Canopy by Hilton Reykjavik City Center
Photograph ©2018 by Brian Cohen.
Brian Cohen·
Membership Programs
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New Hilton Price Match Guarantee Replaces Best Rate Guarantee

Hilton has replaced its Best Rate Guarantee with a new Price Match Guarantee with which if you find a lower qualified price on another Internet web site, “we will be happy to match it” and give you 25 percent off of that stay — and all you have to do is compare, submit and match.

New Hilton Price Match Guarantee Replaces Best Rate Guarantee

DoubleTree by Hilton
Photograph ©2017 by Brian Cohen.

If you find a lower qualified price for the same accommodation and terms at any point prior to booking your reservation — or up to a maximum of 24 hours after booking your reservation — through one of the official booking channels of Hilton, the lower price will be honored and an additional 25 percent will be taken off of the room rate for each night of your stay.

When multiple room rates for the same accommodations are available through the official booking channels of Hilton, you must have booked the lowest rate to be eligible for the Price Match Guarantee.

Two Ways to Submit Your Claim

Hilton Garden Inn logo at Krakow Airport
Photograph ©2017 by Brian Cohen.

How you submit your claim is up to you, as you may:

  1. Submit via the online claim form here up to 24 hours after you book your reservation.
    • The name on the claim form must match the name on the reservation for each room.
    • Only one claim may be submitted for each reservation.
    • You will receive an e-mail message confirmation or telephone call within 24 hours after the receipt of your claim by Hilton.
  1. Contact any of the agents of the official contact centers of Hilton to submit the claim via the telephone.
    • Call either:
      • 1-800-445-8667 or 1-800-HILTONS if you are calling from the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico or the United States Virgin Islands.
      • 00 800 888 44 888 from international locations and ask for Reservations.
    • Otherwise, contact the local reservations office for your region.
    • This option is required for claims without a reservation confirmation number and for claims submitted the day before arrival or the day of arrival.

Official Booking Channels of Hilton

Hampton Inn Tropicana Las Vegas
Photograph ©2017 by Brian Cohen.

The official booking channels of Hilton are as follows:

  • Any official Hilton Internet web site
  • Any official Hilton call center
  • The official mobile software application program of Hilton Honors
  • Directly at a Hilton hotel or resort property
  • Directly through an Accredited Travel Agent, who is a travel professional accredited by a bona fide travel organization or association, to the extent that he or she is booking rates carrying Hilton Honors benefits through a Hilton channel or through Amadeus, Apollo/Galileo, Worldspan or Sabre. “Accredited Travel Agents” does not include online travel agencies. Bona fide travel organizations and associations are IATA (the International Air Transport Association), TIDS, ARC, TSI, CLIA, ERSP, SATO and TRUE.

Definition of Lower Qualified Price

The Graham Washington DC Georgetown, Tapestry Collection by Hilton
Photograph ©2018 by Brian Cohen.

A lower qualified price must fulfill each of the following criteria:

  • A lower price you find on a booking channel which is not one of the official Hilton booking channels.
  • Must be for the same accommodations and terms as your current booking through one of the official booking channels of Hilton.
  • Price must be without restriction — meaning that it is viewable and can be booked by anyone.

Types of Prices Which Do Not Qualify

Tru By Hilton Oklahoma City Airport
Photograph ©2017 by Brian Cohen.

