswithmyself is offline  
Old Jan 23, 2017, 11:30 am
  #81  
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Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: India
Programs: Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium, IHG Plat, HH Gold, Trident Plat, DL Diamond, AI Maharajah
Posts: 29,598
Hotel Name: st. regis mumbai....
Dates: 3 nights in january....
Number of Rooms: 1....
Number of Guests: 2....
Room Type: panoramic room....
Starwood Web Site Rate: inr 17,308.34....
Competing Website: www.getaroom.com via www.hotlscombined.com....
Competing rate: inr 14,447.30....
BRG Reward: 20% off....
Actual confirmed rate: inr 11,557.84....
Comments: the rate i found was lower than what was approved but by the time the brg team got back to me the lower rate was no longer available....still happy to get this approved....
Keyser is offline  
Old Jan 23, 2017, 2:17 pm
  #82  
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Sweden
Programs: Marriott Platinum - LT Gold
Posts: 688
Originally Posted by travelswithmyself
Well, I wouldn't say that the 3rd party exists to offer lower rates - they exist because they want to make money selling tours hotels and flights to us!

And yes, that's why SPG and the others started the BRG programmes. To bring the $$$ back to themselves, and penalise the hotels for selling cheap rates to the 3rd parties.

Do the 3rd parties provide competition? Not really. I think the real competition still comes from other chains and hotels. If prices are low it's because another hotel is offering relatively the same product at a better price, not because a 3rd party is selling it for less. Your own experience in JP/KR shows how hard it is to BRG properties there. But the SPG hotel prices remain comparable to similar non-SPG properties, even though there is no "competition from 3rd parties".

Wishful thinking to hope that rates will not eventually be in line across the board, IMO.
Did some further research and found some possible BRG-claims for SPG's hotels in NY and in Bali (where I'm heading to later this year so will give this a try later on). The strict locked rate I've come across in JP/KR was no where to be found at Westin Bali for instance. SPG seems to have a bit stricter rate in JP/KR and more open in some else.
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Old Jan 23, 2017, 4:12 pm
  #83  
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: ORD, MKE
Programs: Bonvoy LT Gold, Hilton Silver, Hyatt Discoverist, Hertz PC, National EE
Posts: 710
Originally Posted by supatight80
No offence, but the reason why we have BRG programs are so that hotels would ensure their own portals (e.g. SPG.com, hyatt.com, etc.) offer the lowest rate out there. If there is a lower rate offered by OTAs, then the hotel loyalty program penalizes the property. If guest books at OTAs, OTAs get the commission and not Starwood as an example. So if you were Starwood, would you not want to get the $$$ instead of the OTA getting the commission?
Originally Posted by megalab
Update: ... Noticed that after my BRG claim they had a "Starwood Exclusive Promotion" (something I haven't seen at any other SPG hotel) ... $10-$20 less than the standard "SPG Member Exclusive" normally seen...
A couple of times now I've filed a BRG claim, only to see the hotel offer a "special" below the OTA price. My claim today was denied because between when I filed and when it was rejected (about 5 hours) the hotel offered a special that was 20% less than the OTA price I quoted. Happy to see a much lower price (though I wanted the points) but I'm starting to wonder if they're coincidences...

I did get this claim (at a different hotel) to go through in only 30 minutes:

Hotel Name: The Westin Copley Place, Boston
Date: 4 nts in mid-February
Room Type: Traditional room
Starwood Brand Web Site Room Rate: $176
Company Room Provider: hotelsquickly.com via hotelscombined.com
Competing rate: $110.52
Actual confirmed rate: $88.42 (20% off)

Last edited by megalab; Feb 7, 2017 at 12:04 pm Reason: Added claim info
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Old Jan 23, 2017, 6:34 pm
  #84  
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Programs: SPG Platinum, Marriott Plat, Hyatt Diamond, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 235
Originally Posted by joakgarp
One of many reasons why I try to stay away from SPGs hotels as much as possible and use them as a last resort. Their BRG-rules are almost or close as bad as Hyatt's. Somehow every 3rd party hotel site has a deal with SPG to always offer the exact same locked rate as SPG's lowest uncancellable rate. It's obvious. Flexible rate could differ but you may not compare SPG's flexible rate with another Flexible rate from a 3rd party.
Been trying to compare SPG hotels from Japan and Seoul. Same exact locked rate everywhere, no matter which month I pick and dates. Experienced the same last summer in Tokyo. Ridiculous and shouldn't be allowed. It's destroying the market.

This is not the case with Marriott. Am afraid Marriott is approaching the same locked rate in the future but I sure hope not.
You are not trying hard enough. All my stays have been brg stays(including 3 seperate stay in Tokyo), i can't recall when was the last time i did not BRG my stays other than redemption nights. It may take a bit more effort to look for the lower rates but end of the day this is a 100% legitimate program.
shevboyz is offline  
Old Jan 24, 2017, 3:40 am
  #85  
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Join Date: Jul 2015
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Posts: 204
Had a BRG approved where the SPG rate was breakfast inclusive. The OTA rate was also breakfast inclusive and the BRG success confirmation email stated that the room type included breakfast.

