The basic deal is that the hotels want you to make reservations directly on their sites but if you find a cheaper rate on some other site (except for Hotwire and Priceline usually), they will match the lower rate plus offer something else. There are a lot of rules and restrictions so make sure you read them.
Below are the various hotel chains and their offers. If there is no direct link for a specific hotel, go the first hotel listed in the group.
Best Western Match lower room rates plus 10% off Best Westernthanks JeebusSaves
Caesars Match lower room rates plus 25% off Caesars Palace Las Vegas Hilton Bally's Las Vegas Flamingo Las Vegas Paris Las Vegas Flamingo Laughlin Reno Hilton Caesars Tahoe Atlantic City Hilton Bally's Atlantic City Caesars Atlantic City Caesars Indiana Grand Casino Biloxi Grand Casino Gulfport Grand Casino Tunica Bally's Tunica Sheraton Tunica
Choice Match lower room rates plus 10% off Comfort Inn Quality Comfort Suites Sleep Inn MainStay Suites Econo Lodge Rodeway Inn Clarion
Extended Stay Match lower room rates plus 10% off Extended StayAmerica StudioPLUS Crossland
Hyatt Match lower room rates plus 20% off Hyatt Hotels
Hilton Match lower room rates plus a $50 gift check Hilton Doubletree Doubletree Guest Suites Doubletree Club Hotel® Hampton Inn Hampton Inn & Suites Conrad Hotels Hilton Garden Inn Hilton Grand Vacations Company® Embassy Suites Hotels Homewood Suites by Hilton
InterContinental Match lower room rates plus 10% off InterContinental Hotel & Resorts Crowne Plaza Holiday Inn Hotels & Resorts Holiday Inn Express Express by Holiday Inn Staybridge Suites by Holiday Inn
Marriott Match lower room rates plus 25% off Marriott Hotels & Resorts JW Marriott Hotels & Resorts Renaissance Hotels & Resorts Courtyard Fairfield Inn SpringHill Suites Residence Inn TownePlace Suites Marriott Conference Centers Marriott Vacation Club International
Starwood Match lower room rates plus 10% off or 2,000 loyalty points Westin Sheraton Four Points by Sheraton St. Regis The Luxury Collection W Hotels Aladdin
EDIT: Orbitz(If you book a prepaid hotel rate that's backed by our Low Price Guarantee, and then find the same room, in the same hotel, for the same dates, at a lower price online within 24 hours, we'll refund the difference.) and Expedia.com(If you find a better price online for your exact trip within 24 hours, we'll refund the difference—and we'll give you a $50 travel coupon.) have similar best price guarantees.
Message edited by: scrabbler on 2006-04-21 21:12:51 CDT
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http://www.BRGSearch.net searches for Best Rate Guarantees for most of the major chains. I know it does Expedia, Marriott and Hyatt. I have great luck using it for those. Especially Expedia. ---------------
Be aware of hilton BRG! This does not work and they categorically refuse to honor better rates! Avoid hilton!
Message edited by: SarCastro67 on 2009-07-13 14:14:28 CDT
It is also tough to do. I booked one on Hilton.com a couple of weeks ago. I then found it on another website for cheaper. I thought I had made a quick $50 and filled out the form. Hilton replied that they couldn't "verify" the rate the other website was quoting.
I said fine, and booked through the other website. I now had two reservations and sent Hilton my confirmation number for the second one asking if it was enough verification. They never responded.
Yes I could call, complain, etc., but I just wanted to point out that the program isn't as truthful as presented.
Most of the hotel chains are now claiming to have the lowest rates by booking directly through the hotel's website. Basically, the hotels are trying to cut out travel agents and other travel websites (expedia, hotels.com, orbitz, etc.) The problem is in the fine print...
One huge loophole is that the low rate guarantee doe not apply to rates obtained through Priceline or Hotwire.
If I was booking a hotel, I would still check the hotel's website, but don't fall for their hollow promises and not check the rates at a few other places too.
Cornelius said:Most of the hotel chains are now claiming to have the lowest rates by booking directly through the hotel's website. Basically, the hotels are trying to cut out travel agents and other travel websites (expedia, hotels.com, orbitz, etc.) The problem is in the fine print...