The following list contains examples of the types of prices which do not meet the criteria of a lower qualified price:

  • Price is reflective of different accommodations or terms, such as:
    • Different room type — You booked a queen room and this price is for a king room
    • Different hotel — You booked Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills and this price is for The Beverly Hilton
    • Room with a different view — You booked a room with a full ocean view and this price is for a partial ocean view
    • Includes different amenities — You booked a room with a $25.00 on-property credit and this price is for a room plus free breakfast and premium Wi-Fi
    • Check In or Check Out dates which are different — You booked a room checking in on August 25, 2018 and checking out on August 31, 2018, but this price is for a room checking in on August 26, 2018 and checking out on August 31, 2018
    • Number of guests is different — You booked a room for two adults and two children, but this price is for a room for two adults only
    • Difference in terms — You booked a fully refundable room but this price is for a room with a 100 percent credit card deposit required upfront
  • Price has limitations or restrictions on how it is displayed or booked:
    • Prices on Internet web sites which do not disclose the brand or hotel until the reservation is completed — When a site has you search and book a room without knowing the brand or hotel and only after you have booked does the site disclose the hotel name and brand
    • Reservations which have been booked that do not provide an immediate confirmation upon submitting the reservation request — A site provides you a notice telling you that they have received your request to book, but the booking confirmation number will be provided at some point in the future
    • Prices which require a special membership or affiliation to book — Such as member-only prices, corporate negotiated business travel prices, Hilton Team Member prices
    • Prices which require a login, credit card number or code to view — Any site that requires a login or credit card number prior to viewing or booking the prices
    • Prices which cannot be booked — For example, an advertisement that does not have a direct link to booking
    • Prices which are reflective of unauthorized reselling of a confirmed reservation — Unauthorized reselling means reselling an existing booking that was already booked under the name of someone else

Claim Review Process

Hilton Helsinki Strand
The Hilton Helsinki Strand is one of the thousands of hotel and resort properties through which you can submit a claim through the new Price Match Guarantee. Please click on the photograph for a detailed review of this hotel property. Photograph ©2017 by Brian Cohen.

When submitting an online claim form, Hilton will attempt to independently validate your claim within 24 hours after you submit a claim with all required details.

When making a claim over the telephone, Hilton will try to independently validate your claim immediately.

The same accommodations must be available for booking at a qualifying lower price in the currency of the hotel when Hilton validates your claim.

Price comparisons will be made net of taxes, gratuities, service charges, early departure fees, or other fees and incidental charges, and will exclude changes in currency exchange rates.

For stays longer than one night, the Price Match Guarantee will be evaluated based on the total room price for the entire stay.

Hilton may deny claims if the percentage difference between the price booked through the official Hilton booking channel and the qualifying lower price is one percent or less.

Hilton may deny claims if it believes that the Price Match Guarantee is being intentionally abused or manipulated to circumvent its intent.

If Your Claim is Officially Approved by Hilton…

Canopy by Hilton Reykjavik City Center
Photograph ©2018 by Brian Cohen.

If the availability and eligibility of the qualifying lower price is verified, the qualifying lower price will be matched and an additional 25 percent will be taken off of the room rate for each night of your stay for the entire reservation.

In that case, Hilton will adjust the rate on the reservation to the qualifying lowest price that Hilton is able to verify, which may be different than the price that was submitted on the claim form.

The room price change is not effective until you receive an e-mail message confirmation from Hilton reflecting the new room price.

The guest who makes any reservation will be responsible for all costs, expenses and fees associated with such reservation — such as cancellation fees — regardless of whether a Price Match Guarantee claim is denied.

A claim may be invalidated if you make any changes to the reservation after the claim is submitted and approved.

Other Select Terms and Conditions

This offer is void where prohibited by law. Hilton may modify or discontinue the Price Match Guarantee or these terms and conditions at any time in its sole discretion — with or without notice.

These terms apply to claims submitted on or after Friday, September 28, 2018.

All Hampton by Hilton hotel properties in the People’s Republic of China — which is also known as mainland China — are currently excluded from the Hilton Honors frequent guest loyalty program and therefore from the Price Match Guarantee.

Other terms and conditions — including those of the Hilton Honors frequent guest loyalty program — apply.

