Travel tip: book a hotel room with a Best Rate Guarantee

Friday newsletters always feature luxury travel contests, tips, series, or news.

Today (February 12, 2016): Travel tip: book a hotel room with a BRG.

Best Rate Guaranteed (BRG) programs are increasingly used by hotels chains around the world to guarantee that a hotel guest is given the lowest available rate for a night or a multiple-night stay. If means that if you find a better, publicly available rate on another website than the official hotel website, you can submit an online BRG claim. If your claim is approved, not only will the lower price be matched, but you will also receive an additional 10 to 25% discount (depending upon the hotel chain). Important: a BRG will only be approved for a booking of an identical room type, date and length of stay, and reservations must be made directly on the hotel websites (not on third-party websites). Finding a better rate than the one on the official website is not difficult at all, as you can read in my tips for finding the lowest hotel price.

I hereby present you a list of the BRG programs of the major luxury hotel chains (including their details and links to the BRG claim forms). For a summary, click here.

STARWOOD

Luxury hotel brands: St Regis, W hotels, The Luxury Collection.
BRG: If you find a better, publicly available rate on a non-Starwood site, not only will that price be matched, but you will also receive either an additional 20% discount or 2,000 Starpoints.
Terms & conditions: You must submit an online claim within 24 hours of booking your hotel room on a Starwood website.
Disadvantage: Starwood used to have one of the very few BRG programs that allowed you to submit a claim before making a booking (a major advantage in the case of a non-refundable rate). Unfortunately, they changed their policy in 2015, and now you need to make a booking before submitting a BRG claim. So always make sure that you book a refundable rate in case that your claim is not approved and you want to cancel the booking.
Link: BRG program of the Starwood hotel group.

HYATT

Luxury hotel brands: Park Hyatt, Andaz.
BRG: If you find a better, publicly available rate on a non-Hyatt site, not only will the price be matched, but you will also get $50 USD toward your next stay.
Terms & conditions: You must submit an online claim within 24 hours of booking your hotel room on the Hyatt website.
Disadvantage: Hyatt used to offer one the best BRG programs in the industry with a 20% discount on all nights, but that all changed in August 2017. Hyatt’s current BRG program is poor compared to other hotel groups and its $50 USD voucher towards a future stay is pathetic compared to the room discount you used to get (especially for a multi-night stay).
Link: BRG program of the Hyatt hotel group.

KEMPINSKI

BRG: Should you find a lower rate on another website, within 24 hours of completing a reservation at Kempinski.com, Kempinski will match the lower rate found and will discount it even further by an additional 25%. In addition to that, you’ll be upgraded to the next higher room category, subject to availability at the time of check in at the hotel.
Terms & conditions: You must email the Kempinski group within 24 hours of booking your hotel room on the Kempinski website.
(Dis)advantage: Kempinski offers the most generous BRG program of all luxury hotel chains, with a 25% discount and (potential) room upgrade, but you can only submit a claim after making a reservation.
Link: BRG program of the Kempinski hotel group.

MANDARIN ORIENTAL

BRG: Should you find a lower rate on another website, within 24 hours of completing a reservation at mandarinoriental.com, Mandarin Oriental will match the lower rate found and will discount it even further by an additional 10%.
Terms & conditions: You must submit an online claim within 24 hours of booking your hotel room on the Mandarin Oriental website.
Disadvantage: You can only submit a claim after making a reservation.
Link: BRG program of the Mandarin Oriental hotel group.

COMO HOTELS & RESORTS

BRG: Should you find a lower rate on another website, within 24 hours of completing a reservation directly with COMO hotels, the lower rate found will be matched and it will be further discounted by an additional 10%.
Terms & conditions: You must email the COMO hotel group within 24 hours of booking your hotel room.
Disadvantage: You can only submit a claim after making a reservation.
Link: BRG program of the COMO hotel group.

JUMEIRAH

BRG: Should you find a lower rate on another website, within 24 hours of completing a reservation directly with Jumeirah hotels, the lower rate found will be matched and it will be further discounted by an additional 15%.
Terms & conditions: You must submit an online claim within 24 hours of booking your hotel room directly with Jumeirah hotels.
Disadvantage: You can only submit a claim after making a reservation.
Link: BRG program of the Jumeirah hotel group.

TRUMP HOTELS

BRG: Should you find a lower rate on another website, within 24 hours of completing a reservation directly with Trump hotels, the lower rate found will be matched and it will be further discounted by an additional 10%.
Terms & conditions: You must submit an online claim from within 24 hours of booking your hotel room.
Disadvantage: You can only submit a claim after making a reservation.
Link: BRG program of the Trump hotel collection.

