“Looks like you can now choose between 25% off or 5000 MR Points! Great for cheap rates!!!!” is what FlyerTalk member DaveMidknight posted. “And you can use apps too!!!”
Look No Further Guarantee Improved by Marriott
Sure enough — upon checking the claim form for the Look No Further guarantee — an option to choose 5,000 Marriott Rewards points was added if you prefer to receive that rather than an additional discount of 25 percent off of the room rate.
The Look No Further guarantee ensures that you will always get the best rate available when you book directly with Marriott through any of its official channels; but if you find a lower room rate for the same hotel or resort property, room type and reservation dates — as well as submit a qualified guarantee form — your room rate will be matched by Marriott; and you will receive your choice of 5,000 Marriott Rewards points or an additional discount of 25 percent off of the room rate.
Participating Brands
Your reservation must be made through the worldwide reservations centers of Marriott; a Marriott hotel or resort property; or an official Marriott Internet web site for:
- AC Hotels by Marriott
- Autograph Collection Hotels
- BVLGARI
- Courtyard by Marriott
- Delta Hotels
- EDITION
- Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott
- Gaylord Hotels
- JW Marriott
- Marriott Executive Apartments
- Marriott Hotels & Resorts
- Marriott Vacation Club
- Moxy Hotels
- Protea Hotels
- Renaissance Hotels
- Residence Inn by Marriott
- SpringHill Suites by Marriott
- TownePlace Suites by Marriott
- The Ritz-Carlton, with three exceptions noted in the Exclusions section of this article.
Exclusions
The Best Rate Guarantee does not apply to Ritz-Carlton Montreal, The Ritz London, Ritz-Carlton Residences, and Starwood-Branded Hotels, including Four Points Hotels, Sheraton Hotels, Aloft Hotels, W Hotels, Le Meriden Hotels, Luxury Collection Hotels, Element Hotels, Westin Hotels, St. Regis Hotels, Tribute Portfolio Hotels and Design Hotels.
- Rates not publicly available, such as negotiated corporate or group rates.
- Rates available on Marriott online or voice channels compared to Marriott online or voice channels (for example, comparisons to rates found on later searches on the same or different Marriott channels) including rates found on Marriott-affiliated, private label, or property standalone websites.
- Qualified discount rates including but not limited to Government/Military, Marriott Senior Rate, and rates made available exclusively to Rewards Members and other loyalty programs maintained by Marriott hotels.
- Rates that require a paid membership in a club or other organization, or approved by Marriott for the discounted rates, such as AAA.
- The guarantee does not apply to the following rate types: Rates that include room and other components or amenities such as travel, car rental, entertainment, non-breakfast meals, tickets, gas coupons, etc. The total rate on the Comparison Site will be compared to the total rate available on Marriott channels. If the rate qualifies, the estimated value of any value-added amenities will be excluded from the rate comparison (unless such amenities are also included in the applicable rate being offered on the Marriott channels) and neither the amenity nor the corresponding value of the amenity will be provided by Marriott when honoring a lower rate.
- Package or group add-on rates that extend the length of a stay.
- Rates negotiated for stays extending beyond 30 nights.
- Rates available on auction websites.
- Rates available on websites that do not disclose the hotel brand until the reservation is completed, such as Priceline and Hotwire.
- Rates on sites, applications and other sources, channels or outlets that do not provide the ability to make a real-time reservation (e.g., an “on request” rate), that do not provide immediate hotel confirmation, or that require 5 minutes or more to validate a reservation.
- Pre-paid, advance purchase, or non-refundable rates on Ctrip.
- Rates on all Fliggy channels
Submissions Guidelines
The “Comparison Rate” must be found, and a completed claim form submitted within 24 hours of booking the reservation through the Marriott reservation channel. It also must be for the same hotel, room type and reservation dates. The same cancellation and advance purchase policies, and other terms and conditions governing the rates must apply. In addition, if the Comparison Rate is found on the day of arrival, the claim must be submitted by 10:00 in the evening of that day in the local time zone of the hotel or resort property in order to ensure timely processing.