The Expect Better. Expect Hilton. Initiative and Advertising Campaign

The new Price Match Guarantee is part of the Expect Better. Expect Hilton. initiative. After speaking with thousands of travelers both in the United States and abroad, Hilton learned that many travelers have been conditioned to expect less and approach planning with skepticism. The initiative directly addresses these frustrations travelers face when booking their hotel stay by taking a stand for consumers who desire more flexibility, better perks and on-property experiences, with reassurance that they are getting the best price. It is also designed to drive home the benefit of a direct relationship that provides better value to customers and owners, alike.

The Expect Better. Expect Hilton. initiative includes this new advertising campaign starring actress Anna Kendrick.

See also

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=909mhqXGgCw&feature=youtu.be

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsLAnKVHEaI&feature=youtu.be

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCYXAwXuL84&feature=youtu.be

Summary

I had been successful in the past with the former Best Rate Guarantee, which could potentially have been a difficult and arduous process. The new Price Match Guarantee seems to be simpler — and reservation specialists are available around the clock to help if you have questions.

The Price Match Guarantee may possibly be more rewarding as well. At one time, Hilton guaranteed with the former Best Rate Guarantee that if you book a reservation on an official Hilton Family Internet web site — through Hilton Reservations Worldwide or directly at a Hilton Family hotel and then find a lower rate on some other booking channel — it would be matched; plus you would be given an American Express Gift Cheque worth $50.00, subject to certain terms and conditions. If your reservation is worth at least $200.00 — excluding taxes and fees — the new Price Match Guarantee should more rewarding to you…

…and besides, even if it was not as lucrative, I would rather have the discount and cash back in my pocket than a gift cheque which may not be accepted everywhere.

I also see no indication in the terms and conditions that so-called “opaque” Internet web sites — such as Priceline and Hotwire, through which the hotel brand and specific hotel or resort property are not known until the reservation is booked — are excluded from the Price Match Guarantee, as they were from the former Best Rate Guarantee.

Finally, you are no longer required to book a pre-paid reservation in advance which cannot be refunded in order to submit your claim, which was a gamble at best for many members of the Hilton Honors frequent guest loyalty program.

With the new Price Match Guarantee, Hilton now arguably has the best room rate guarantee in the lodging industry — but that can only be confirmed in actual real-world application; and I currently do not have a reservation booked in which to test this new guarantee…

…so I am asking you to test it in real time; and please report the results in the Comments section below. I then intend to follow up on this article.

The Canopy by Hilton Reykjavik City Centre is one of the thousands of hotel and resort properties through which you can submit a claim through the new Price Match Guarantee. Please click here for a detailed review of this hotel property. All photographs ©2017 and ©2018 by Brian Cohen.

 

Please note that I receive compensation for affiliate links posted at The Gate With Brian Cohen effective as of Sunday, January 1, 2017. You are not required to use these affiliate links; but if you do use them, your support of The Gate With Brian Cohen is greatly appreciated — and using affiliate links will not cost you any extra time or money.
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21 Comments

  1. Pingback: Top 25 Credit Cards, Primera Blows Up, 7 Worst Airports for Uber, Village Hotel, Virgin Atlantic Delta Deal Dead - TravelBloggerBuzz

  2. Priceline and other opaque sites look excluded to me. “Price has limitations or restrictions on how it is displayed or booked: Prices on Internet web sites which do not disclose the brand or hotel until the reservation is completed — When a site has you search and book a room without knowing the brand or hotel and only after you have booked does the site disclose the hotel name and brand “

    Reply

  4. Some years ago, a friendly HHonours operator who was about to resign shared an inside story on how the “team” that handles the lowest rate guarantee (LRG)works.. essentially they will never honor it unless several attempts have been made. Hilton will certainly make it difficult and painful to follow up on claims. I recently made a claim and as many people have complained about online, the claim was never addressed and was kept on hold indefinitely. when I called their call centre to follow up on the issue.
    I subsequently decided to prove that the LRG is a scam.
    I made several bookings in different Hilton hotels that was priced above competing site (expedia) rates.
    Sure enough there are standard templated responses –
    The four most common are:
    1)the claim was not made within 24 hours (despite the fact that the claim was made within 10 minutes of booking)
    2) different room type – does not matter that both rooms are the lowest category – the room is named differently
    3) could not find the rates ( if you provide a screen shot of the rates, its either incomplete, must click to the booking stage or some other excuses)
    4) the rooms are not available and bookable at the time of booking ( thats a common one and excuse of last resort as there is no way one can prove availability at time of booking).

