Loyalty Traveler became Kayak Traveler with Private Deal

Kayak.com offered me a Private Deal when I searched hotel rooms in Orlando. Here is a look at three chain brand hotels with a lower rate shown on Kayak.com in Private Deals than the rate listed on the hotel’s own website. Since these are considered member-only rates for Kayak.com users, these rates do not qualify for Best Rate Guarantee claims.

Is this a game changer in hotel rate parity?

Private Deal with a lock icon is seen on the left side of the Kayak.com hotel rate display.

All sites show $139 for a room at Hyatt Regency Orlando, except Kayak is $125 and Last Minute Travel offers a room for $112.

Hyatt website showed a $139 rate with a $125.10 AAA rate for the same date.

The total rate on Hyatt.com including resort fee is $165.42 per night.

Last Minute Travel does not mention the $22 per night + tax resort fee ($23.43), which I assume the traveler will need to pay at the resort.

Kayak Private Deal rate at Last Minute Travel is still $14 less than AAA rate at Hyatt. Hyatt benefits for me as a Hyatt Gold Passport member have more value than $14. I can receive 1,000 points as a welcome amenity, have Regency Club access with breakfast and even use a suite upgrade for the hotel stay when I book with Hyatt.

Sheraton Lake Buena Vista = $103 AAA rate on spg.com.

Kayak.com Private Deal Rate = $97.09 at getaroom.com

A room at Sheraton Lake Buena Vista is $103 on AAA rate, plus $19.95 daily resort fee + tax = $136.

Kayak.com Private Deal

This is somewhat deceptive pricing since the first Standard Room Special Rate shown via getaroom.com at $97.09 rate + $12.14 taxes for $109.23 total.

The next rate shown is $119.00, with $34.71 in taxes, the same rate as spg.com. The difference is there is a $19.95 city tax in this listing. I assume this is the $19.95 resort fee.

I assume the getaroom.com hotel booking will still be charged a resort fee upon arrival to the hotel.

Bottom line is the $6 lower rate on Kayak.com would not be a savings compared to the 1,000 bonus points I can receive for the stay with my targeted SPG offer for 7,500 bonus points with three stays by July 31.

Loyalty Traveler – SPG Select Member Exclusive 7,500 bonus points after 3 stays May 1 to July 31 (May 3, 2015).

Clarion Inn & Suites at International Drive

Choice Hotels website

• $80 per night for prepaid, nonrefundable rate.
• $90 AAA rate
• $100 best flexible rate

Kayak.com Private Deal rate = $60.84 on getaroom.com via Kayak.

Choice Privileges awards a free room night for a successful Best Rate Guarantee. I had a free room night at Comfort Inn Downtown Vancouver last month on an approved claim.

The getaroom.com rate at $60 is $20 lower (25% lower) than the lowest rate shown at $80 per night on ChoiceHotels.com.

Since this is a private deal for a Kayak.com member who has opted into the site as a previous customer, this is not a publicly available rate eligible for a best rate guarantee claim.

So where did I book my hotel?

I opted for a different Kayak.com Private Deal at a non-chain hotel for Orlando.

Rosen Centre Hotel $268.21

I am attending the U.S. Travel Association IPW annual convention. Rosen Centre is one of the official convention hotels with free shuttle service from Orlando Airport.

Rosen Centre Hotel after tax rate is $268.21 per night.

Loyalty Traveler became Kayak Traveler with Private Deal

I booked the same room type with buffet breakfast included for $96.25 total.

That is a 64% discount on the hotel website’s own rate.

How to access Kayak.com Private Deals

This is what you see if you are on Kayak.com and not logged in as a site member.

Click unlock now and you are prompted to sign in or register with Kayak.com. You can register through Facebook.

Once you are logged in at Kayak.com, hotel rate display features many hotels with Private Deal rate.