Is there a point to Best Price Guarantee?

[JohnK]

Anyone with recent experience?

I have been looking at Holiday Inn Chiang Mai for 4 nights in April and was waiting to book it. Cost on IHG website for Superior room 4 nights with breakfast for 2 people is ~THB9,200. Price looks good and AUD is falling. So I make the booking.

Check on HotelsCombined and 3 websites have lower price. One for $195, second for $268 and a third for $278. All lower than IHG.

Put in request for best price guarantee and response comes back with inaccurate information and all the fine print.

- First of all I have booked a rate for the cheapest room with breakfast for 2 where as Best Price Guarantee team thinks I have booked room only so fails guarantee
- The rate on IHG website for hotel is THB whereas Hotels4U is GBP, EUR, AUD, USD so fails guarantee
- The rate the IHG team show me from Hotels4U is ~AUD289 which is not the price I see on Hotels4U website and I have a copy of booking process before pressing "Book now" so fails guarantee
- My booking is for 4 nights where as guarantee states must be for 1 night only so fails guarantee

So apparently I fail "Since not all of the terms and conditions are met, we cannot extend to you the guarantee."

I ask why have something like a Best Price Guarantee if you just knock back each claim. Makes IHG look good?

 

[markis10]

One could say what's the point of doing something without checking the small print first! At least you got an answer, my accor BRG from June is still unanswered.

As for the point, well it's good for those that like to trick their way into some very nice rooms for free, to the extent I don't see it being around for much longer.

 

[oz_mark]

The point, I suspect, is to allow the hotel groups to flush out who us undercutting them!

While they do look like they have got you on the currency aspect (the price must be in the currency of the hotel), the last point is certainly wrong. Multinight stays are covered by the guarantee, and you get the first night free.

 

[greenfrog86]

That sounds ridiculous! I just successfully used the SPG best rate guarantee and it required very little fuss.

The SPG rate was in USD and Expedia.com.au was in AUD but was still cheaper. SPG had no issues with this and quickly responded with instructions for the four night booking and best of all the rate matched was a cheapy non-refundable type!

I agree with you that IHG is wasting your time...

 

[JohnK]

Got another response this morning. This time it would appear they worked out I had breakfast in my room rate (same price as bed only rate) and the other website is really that cheap.

My claim for Best Price Guarantee got knocked back again based on currency of hotel and IHG offering free internet and late checkout. Oh and they mentioned that because the other website is in GBP that I would have to pay currency conversion fees. But what they fail to realise is that I will need to pay currency conversion fees for THB as well. And they have no idea that a 28 Degrees mastercard offers close to mid-market rates and no currency conversion fee.

I know now there is fine print there but it was good to give this a try. Do not like the way the arrogance shows through on the emails I received as if I have no idea what I am doing with hotel bookings. It was actually a calculated move on my part.

The Best Price Guarantee logo should not be there on that website as it is a fail. Need to do some reading of the threads on Flyertalk for some further information.

Do you think my request of asking for the reservation to be refunded free of charge will be successful? Hmmm. Win some, lose some...

 

[Shanye2233]

I have had experience with the Brg and they do allow claims once the conditions are meet. I suggest you read over the terms a few times before you submit any claims.

 

[Mal]

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[mella2007]

Shayne...after some of the hassles and various experiences you've had with different programs over your posts on here and FT, I would think it would be better to keep these sort of statements on the low...hotels and airlines DO read these pages.

 

[burnt]

Booked a night yesterday at Holiday Inn Santiago Airport on IHG website, prepaid US$222 plus US$42.18 IVA (our GST) and paid a total of US$264.18 and then found on booking.com same room for the US$222 and the note that no taxes were payable as a tourist staying under 59 days.

Put in a claim to IHG Best Price Guarantee and they are trying to knock me back by saying " as stated on the FAQ and terms and conditions of the program "if you find a lower price (room rate)with a lower total room cost (including taxes and fees)"

They claim the above statement is pertaining to BOTHrates. In order to qualify, both rates (room rate and taxes and fees) must be lower than the IHG. There is nothing about this in the T&C

I have never heard such BS, any other similar experiences with IHG or does anyone have a local person to call and discuss this

 

[thatsthatmattressman]

Just interested in what success folks have had a) finding and b) getting fulfillment and recognition of a valid BRG claim in Australia.

I see BRG 'opportunities' in other countries regularly but have only once seen it here so either my searching/validation/comparison skills are not well honed or I am not in the 'loop'.

The latest gem I see now is the Kayak Getaroom price which is often a spot lower than the IHG rate but then you find out one of the T's and C's is not equal or better or they are only selling the Standard room and IHG is not or it is not within 1.5% of the fee AU and NZ have for IHG or (insert condition here).

I am not asking for specific examples of course; just interested if any one is getting 'valid' claims processed for properties in Australia or is the price/rate parity so well managed here that nobody needs to file ;-)