Major hotel chains offer a Best Rate Guarantee to entice customers to book directly, rather than via price comparison sites like Trivago, as every booking through an online travel agent equals a commission paid.
They promise that you won’t find a lower price elsewhere, but if you do the hotel will match it plus throw in a sweetener such as a further discount or bonus loyalty points.
In this post:
Which hotels offer the best Best Rate Guarantee (BRG)?
Almost all hotel chains offer a form of Best Rate Guarantee but only Marriott, Hilton and Hyatt are worth making a claim against.
| Hotel Chain | Benefit |
| Marriott | We’ll review the claim, and if approved, we’ll match the rate and give you an additional 25% discount on the room or 5,000 Marriott Bonvoy™ Points…it’s up to you. |
| Hilton | We will honor the lower price AND take an additional 25% off the room rate for each night of your stay. |
| Hyatt | The choice of an additional 20% off or 5,000 World of Hyatt Bonus Points. |
How do I find a BRG opportunity?
I use Trivago to quickly find price discrepancies between direct and third-party bookings.
You can see below that the Sheraton Tribeca New York is charging A$482 per night direct, but is also available via Agoda for A$433.
With a successful Marriott BRG claim your room rate would be A$325, a saving of A$157 per night.
Submitting A Successful Claim
Each hotel chain has its specific terms and conditions that we have to meet in order to qualify for a successful claim.
| Hotel Chain | Criteria |
| Marriott | Book your stay direct with us through one of our official online reservation channels, by calling our reservations line, or by visiting one of our hotels. If you find a lower rate for the same hotel, room type and dates within 24 hours of making your reservation, submit a Best Rate Guarantee claim form. |
| Hilton | If you find a lower qualified price* for the same accommodation and terms at any point before your reservation is made or up to 24 hours after making your reservation through one of the official Hilton booking channels**, we will honor the lower price AND take an additional 25% off the room rate for each night of your stay. When multiple prices for the same accommodations are available through the official Hilton booking channel, you must have booked the lowest rate to be eligible for the Price Match Guarantee. |
| Hyatt | If you find a better rate, we’ll match it—and give you the choice of an additional 20% off or 5,000 World of Hyatt Bonus Points. |
Quite often the initial claim will be denied, so it pays to be persistent and provide screenshots of the lower rate as proof via email.
Tip: Only make BRG claims with flexible rates. If the hotel chain refuses to honour the deal, you can cancel both the direct and third party booking and walk away risk free.
Summary
The Best Rate Guarantee is a good way to save money on hotels. Sure it takes a bit more effort than a simple one-click booking but is worth the effort.
I’m looking forward to my US$69.03 per night stay in Manhattan’s Financial District later this year.
Best of all you still earn points and nights toward free nights and elite status.