    I reported the cases to UK based resolver.com. and had each case documented . despite that each of the claims I made was eventually honored, the process one has to go through to get it honored clearly confirms that the LRG is a farce.
    I am shocked that Hilton stoop so low to operate such scams.
    Resolver have escalated these complaints to Hilton’s board level and yet they could not be bothered to even respond! Does it mean that their board condones such questionable practices?
    The online community is flooded with similar complaints but yet Hilton seems to be getting away with it. Something has to be done

    Reply

    1. Interestingly, I have actually experienced success with the lowest rate guarantee from Hilton before it was replaced, Kawai Lando — but thank you for posting that information, which was eye-opening.

      Reply

    2. When ever I have tried this price match I am always met with well you should have not booked on the website of Hilton or you should not have booked direct eith the hotel. Even as a Hilton Honors member you are treated shabbily if you try to use this discount. For gods sake even the Hilton site may have a lower price that they won’t honor for members previously booked much less another website. It’s always said well it canv be a Hilton site or it can6 be a non Hilton site. Or you have to do it 48 hrs before you stay or right after you book it? Either way IHG treats you slit better and BTW even though I live the cookies they changed the recipe and now the baking soda gives me tremendous heartburn immediately. You guys are scammers.

      Reply

  5. I’ve called three times to try this out. EVERY TIME, the agent takes the hotel info, dates, number of guests, room type, and the website where I saw it (Priceline), puts me on hold for roughly 10 minutes, then DISCONNECTS ME.

    INFURIATING!!! Feels very much like a scam to me…

    Reply

  6. I was skeptical about this especially with multiple bad experiences with Expedia and their price guarantee. I was intrigued with the Hilton as they claimed you could just call BEFORE making your reservation and they would validate your claim immediately. It worked flawlessly for me. It did take a long time. The call was about 30 minutes long with mostly me just waiting on the line. The rep took the information about the site where I found the lower rate and after checking it out, he advised that the claim was valid. I was somewhat shocked as I expected some feeble excuse to avoid honouring the price match but it was all painless. There was no arguing or need for any additional information. The best part is that they not only match but give you an additional 25% off which is very generous.

    Reply

  7. Hi Steve, assuming you are not a employee or affiliate of Hilton, that’s indeed good news as they have have obviously stepped up and improved.
    After several denials from them in December, the unprofessional attitude of their call centre, reservation staff and most of all the couldn’t be bothered attitude of their top management we have totally given up on Hilton and adopted a “use Hilton Last” policy corporate wide as integrity is an integral part of our hotel selection process.

    Reply

  8. Hello Joe, I can assure you that I am not an employee or an affiliate of Hyatt, just an everyday consumer trying to get the best deal. Perhaps it is hit & miss depending on the rep. Believe me, I was surprised. However, I do my research, comparing apples to apples and try and make it foolproof for the rep.

    Reply

  9. Hey

    I started looking into the price match promotion since it is an incredible deal and 25% off.

    Expedia, Hotels, Priceline, Booking, Orbitz, Travelocity, and Priceline are websites that they price match. They most likely do not with the others since they are not considered eligible.

    I had issues with Priceline since the website can show different rates that depends how you navigated to the page in which the Hilton representative would not see. Priceline is usually the cheapest option.

    I was able to price match with my rooms although they really don’t want to once you book a lot like for an event.
    I had many of the same issues as you guys above where they give excuses of why they don’t and call disconnects. (All are excuses so don’t fall for them of why they refuse to price match) Others like if the website says deal or sale, doesn’t say refrigerator or microwave, or like how hilton doesn’t match with third party sites except for its self.