INTERCONTINENTAL

Luxury hotel brand: InterContinental.
BRG: Should you find a lower rate on another website, within 24 hours of completing a reservation at IHG.com, IHG will provide the first night’s room price free and match the lower average nightly room price found for that stay for the remainder of your stay (in case of a prepaid room, the difference in price will be refunded).
Terms & conditions: You must submit an online claim within 24 hours of booking your hotel room on the IHG website.
Disadvantage: you can only submit a claim after making a reservation, and not all rates are eligible for a BRG.
Link: BRG program of the IHG group.

HILTON

Luxury hotel brands: Waldorf Astoria, Conrad.
BRG: Should you find a lower rate on another website, within 24 hours of completing a reservation through an official Hilton Worldwide booking website, Hilton will match the lower rate found and take an additional 25% off the room rate for each night of your stay.
Terms & conditions: You must submit an online claim within 24 hours of booking your hotel room on an official Hilton Worldwide booking website.
Disadvantage: You can only submit a claim after making a reservation.
Link: BRG program of the Hilton hotel group.

MARRIOTT

Luxury hotel brand: JW Marriott
BRG: Should you find a lower rate on another website, within 24 hours of completing a reservation using any Marriott reservation channel (Marriott.com, Marriott Hotel Telephone Reservations, or directly at a hotel), Marriott will match the lower rate found and will discount it even further by an additional 25%.
Terms & conditions: You must submit an online claim within 24 hours of booking your hotel room on an official Marriott reservation channel.
Disadvantage: You can only submit a claim after making a reservation. Some Ritz-Carlton hotels are excluded.
Link: BRG program of the Marriott hotel group.

LANGHAM

BRG: If within 24 hours of your booking on the Langham website, you find a lower rate on each night of the stay, for the same accommodation on another website, Langham will match it. Plus, they will award you an additional 25% off.
Terms & conditions: You must submit an online claim within 24 hours of booking your hotel room on the Langham website.
Disadvantage: You can only submit a claim after making a reservation.
Link: BRG program of the Langham hotel group.

FAIRMONT

BRG: Should you find a lower rate on another website, within 24 hours of completing a reservation directly with Jumeirah hotels, the lower rate found will be matched and it will be further discounted by an additional 10%.
Terms & conditions: You must call the Fairmont reservation center when you want your price to be matched.
Disadvantage: You can only submit a claim after making a reservation.
Link: BRG program of the Fairmont hotel group.

FOUR SEASONS

BRG: If you find a lower qualifying rate within 24 hours of making your reservation, Four Seasons will match the lower rate.
Terms & conditions: You must submit an online claim within 24 hours of booking your hotel room on the four µseasons website.
Disadvantage: You can only submit a claim after making a reservation. And you don’t receive any additional discount.
Link: BRG program of the Fours Seasons hotel group.

ACCORHOTELS

Luxury hotel brand: Sofitel.
BRG: If you make a reservation at a Sofitel hotel through the Sofitel website and find the same offer in the same hotel at a better rate within the next 24 hours, Sofitel will give you a 10% reduction on that rate.
Terms & conditions: You must submit an online claim from within 24 hours of booking your hotel room.
Disadvantage: You can only submit a claim after making a reservation.
Link: BRG program of the Sofitel hotels.

HOTELS.COM

BRG: If you find a cheaper price, hotels.com will match that rate (and refund you the difference).
Terms & conditions: You must submit an online claim after booking your hotel room via hotels.com.
Disadvantage: The BRG is available only for exact itinerary matches, including property, room type, and dates of travel (as is the case with all other BRG programs) but also includes an identical cancellation policy (which makes is harder for your BRG claim to be approved).
Major advantage: You can submit a BRG claim from the moment of reservation until 23:59 (PST) the day before your stay (this large time span in unique in the world of BRG programs).
Link: BRG program of hotels.com.

EXPEDIA

BRG: If you find a cheaper rate on your hotel reservation up to two days before your check-in, Expedia will refund the difference and give you a $50 travel coupon for future travel.
Terms & conditions: You must submit an online claim after booking your hotel room via Expedia.
Disadvantage: The BRG is available only for exact itinerary matches, including property, room type, and dates of travel (as is the case with all other BRG programs) but also includes an identical cancellation policy (which makes is harder for your BRG claim to be approved).
Major advantage: You can submit a BRG claim from the moment of reservation until 2 days before your stay .
Link: BRG program of Expedia

OVERVIEW

Click here for a larger view of the table.