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BRG is a way of getting compensation for finding a cheaper rate then the one offered by the hotel website.  Compensation varies greatly by the hotel brand policy. It can be in the one following: first night free, gift cards, matched rate with an additional percent discount as well as bonus points.

Hotel brand/ site compensation policy
Please note: most will match the rate plus give compensation.
Choice hotel : $50 VISA gift card plus rate matched (US residents) OR first night free plus rate matched (non-US residents). It goes by the address you write on the reservation so if you Write down an Israel (or anywhere non U.S) address, you're good
Ihg: rate matched plus 5x points for the reservation
Best Western: rate matched plus 100$ BW travel card
Marriott: 25% off matched rate or 5,000 Marriott points
Hyatt: 20% off matched rate or 5,000 Hyatt points
Hilton: 25% off matched rate
Wyndham: rate matched plus 3,000 Wyndham points



How to find a brg claim
Search for the hotel and dates of your choice and then the fun begins.
Hotel price comparison web sites are great way of finding BRGs. Some of the following work very well:

TripAdvisor.com
Hotelscombined.com
Trivago.com
Wego.com

If you want some tutorial articles about how BRGs work, how to find them, how to match them, and all the details, go to http://brgdeals.blogspot.com/ and read the articles.

The site run by a guy named David, and he also finds BRGs and posts them there. So If you don't want to start making one yourself, just go to his site, search for the city you need and see if there are any current BRGs available. You can also be spontaneous and look at his most recent finds (he posts new ones almost daily), although you may have not planned a trip, but if you can get it free (or discounted) hey why not.

How to claim a brg
You do need to book the hotel first and then file a BRG claim.  Just search the hotels/ third party site for a best rate gaurantee policy and you should be able to find a link to a brg claim form. Be aware that room and conditions need to be a perfect match.
As they often find ways to wiggle out of this policy it's not advised to book a non refundable room unless you would have stayed there regardless.


Redeeming brgs
No  diff as to the form of compensation ( discount or free night) redeeming Is all the same. Your reservation will look like a standard reservation except it will be either discounted or show a 00.00 balance. Most hotel receptionists aren't familiar with brgs and automatically assume that it's a points stay.


Why I love choice brgs
Choice hotels include brands like quality inn, comfort inn, rodeway and of course the ascend collection. They are fairly easy when it comes to approving claims as long as you stick to the following:
- 1 claim per household per 30 days
- price match before taxes (ymmv on this one)
- your claim is submitted / approved 72 hours before your scheduled stay
However even within those policy's there are plenty of loop
Holes.



When Posting a brg please use the following Example format:

BRG claim for: Choice Hotels
Hotel Name: comfort suites
Hotel Add: 320 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL, US, 60601
Room Type: Queen Suite
Room Rate:197
Better rate found: Hotelscombined.com
Better Rate: 127
« Last edited by a mirrer on August 05, 2019, 01:23:12 PM »

Author Topic: Free hotels/Best rate guarantee  (Read 431469 times)

Offline Emkay

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Re: Free hotels/Best rate guarantee
« Reply #2380 on: December 19, 2016, 06:16:55 AM »
Is there any basis for a claim with IHG if I found an identical rate/room type, however the competing web site offers a more liberal cancellation policy?  I'm assuming no, but would like to confirm.
Meaning can they deny you if the other website policy is better? Officially not but I know for a fact that they have.

Offline B.D.Da'ehu

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Re: Free hotels/Best rate guarantee
« Reply #2381 on: December 19, 2016, 06:20:16 AM »
Meaning can they deny you if the other website policy is better? Officially not but I know for a fact that they have.
Yup. I've had that happen to me.

Offline moe8555

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Re: Free hotels/Best rate guarantee
« Reply #2382 on: December 19, 2016, 07:52:46 AM »
Meaning can they deny you if the other website policy is better? Officially not but I know for a fact that they have.

The price is identical, rather the cancellation policy is better on the competing site.

Offline Emkay

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Re: Free hotels/Best rate guarantee
« Reply #2383 on: December 19, 2016, 07:57:38 AM »
The price is identical, rather the cancellation policy is better on the competing site.
Oh, then negative 60% chance.

Offline moe8555

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Re: Free hotels/Best rate guarantee
« Reply #2384 on: December 19, 2016, 08:08:36 AM »
Oh, then negative 60% chance.

