Before proceeding with any hotel reservation at hotels from the InterContinental Group (IHG), it is advisable to see if you qualify for their Best Price Guarantee.
This means that if you book directly through IHG´s
website and then, within 24 hours, you find a cheaper rate elsewhere, IHG will give you
- the first night free, and
- the next nights from the same reservation at the lower price found.
Of course, this is a unique benefit compared to other chains when the reservation has only 1 night, meaning a free stay at any IHG hotel.
It might not always work, as sometimes there are no cheaper rates elsewhere, but it is definitely worth trying (the reward is too big to pass the chance).
General conditions:
- the booking made on the IHG website must be at the lowest available price for the room desired. In practice that means that, if a non-cancellable advance purchase rate is available, you cannot claim the guarantee for a flexible rate. However,
we always advise NOT to book non-refundable rates;
- an online claim form must be submitted within 24 hours from the reservation made on the IHG website;
- the cheaper price found elsewhere must be for the same room with the
same reservation conditions (room description and features, cancellation policy, board basis, etc.).
Our general tips:
-
always book a flexible rate, so that you can cancel the reservation in case the claim is not confirmed by IHG;
-
you may also look at superior rooms (maybe add the breakfast as well) and not stick to the standard rooms;
- if you cannot find a cheaper rate elsewhere, write us an e-mail at
hotelsrooms@yahoo.com and we will try to help you.
How the IHG Best Price Guarantee works, in five simple steps:
Step 1
Look for your preferred hotel to see the room rates on IHG´s official website - see link below:
InterContinental Hotels and Resorts
Do not make the reservation yet, just write down the preferred room and rate.
Step 2
Search the same room at the same hotel on online travel agencies (e.g.
Expedia, Travelocity, etc.). You can see the comprehensive list of
travel agencies we use following the link below:
Our preferred online hotel booking websites
Note the web address of the travel agency and the amount of cheaper rate
found - the "Comparison rate" (also make a print-screen showing the
cheaper rate). Do
NOT make any reservation on that website, as
the final purpose is to make a discounted reservation through the IHG official website.
Pay attention:
the comparison website must show the rate in the same currency as on the IHG website (the rate on the comparison website must be available, viewable, quoted, booked, and paid for in the currency of the hotel). If the currency is different, the claim will not qualify for the guarantee.
The difference between the IHG rate and the lower rate must be of at least 1$ or 1%, whichever is higher.
Below we are listing the comparison websites that are not accepted by IHG:
- TravelRepublic - because it does not provide an automatic confirmation.
Step 3
Make a reservation through IHG´s official website - see link below:
Make a reservation with InterContinental Hotels and Resorts
In order to qualify for the Best Rate Guarantee, you must book a IHG Rewards Club rate.
Note down the reservation number, as you will need it to file the claim form (in step 4).
Step 4
Within 24 hours from the IHG reservation, submit the online
claim to IHG to ask for the Best Price Guarantee, since you found
the cheaper rate elsewhere (at step 2). Use this link from the official
website to make the claim:
Online form for claiming the IHG Best Price Guarantee
In the "Comments" section of the claim form, if finding the "Comparison
rate" on the other website is not straightforward, provide some details
on how you found that rate, so that the IHG representative can find
the same rate.
For example, on some websites, not all the rooms and rates are shown,
but you need to click on a button "Show all rates". Indicate in the
"Comments" section if this was the case.
Also, in the "Comments" section indicate whether the "Comparison rate" found elsewhere includes tax, breakfast, etc.
Step 5
An IHG representative will contact you to
inform you about the claim: whether it was approved, or if not, the
reasons for dismissal. Here is where the print-screen (see step 2) might
come in handy, in case of disagreement with the IHG representative.
Additional information
- IHG will have the final say on approval
or not, so, apart from providing good arguments during an e-mail / phone
discussion, there is not much left to be done on your side, except
trying again :))
- within a 7 day interval, a person (or members of the same household) cannot make multiple claims at the same IHG hotel or at different IHG hotels within 50 miles of each other;
- opaque providers of hotel rooms, such as Priceline.com and
Hotwire.com, that do not reveal the hotel brand name until after you
have pre-paid your hotel room do not qualify for the guarantee.
Here are the full terms and conditions:
InterContinental Hotels and Resorts
Leave a comment at the end of this article to share your experience in claiming the IHG Best Price Guarantee.
