Marriott best rate guarantee

[greenfrog]

Booked a Marriott hotel recently in the UK to later find several websites offering the same room at the same hotel cheaper. Great news, I thought, submit the "best rate guarantee" claim form.

To cut a long story short, Marriott have rejected all FIVE cheaper websites on the basis that they, although the booking is charged immediately to your credit card, the user then prints off the hotel confirmation and takes it to the hotel when checking in. This constitutes a prepaid voucher which is outside the T's and C's of the "guarantee" and so enables Marriott to not honour the lower rate.

My question is, does this not exclude probably 99% of hotel websites and therefore render the Marriott guarantee meaningless ?

Incidentally, this rule applies to all worldwide Marriott hotels except in the USA or Canada. Why ?

 

[mav]

Booked a Marriott hotel recently in the UK to later find several websites offering the same room at the same hotel cheaper. Great news, I thought, submit the "best rate guarantee" claim form.

To cut a long story short, Marriott have rejected all FIVE cheaper websites on the basis that they, although the booking is charged immediately to your credit card, the user then prints off the hotel confirmation and takes it to the hotel when checking in. This constitutes a prepaid voucher which is outside the T's and C's of the "guarantee" and so enables Marriott to not honour the lower rate.

My question is, does this not exclude probably 99% of hotel websites and therefore render the Marriott guarantee meaningless ?

Incidentally, this rule applies to all worldwide Marriott hotels except in the USA or Canada. Why ?

I haven't had this happen with Marriott, but it happens very often on PriorityCub hotels and Best Westerns. We don't like the B.W.'s in the USA but we do like the European ones. often in old manor houses and historical buildings and have a lot of charm, BUT the other issue is annoying. I belong to their rewards program too and if you don't book thru their sites you don't get your points. Very annoying.

 

[MichaelColey]

I've had good success with Marriott's LNF (Look No Further) guarantee, but you do need to make sure to fully understand the rules for it. There are several threads about it on FlyerTalk.com that are helpful.

I had two stays at a Residence Inn, where it was $149 to book on Marriott and I found a $114 rate on Kayak. I submitted the LNF claim and they adjusted it down to $85.50/night (25% below the lower rate).

 

[mav]

I've had good success with Marriott's LNF (Look No Further) guarantee, but you do need to make sure to fully understand the rules for it. There are several threads about it on FlyerTalk.com that are helpful.

I had two stays at a Residence Inn, where it was $149 to book on Marriott and I found a $114 rate on Kayak. I submitted the LNF claim and they adjusted it down to $85.50/night (25% below the lower rate).

That's good to know. Thank you for posting this! I wish Priority Club hotels did that. I like their hotels also. And Hilton.

 

[MichaelColey]

Hilton DOES have a Best Rate Guarantee. If I remember right, they match the lower rate and give you $50. But they're AWFUL about honoring it. I think their standard procedure is to deny all claims, then try to make it a hassle to those who persist, then only honor it if you don't give up. (You can find threads about this on FlyerTalk.com as well.)

I've found Marriott's to be MUCH easier to work with. The basic rules are 1) The room types and cancellation policies have to match, and 2) Voucher sites are not included. The reason the voucher sites don't count is because they buy blocks of rooms (at a discount) and resell them, so they're outside of Marriott's control.

 

[rpgriego]

Booked a Marriott hotel recently in the UK to later find several websites offering the same room at the same hotel cheaper. Great news, I thought, submit the "best rate guarantee" claim form.

To cut a long story short, Marriott have rejected all FIVE cheaper websites on the basis that they, although the booking is charged immediately to your credit card, the user then prints off the hotel confirmation and takes it to the hotel when checking in. This constitutes a prepaid voucher which is outside the T's and C's of the "guarantee" and so enables Marriott to not honour the lower rate.

My question is, does this not exclude probably 99% of hotel websites and therefore render the Marriott guarantee meaningless ?

Incidentally, this rule applies to all worldwide Marriott hotels except in the USA or Canada. Why ?

GREAT post!

 

[rpgriego]

Hilton DOES have a Best Rate Guarantee. If I remember right, they match the lower rate and give you $50. But they're AWFUL about honoring it. I think their standard procedure is to deny all claims, then try to make it a hassle to those who persist, then only honor it if you don't give up. (You can find threads about this on FlyerTalk.com as well.)

I've found Marriott's to be MUCH easier to work with. The basic rules are 1) The room types and cancellation policies have to match, and 2) Voucher sites are not included. The reason the voucher sites don't count is because they buy blocks of rooms (at a discount) and resell them, so they're outside of Marriott's control.

Did any of the "FlyerTalk.com" posts offer a list of "voucher sites" that fall outside of Marriott's Best Rate Guarantee?

 

[MichaelColey]

No, that would be a pretty extensive list. There are lots of companies that do that, particularly in Europe.

There is one member on FT that maintains a list of sites to use with LNF. You have to request the list via PM and you'll get the next revision. I've found it marginally useful, but the list is so extensive that it would take you a day to try all of the sites. It's not worth that much time for me. And many of the sites are very focused and don't have many hotels. The latest revisions to the list include some notes about what sites members have reported finding most useful, so that definitely helps.

 

[pwrshift]

Often the AAA rate,and Sr rate for those over 62, are lower than posted rates on the MAR site. The lowest rate if for military, it seems.

Brian

 

[MichaelColey]

For LNF purposes, those rates can't be used. It has to be a rate that is open to anybody, with no restrictions or membership.

One tip I learned at FT (but that has never been available for the places I've stayed) is trying rate code "LPR". It's a "local promotional rate" that some hotels set up. As long as the comments for it doesn't list any sort of restrictions (and you point that out in the LNF claim), FT members have reported successfully using that rate for a LNF claim.

 

[FractionalTraveler]

Booked a Marriott hotel recently in the UK to later find several websites offering the same room at the same hotel cheaper. Great news, I thought, submit the "best rate guarantee" claim form.

To cut a long story short, Marriott have rejected all FIVE cheaper websites on the basis that they, although the booking is charged immediately to your credit card, the user then prints off the hotel confirmation and takes it to the hotel when checking in. This constitutes a prepaid voucher which is outside the T's and C's of the "guarantee" and so enables Marriott to not honour the lower rate.

My question is, does this not exclude probably 99% of hotel websites and therefore render the Marriott guarantee meaningless ?

Incidentally, this rule applies to all worldwide Marriott hotels except in the USA or Canada. Why ?

My experience has been that when I see it cheaper somewhere else, its usually because of different T&C of the offer.

If I agree with the offer's T&C then I just cancel my Marriott.com reservation and go with the cheaper alternative. I'm not interested in having to work any extra just to benefit Marriott in the end with my booking.

If you find it cheaper somewhere else and are OK with T&C then just book it and forget about it!

 

[Nickfromct]

That's good to know. Thank you for posting this! I wish Priority Club hotels did that. I like their hotels also. And Hilton.

Priority Club, now IHG, probably has the most lucrative Best Rate Guarantee Program. If you have a successful claim, you get the first night free, even on a 1 night stay. Subsequent nights are booked at the lower competing rate.

I've taken advantage of BRG's for Marriott, IHG and Starwood. It takes some work, but the payoff could be significant.

https://www.ihg.com/hotels/us/en/customer-care/lowest-internet-rate-terms-conditions

 

[akeithj]

I had a similar experience with Hertz recently, who also have a rate guarantee. For me personally a rate guarantee should be just that, if the website states you will find the best rates on the companies website that's just what it should be, there should be no exclusion clauses hidden in the small print.