Best Western paid me $11 for my Georgia hotel night

The first night of my road trip from Orlando to Knoxville was at the Best Western Plus Brunswick Inn & Suites, off Interstate 95 in Brunswick, Georgia. Best Western paid me $11 for my Georgia hotel night.

I knew Brunswick, Georgia was a good distance from Orlando for a one day drive and I wanted to explore Jekyll Island. Turns out Brunswick is a sprawling town from the coast to I-95 with strip malls and restaurants and all the services and retail that create a business center for vacationers and residents from miles around.

Best Western Lowest Rate Guarantee

Best Western room rate was $109.00 at the time I booked the Brunswick, Georgia hotel and there was a $79.99 rate on Booking.com for the same King Suite with same day before arrival cancellation policy. I booked the $109 rate on BestWestern.com and immediately filed a best rate guarantee claim citing the lower rate for the same room on Booking.com.

I did not expect my claim to be approved. I have had the least success with Best Western on approved claims in the past five years.

Past responses from the Best Western Low Rate Guarantee representatives have stated discount fares on competing websites are not accepted. Their terms and conditions actually include the clause:

Discount, and Promotional rates are not eligible for the Program

Best Western Low Rate Guarantee terms and conditions

That clause kind of makes the program useless when a lower rate claim is denied due to Best Western stating the competing website has a discount rate. Isn’t that the point of filing a lower rate guarantee claim?

Anyway, my claim for Best Western Brunswick, Georgia was approved and the rate dropped from $109 to $79.99 to match the Booking.com rate.

In addition, yesterday I received a $100 Best Western e-travel card for my approved Best Western low rate guarantee.

I paid $89 after tax for my Best Western hotel night in Brunswick, Georgia and I now have a $100 gift card for a future stay.

Has Best Western changed their BRG claim process?

Yesterday, I found another Best Western rate discrepancy for a hotel stay next week. I booked a room for $157.99 on bestwestern.com and submitted a low rate guarantee claim for a Priceline rate of $132.99. Within a few hours my claim was approved and I received a rate drop to $132.99.

I have not had a successful Best Western low rate guarantee claim in several years and now I have had two low rate guarantee claims approved in the past three weeks.

Only problem  is another clause in the Best Western low rate guarantee terms and conditions will likely mean I cancel my reduced $133 room rate.

Limit one (1) Travel Card per household per claim for any stay and only one (1) Travel Card per household during any thirty (30) day period (lower rate will be honored regardless of eligibility of Travel Card due to limitations).

Best Western Low Rate Guaranteed Program Terms and Conditions

My two successful low rate guarantee claims happened within 15 days of each other and only one $100 Best Western gift card is issued per 30-day period.

Best Western reduced the room rate from $158 to $133 to match Priceline.com, but I will not receive another $100 gift card for the hotel stay.

I was thinking initially that I would get $300 in hotel nights for a total of $36 after two successful low rate claims. Brunswick, Georgia rate was $122.08 after tax and reduced to $89 after tax for my stay, with a $100 Best Western travel card credit earned. My hotel rate is now $147.29 for the reservation in southern California next week, reduced from $174.79 for the rate I booked on BestWestern.com.

If I complete the stay and redeem my $100 travel card, then I will have paid $137 total for two hotel nights instead of $297 for the two nights at the Best Western.com room rates originally booked. $68.50 per hotel night are low hotel rates for summer travel.

My plan is to wait and try and use the Best Western $100 card on another successful Best Western Low Rate Guarantee when I can earn another $100 Travel Card at a later date, past the 30 days limit.

Hopefully I can find a successful Best Rate Guarantee claim with another chain like IHG or Choice for a free night next week.