When submitting the claim, the guest must choose either the Marriott Rewards points award option or the discount off the lower rate option. Marriott will not accept guest requests to modify this award selection after the claim has been submitted. The award option that the guest selected upon submission will be provided if the claim is approved. If chosen, Marriott Rewards points applicable to the claim will be awarded within ten business days after guest checkout on the approved reservation.
Marriott Rewards points will only be available as a Look No Further Best Rate Guarantee reward option if the guest making the claim is a Marriott Rewards Member at the time the claim is submitted.
Verification Process, Terms and Conditions
Marriott will verify the Comparison Rate within 24 hours of receiving your claim and notify you of the results. For claims submitted on the day of arrival, the claim will be processed within approximately four hours. If a claim is verified and approved by Marriott, no name changes can be made to the reservation. Reservations are non-transferable and cannot be resold. Valid government issued identification is required upon check-in which matches the name found on the verified and approved reservation.
When multiple rates for the same hotel, reservation dates, and room type are available through a Marriott channel you must reserve the lowest rate to be eligible for the guarantee.
The Comparison Rate must be reservable by the general public and be verifiable by Marriott as resulting in an actual hotel reservation. Comparison rates requiring a login to view are not eligible. Marriott is not responsible for any fees or other costs incurred due to cancelation of a reservation. Screen images of comparison offers will be used to assist with claim review procedures but will not be accepted as validation of a comparison offer.
Rate comparison will be made net of any taxes, gratuities, or any other fees associated with the room rate, and the Comparison Rate must still be available at the time Marriott validates the claim. For purposes of comparing the Comparison Rate and the rate available on Marriott channels, only the Comparison Rate and the rate available on the Marriott channels that are each available at the time the applicable claim is processed will be considered by Marriott. Rate comparison may include third party “fees” that were inappropriately and without authorization broken out from actual hotel rates by third party sites to create an appearance of lower hotel rates.
For purposes of comparing the Competing Rate and the rate available on the Marriott official reservation channel, only the Competing Rate and the rate available with Marriott that are each available at the time the applicable claim is processed will be considered by Marriott. Marriott will compare the total room cost of a stay, and multiple claims for a stay consisting of two or more nights in the same week at the same hotel or hotels in the same geographic location (e.g., city) may be treated as one claim for one stay in Marriott’s discretion, even if booked through more than one reservation.
All valid Look No Further rewards — either points or discount — will only be available for up to three guest rooms.
Rate disparities primarily attributable to fluctuations and/or differences in currency exchange rates are excluded from the guarantee. Marriott may deny claims where the difference between the comparison daily rate and the daily rate on the Marriott reservation channel is less than one United States dollar.
Comparison Rates applicable to only a portion of your entire scheduled stay will not be honored; nor will they be valid for a multi-day stay if the total room cost of the stay is the same or greater than the total room cost through a Marriott channel.
Employees of Marriott, of its affiliates and subsidiaries, and any Marriott brand hotel, and members of such employees’ families residing at the same location are not eligible.
Void where prohibited by law. Marriott reserves the right to modify or cancel the guarantee at any time without prior notice. Marriott reserves the right to cancel any previously approved claim if it finds that the guest violated or circumvented these terms and conditions and to cancel and reject any other and future Look No Further claims from any such guest. In such event, the guest will remain bound to the terms of any bookings made on any channels, including cancellation terms.
Other terms and conditions apply.
Summary
As DaveMidknight inferred, the choice of 5,000 Marriott Rewards points is a better option for less expensive room rates with which the discount of 25 percent would otherwise be considered insignificant.
The Protea Hotel Samrand in Midrand is one of the hotel properties which is participating in the Look No Further guarantee. Please click here for a review of this hotel property. Photograph ©2015 by Brian Cohen.