One huge loophole is that the low rate guarantee doe not apply to rates obtained through Priceline or Hotwire.
If I was booking a hotel, I would still check the hotel's website, but don't fall for their hollow promises and not check the rates at a few other places too.Days inn has the lowest rates on thier website.
This is a very good thread. Yes, sadly all the hotel websites seem to be working pretty hard to keep their prices at the best price so nobody undercuts them.. I spent about 2hrs looking around to try to get a free night from cendant (daysinn, travelodge, etc) but found nothing that undercut them.. I even tried all the obscure searchengines like travelaxe..
Anyways, for cendant http://www.triprewards.com/ is an easy way to get a listing of all of their hotel prices without visiting each hotel site seperatly.
Good luck all! If anyone gets a free night outta it let us know!!
Yesterday I made a booking for Hampton (Hilton family) in Canada thru Hilton. Then decided to look around the websites - and did find a lower rate. Called Hilton trying to clarify which sites thay match and one representative totally lied to me by saying that they match THEIR own website price - which is stupid comment of course. I felt that she is lying and called back to speak to someone else.
anyway, gave it a try with a claim by filling out form on the web. Just got the answer - that they approved!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and will send me AMEX check via FedAx. I will end up paying less than 50% for the room.
Called Hilton trying to clarify which sites thay match and one representative totally lied to me by saying that they match THEIR own website price - which is stupid comment of course. I felt that she is lying and called back to speak to someone else.
So I guess I can say it works!
Thats scandelous. Do these Reps get a commission for denying the price match? or are they just really trying to work hard for the company without getting anythign from it? whats the bottomline behind a reps motives to help a customer out? anyone know? thanks
well, she didn't deny it. she lied about the policy because explaination on their website to me was vague. it says that they don't match negotiated group rates and at the same time they honor supposedly any site but not opaque. I am glad the claim form contained an example of expedia. But she (Hilton rep) said - no we don't match expedia, only our own website. and she was persistent about it and hanged up!
her demeanor was clearly showing that whether she is lying or doesn't know what she is talking about.
the irony is also another company - British Airways. they never know their partners. very incompetent. I learn stuff from their websites and then give them info about the company they work for in Customer service. they should be explaining info to mne, not vice versa.
I can't imagine how many people are brushed off with such incompetent personnel. And end up not going to vacations or overpaying for services based on false info obtained from such reps.
Cornelius said:One huge loophole is that the low rate guarantee doe not apply to rates obtained through Priceline or Hotwire.The flipside, though, is that PL and Hotwire offer their own rate guarantees.
Hotwire is uniquely easy to work with. IIRC they'll give you back double the difference in rate. Neat thing is that occasionally they have some crazy high mistake rates... a knowledgeable Hotwire user can spot an $89 room for $400.. buy it... and get double the difference ($318 x 2) back. Net profit = $236. Someone will correct me here, but I believe an eagle-eyed user can make up to $1k a year this way...
I just got a free night validated with Howard Johnson Inn - Chicago Downtown yesterday. First, I booked the best available rate quoted on the hotel website at $83.00 for a night. Later, I found both TraveloCitiy and Orbitz had cheaper rates at $80 and $75, respectively. So, I submitted a claim using the on-line form, and in about an hour, got a email response for a confirmed free night. My first try with this kind of program and succeeded. Not only does it work with Howard Johnson, but also quite efficient. My only concern is if this may affect the room quality I receive when checking in. Guess we'll have to wait to find out next month.
Marriott had Towneplace Suite Cincinnati NE at $85. Expedia and a few others had it at $79. I ended up getting it at $59.25 for a Friday night 2 days away. It's still 2x the $25 I paid for the room the next night on Priceline, but oh well.
I booked with lodging.com when I knew that expedia.com had a lower rate, put in a claim, and low and behold, I got an actual check in the mail for the difference plus 10%!
kittyz said:wonder if this works with expedia through howard johnshon do youi know? Howard Johnson is included in the OP. Check the Terms & Conditions before applying for the guarantee.
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