Hyatt has announced that they will change their best rate guarantee policy on July 31st.
- Current policy: 20% off on the lower rate. (e.g if you book a room that costs $150 and you find a rate of $100 you will pay $80)
- New policy:Â They will match the lower rate and also give a $50 credit. $50 credit will be in the form of a single use offer code. This must be used within one year of being issued and will be issued within four days of check out of the initial stay.
- Claim form can be found here.
Chains want customers to book directly otherwise they have to pay a large fee to online travel agencies (up to 18-25% but chains such as Hyatt negotiate significantly better deals). Is the new policy better or worse? That really depends on your booking habits. Any bookings over $250 would have been strictly better under the old program, bookings under $250 are better under the new program assuming you actually use the $50 code and would have booked another Hyatt anyway. I personally find best rate guarantee policies to have too many out clauses for the hotel chains meaning they rarely actually pay out your claims anyway. I also don’t really care about hotel status/status recognition so I rarely book directly anyway (instead preferring to stack deals on Hotels.com).
I imagine most Hyatt bookings are over $250 (or at least the average booking is) so this looks like a net loss for Hyatt members. What are your thoughts on this change? Let us know in the comments.
Hat tip to VFTW
Aren’t they super stingy in getting approved for it as it is anyways?
Yup
I hate hate hate vouchers. To get my money from the voucher, I have to give the airline or the hotel more business within a year’s time, and I often don’t want to do that. If Hyatt were to offer me $30 cash in place of the $50 voucher, I would take the cash and run.
BRG doesn’t work with Hyatt’s own site, does it? Booked a room for $50 more a few months ago then as it gets closer to the stay it also has become cheaper and just booked another room and canceled the other one. Have never used BRG rate and don’t know how this works.
No only third party sites.
Besides the potential $$ decrease (breakeven point $250), it’s also a credit voucher for a future stay. Would far prefer cash in hand than obligation to tie me down for a future stay.
Yup, agreed.