There was actually an error with the BRG in that both the 20% discount and 2000 starpoint benefits were applied. SPG later emailed to say they recognise the error but will honour it as a gesture of goodwill.

The hotel has now emailed saying that breakfast is not inclusive, which according to the Wiki, should be as both the SPG and OTA rates were breakfast inclusive. I can't really find any reference in the BRG terms saying that the breakfast will continue to be included?

I'm wary also that an exception has been applied to apply both the 20% off and 2000 starpoint benefits. But the 20% off was only something like 15 USD off so pretty much on par with the 500 point plat welcome bonus. Any advice? Cheers
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Old Jan 24, 2017, 4:40 am
  #86  
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Originally Posted by OriginalName
Had a BRG approved where the SPG rate was breakfast inclusive. The OTA rate was also breakfast inclusive and the BRG success confirmation email stated that the room type included breakfast.

There was actually an error with the BRG in that both the 20% discount and 2000 starpoint benefits were applied. SPG later emailed to say they recognise the error but will honour it as a gesture of goodwill.

The hotel has now emailed saying that breakfast is not inclusive, which according to the Wiki, should be as both the SPG and OTA rates were breakfast inclusive. I can't really find any reference in the BRG terms saying that the breakfast will continue to be included?

I'm wary also that an exception has been applied to apply both the 20% off and 2000 starpoint benefits. But the 20% off was only something like 15 USD off so pretty much on par with the 500 point plat welcome bonus. Any advice? Cheers
Your competing rate was inclusive of breakfast, so you BRG approved rate is inclusive of breakfast. Don't listen to what the hotel tells you - forward that hotel email to the BRG team to handle. I guess the only slight issue is the the 20% and 2,000 points but given that SPG said they will honour it, then I think you are looking good on all fronts (breakfast, 20% and 2,000points).

Once upon a time I had a hotel email directly and tell me they won't accept the approved BRG rate but offered a rate slightly less than BAR - guess where that email went straight to? to the BRG team and all handled fine. Arriving at the hotel - gosh, they even tried to suggest the BRG rate was dodgy.
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Old Jan 24, 2017, 10:03 am
  #87  
 
Join Date: Jun 2016
Posts: 2
First time BRG-er. Approved within 5hrs - couldn't be more pleased!

Hotel Name: Element Amsterdam
Arrival Date: Apr 17
Departure Date: Apr 17 (4 Nights)
Number of Rooms: 1
Number of Guests: 2
Room Type: Studio, Non-smoking
Starwood Brand Web Site Room Rate: EUR165.70
Company Room Provider: Hotels.com
Competing rate: EUR130.66
Comments: Confirmed rate EUR104.53 (Less 20%)

Last edited by giddyinoz; Jan 24, 2017 at 10:12 am
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Old Jan 24, 2017, 3:53 pm
  #88  
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Tucson
Programs: AA - Gold, SPG - Gold, HHonors - Gold
Posts: 132
Originally Posted by margarita girl
I've been doing BRGs for ~8 yrs. I don't think this has been true in that time period. And I always preferred to submit my BRGs with a reservation (a cancelable one) as opposed to submitting without, and then making the reservation after the approval.

And BTW, Travel Zoo redirects to SPG website, so you cannot submit a BRG with a Travel Zoo rate.

Also covered in the wiki. But good idea to remind people.
Travel zoo had a different partner at the hotel time time...here is what my friends' actually confirmed.

I went through an old email from the Osaka Sheraton in 2014 and rejected based on some weird wording on room type. "Standard room" and "Standard Room - Prepay Only" were different types of rooms YRMV...
Attached Images  
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Old Jan 24, 2017, 11:20 pm
  #89  
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: BKK
Programs: World of Hyatt Globalist; Marriott Bonvoy LTP; IHG Plat
Posts: 2,224
Originally Posted by joakgarp
One of many reasons why I try to stay away from SPGs hotels as much as possible and use them as a last resort. Their BRG-rules are almost or close as bad as Hyatt's. Somehow every 3rd party hotel site has a deal with SPG to always offer the exact same locked rate as SPG's lowest uncancellable rate. It's obvious. Flexible rate could differ but you may not compare SPG's flexible rate with another Flexible rate from a 3rd party.
Been trying to compare SPG hotels from Japan and Seoul. Same exact locked rate everywhere, no matter which month I pick and dates. Experienced the same last summer in Tokyo. Ridiculous and shouldn't be allowed. It's destroying the market.

This is not the case with Marriott. Am afraid Marriott is approaching the same locked rate in the future but I sure hope not.
So amusing.
3rdworldresident is offline  
Old Jan 25, 2017, 6:14 am
  #90  
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Canada
Posts: 1,498
I am definitely finding it much more difficult to find BRG rates for some hotels that I could easily find in the past. Actually finding it extremely difficult!
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