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Live testing Hilton Best Rate Guarantee

Hilton has a bad reputation for approving Best Rate Guarantee claims. I have made best rate guarantee claims with all the major hotel chains and I have had approved claims with all of them, except Hilton HHonors.

The issue is not that Hilton denied my claims, I simply have not stayed much at Hilton brands. My first stay in several years at a Hilton brand hotel was in 2014. My five year self-imposed boycott of Hilton was due to the program taking all my points away after a period of inactivity following several years of HHonors Diamond membership. Loyalty is a two way street and losing all my points pissed me off. Sure, I could have had a partner activity or some kind of transaction to keep my points alive, but I didn’t. Hilton dropped me and I dropped Hilton.

Today, I found a lower rate on Expedia for a Hilton brand hotel that I do not see any reason for a Hilton Best Rate Guarantee to be denied. I booked a $149 room at a Hampton Inn. Expedia has the exact same room type with same cancellation policy for $124.

I have never had a best rate guarantee claim denied when a similar room type with a sale rate shows up on Expedia.

Tomorrow I should be able to report back the Hilton best rate guarantee claim result.

If Hilton approves the claim, then my rate will drop from $149 to $124.

And I will receive a $50 American Express card, reducing my total rate after taxes to $92.30.

For Hotels inside the USA, Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico, we will give you a US $50 American Express Gift Cheque. The Gift Cheque will be sent to you the next business day after your stay, as reserved, is completed.

Hilton Best Rate Guarantee

This will also give me an opportunity to earn points in the HHonors.com/DoubleUp promotion – if I have another Hilton HHonors stay before January 31, 2015.

HHonors 2xpoints 2014Q4

Related post: Register for Hilton HHonors Double Up Double Points Nov 1 to Jan 31, 2015.

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Ric Garrido of Monterey, California is writer and owner of Loyalty Traveler.

Loyalty Traveler shares news and views on hotels, hotel loyalty programs and vacation destinations for frequent guests. Check out current hotel loyalty program offers across all the major chains in Loyalty Traveler’s monthly hotel promotions guide.

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4 Comments

  • KP November 5, 2014

    They are much better than IHG. My experience from a few weeks back: Filed a claim with them and they responded within 24 hours. In that time, the rate on the competing website had dropped even further than what I had stated on the claim form. They matched the lower rate (I generally never check after filing the claim), so it was a total surprise for me when I saw a rate of $74 instead of $91.

  • Ric Garrido November 5, 2014

    @KP – the main issue I find with IHG is they have no response time listed and I have waited days to then be denied.

    Marriott’s unofficial policy (as told to me by a customer representative last year) is to approve any best rate guarantee that does not receive a response within 24 hours.

  • Ric Garrido November 5, 2014

    On a good note, my Hilton best rate guarantee claim was approved.

    On a bad note, the rate matched is for a higher category room than I booked. My $149 Hilton rate was dropped to match a Queen Studio for $140 on Expedia when the room I booked on Hilton was a Standard room with two queens. The standard Queen room at $124 is no longer offered on Expedia.

    Hilton is charging $169 for Queen Studio.

    But nothing in my adjusted Hilton reservation states I will be provided a Queen Studio room; only a room with two Queen beds.

    Standard King on Expedia is still $132, so I didn’t even get matched to that lower rate that was still available.

    Looks like this approved best rate guarantee is still a fail.

  • Hilton Best Rate Guarantee Approved with a Catch - Loyalty Traveler - Loyalty Traveler November 6, 2014

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