- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
- November 2008
- October 2008
- September 2008
- August 2008
- July 2008
- June 2008
- May 2008
- April 2008
- March 2008
- February 2008
- January 2008
- December 2007
- November 2007
- October 2007
- September 2007
- August 2007
- July 2007
- June 2007
- May 2007
- April 2007
Comments (2)
Print
Save/Share
The world's largest hotel company says no one can beat the prices on its website: Find a cheaper rate elsewhere, and your first night is free.
Best price guarantees are a dime a dozen for hotel-booking websites. Just about every travel site has one, from Expedia to Marriott to Hyatt and beyond. Typically, the guarantee states that if a traveler finds a cheaper rate after he's already made reservations, the original booking site will match the lower rate -- and often, throw in an additional discount.
Expedia, for instance, promises to refund the difference in rates and send the customer a $50 travel voucher. Marriott and Hyatt will match the lower price and knock an additional 25 percent and 20 percent, respectively, off the rate.
The InterContinental Hotel Group (IHG), the world's biggest hotel company, which operates major lodging brands like Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza, and StayBridge Suites, just announced a new "Best Price Guarantee" that, at least upon first glance, blows the doors off all the other guarantees out there.
Here's the deal: Say you book a room with any IHG hotel through the company's website. If, within 24 hours of booking, you find a cheaper rate for the same property (same date, same type of room, same restrictions) through another booking site, IHG will give you the first night of your reservation free of charge.
Is it likely you'll actually get a free night out of the deal? Um, not exactly. There's plenty of fine print that makes it difficult to land a freebie. The 24-hour limit for locating a cheaper rate is one of the restrictions. The rules also stipulate that to qualify you must use IHG's Best Available Rate when booking (as opposed to other rates such as AAA or military discounts), and select the lowest available hotel rate found in your search (presumably, this means no suites or family rooms). Finally, the original booking and the cheaper rate found afterward must be an apples-to-apples comparison: same hotel, same dates and length of stay, same restrictions (refundable or non-refundable), and so on.
Winding up with a free night because of the guarantee is also unlikely because, as you might guess, IHG works extremely hard to ensure that its website prices are never undercut by the competition. Many hotel companies, in fact, have contracts with third-party booking sites that specify hotel rooms can never be sold at rates cheaper than those booked directly with the property.
But perhaps the biggest reason few travelers will ever realize a free night out of such a guarantee is that scouring the web for cheaper prices takes up too much time and effort. After all, who wants to keep searching for hotel rates after their room is already booked?
MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL:
Hotels: When a best online price guarantee isn't best
Priceline now guarantees your hotel bid is the best deal
Get money back when prices drop
User reviews and comments that include profanity or personal attacks or other inappropriate comments or material will be removed from the site. Additionally, entries that are unsigned or contain "signatures" by someone other than the actual author will be removed. Finally, we will take steps to block users who violate any of our posting standards, terms of use or privacy policies or any other policies governing this site. Please review the full rules governing commentaries and discussions.
This 'Guarantee' is a SCAM! I booked a room at the AAA rate of $180, which was $9 less than their "Best Available Rate", and within 5 minutes found the exact same room at that hotel on budgettravel.com for $119. After getting the run-around from 'Freddie #2116" at a call center, and not being able to talk to his manager who was 'out to lunch', I convinced him to cancel my AAA rate reservation and I booked the $119 rate on budgettravel.com. I then lodged a complaint on the IHG website and exchanged 5 emails - all of them stating that the AAA rate disqualified me from the Guarantee.
In the end, nobody at their 'office' could tell me how $189 was a better rate than $180 - and why, when I booked the best price on their website, it somehow disqualified me from their Guarantee. In addition, they reiterate their amazing 'Guarantee' on their AAA rate page.
Holiday Inn and IHG - Instant Headache Guaranteed - have lost a customer for life. I will stick to Hilton and Marriott hotels. Those two chains truly understand Customer Service - AND how to Guarantee a pleasant stay.
(Note - I travel for business 300+ nights a year, and for pleasure another 10-20)
Posted By Steve on February 20, 2012, 5:58 PM
This is really a scam: Let me quote what they said:
In short, they denied my claim because the other website has cancellation policy whose expiry date for no fee cancellation 20 hours earlier. Isn't ridiculous?
Please be advised that the rate on www.kayak.com has a more restricted cancellation policy and cannot be compared to the lowest Best Available rate on IHG. Please see below:
Cancellation policy
Superior 1 Bed
There is NO change or cancellation fee. Bookings cancelled after 03/27/2012, 10:00 PM (America/Los Angeles) are subject to a fee of 1 night's room and tax per room. There is no refund for no-shows or early checkouts.
This means that you will be charged one day prior to your arrival date if cancelled whereas the rate that you booked on our website is flexible. You can cancel it on the day of your arrival before 6PM local hotel time. See below:
Canceling your reservation before 6:00 PM (local hotel time) on Wednesday, 28 March, 2012 will result in no charge. Canceling your reservation after 6:00 PM (local hotel time) on 28 March, 2012, or failing to show, will result in a charge of 1 night per room to your credit card. Taxes may apply. Failing to call or show before check-out time after the first night of a reservation will result in cancellation of the remainder of your reservation.
Since the lower rate on the third party website does not have the same rate restriction as IHG’s, your claim won’t qualify for the Best Price Guarantee.
Posted By M.T. on March 18, 2012, 2:58 AM