I figured, but I thought maybe someone would throw me a bone  :P

Offline shimino1

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Re: Free hotels/Best rate guarantee
« Reply #2385 on: December 19, 2016, 08:44:13 AM »
Is there any basis for a claim with IHG if I found an identical rate/room type, however the competing web site offers a more liberal cancellation policy?  I'm assuming no, but would like to confirm.
Why not claim that the other website gives you a free cup of water? Maybe they will give you a free room

Offline B.D.Da'ehu

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Re: Free hotels/Best rate guarantee
« Reply #2386 on: December 19, 2016, 08:47:33 AM »
The price is identical, rather the cancellation policy is better on the competing site.
Lol ::)

Offline moe8555

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Re: Free hotels/Best rate guarantee
« Reply #2387 on: December 19, 2016, 09:17:34 AM »
Why not claim that the other website gives you a free cup of water? Maybe they will give you a free room

As they say for the NY Lotto: "Hey, you never know!"

As you've said yourself: IHG has approved BRGs that clearly shouldn't have been approved  ;D

Offline moe8555

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Re: Free hotels/Best rate guarantee
« Reply #2388 on: December 19, 2016, 09:49:43 AM »
I believe I've found multiple IHG BRG opportunities for NYC again, including the IC's.
Would one of you experienced guys (shimino1, B.D.Da'ehu, Emkay, etc.) be in touch to help me make a final determination?

Offline shimino1

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Re: Free hotels/Best rate guarantee
« Reply #2389 on: December 19, 2016, 06:36:51 PM »
I believe I've found multiple IHG BRG opportunities for NYC again, including the IC's.
Would one of you experienced guys (shimino1, B.D.Da'ehu, Emkay, etc.) be in touch to help me make a final determination?
I'm out for now.
Big test on Thursday I need to study for.

Offline moe8555

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Re: Free hotels/Best rate guarantee
« Reply #2390 on: December 20, 2016, 02:19:53 AM »
BRGs available in Philadelphia and still in NYC.  Pretty risk free, too -- not even through "oddball" sites.

Offline gtyossi

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Re: Free hotels/Best rate guarantee
« Reply #2391 on: December 20, 2016, 04:01:42 PM »
BRGs available in Philadelphia and still in NYC.  Pretty risk free, too -- not even through "oddball" sites.
available in NYC for the night of 1/8?

Offline PPM

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Re: Free hotels/Best rate guarantee
« Reply #2392 on: December 21, 2016, 04:50:59 AM »
available in NYC for the night of 1/8?
They keep on denying it, saying there are cheaper rates of the same room (nonrefundable)

Offline moe8555

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Re: Free hotels/Best rate guarantee
« Reply #2393 on: December 21, 2016, 06:42:04 AM »
They keep on denying it, saying there are cheaper rates of the same room (nonrefundable)

Which property?

Offline PPM

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Re: Free hotels/Best rate guarantee
« Reply #2394 on: December 21, 2016, 06:53:31 AM »
Which property?
intercontinental times square

Offline shimino1

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Re: Free hotels/Best rate guarantee
« Reply #2395 on: December 21, 2016, 07:22:55 AM »
They keep on denying it, saying there are cheaper rates of the same room (nonrefundable)
Are you using the IHG member rate?

Offline ah giten

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Re: Free hotels/Best rate guarantee
« Reply #2396 on: December 21, 2016, 08:06:18 PM »
If the total cost including tax is lower,  but prices before tax are the same, will I get that free?

Offline rileywiles23

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Re: Free hotels/Best rate guarantee
« Reply #2397 on: December 21, 2016, 11:58:50 PM »
Finally got my first IHG BRG approved at Intercontinental Barclay. Awesome feeling
Life is as good as you make it...

Offline shimino1

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Re: Free hotels/Best rate guarantee
« Reply #2398 on: December 22, 2016, 03:37:46 AM »
If the total cost including tax is lower,  but prices before tax are the same, will I get that free?
How does that make sense? Tax should be the same.
Sometimes one website or another simply is not including tax in the final price (this happens a lot with Israel hotels and the VAT tax that doesn't apply to tourists), make sure you check.

To answer your question: Officially both the base rate and the final rate on the third party site have to be lower but YMMV.

Offline moe8555

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Re: Free hotels/Best rate guarantee
« Reply #2399 on: December 22, 2016, 06:48:30 AM »
If the total cost including tax is lower,  but prices before tax are the same, will I get that free?

I would only attempt this one on a refundable room or a room that you planned to book anyway. I could see it slipping through, but I wouldn't go "all in" on it.