    The best way that worked for me is to call them and show them that there is a cheaper price and have them price match it. If they say to create a reservation first, then do that on the spot with them on the phone. If they say something that doesn’t much sense, (they are probably right), ask them to verify with another.

    It is an amazing deal and it does take a long time via phone.

    Reply

  10. The kicker in the terms of the best rate guarantee are primarily that a) you have to be comparing it to/at the lowest rate they offer in order to submit a rate match request, and, b) the terms of the rate being matched must be the same as the room you booked through Hilton directly.

    The problem lies in those terms. The reason? Remember, you are REQUIRED to compare to the lowest rate Hilton offers to be eligible to request a rate match. The lowest rate that Hilton offers directly, at least in my experience and that of several of my friends, multiple times, is almost always their “Hilton Honors member rate”, which is lower by 2-3 USD per night than the standard rate. The trick is, the Hilton Honors member rate has a cancellation policy that requires cancellation at least 5 days in advance, or you’re charged a cancellation fee. The Hilton Honors member rate – which is only bookable via Hilton directly – is the only rate that has that cancellation policy. The other rates typically have a 1 day or a 3 day cancellation policy.

    So, when you find a better rate somewhere else, and submit a request, they deny it because the terms don’t match – specifically, “it (does) not meet the criteria to qualify for the Hilton Price Match Guarantee. The cancellation policy does not match. The third party website has a three day cancellation policy. Whereas your Hilton reservation has a five day cancellation policy.” (That’s direct quote from my most recent rejection from them. One of several I’ve had with this same, exact reasoning.

    They’re promising a rate guarantee, but only if the terms are exactly the same – then forcing customers to try to compare to a rate with terms that, by default, is only a available directly from Hilton. In other words, they’re offering a rate guarantee, but it’s actually nearly impossible to get one – it’s a farce to get people to make a reservation with Hilton, knowing they won’t honor any, or at least the vast majority, of rate match requests. So much so they apparently have boilerplate rejections canned and ready to go, specifically citing this ‘terms loophole’. My last rejection came within minutes, and even cited a different website than the one I was trying to have matched to.

    Reply

  11. Exactly the point I was trying to make some months ago. It’s clearly a farce !
    I brought this up with British site Resolver escalating the matter up to top management of Hilton who could not be bothered . They actually condone such dubious practices that’s clearly misleading and borders on fraud. I still cannot understand why Hilton would want to offer such guarantee with no intention to honor them ..

    Reply

  12. I also had an issue with price matching due to the differences of cancellation dates.
    The sites I listed above, except Priceline, should work with no problem.

    Although, these sites should work with no problem with purchasing an advanced purchase option. Although, I highly recommend to call to book since this is nonrefundable. Customer service can be a pain on the phone since they may not know what they are doing. Besides minor issues, Hilton does honor their promotion.
    I’ve done this for many rooms already.

    Reply

  13. Our experience is similar. We booked a room that is a Hilton honors member sale which has a non cancellable term. Then, we found a lower price at trip.com that has a cancellation policy. They say they cannot honor as the term is not the same. Isn’t an offer with a cancellation term better than one without all other things the same? Maybe in this case, they should allow us to cancel the Hilton booking so we can reserve on the third party site.

    Reply

  14. total farce, I have tried to use this on 4 occasions, and each time they find an excuse or can not find that rate.
    Even today I tried and they first fond the rate and agreed then kept me on hold for 20 minutes to then tell me the price has gone up and Hilton is now the cheapest.
    Total joke!

    Reply

  15. Sounds exactly like my original comments months ago – so looks like nothing as changed! I’ve escalated the complaint right up to top management and they seem to think misrepresentation is an acceptable and fair way of doing business! Hilton has a great product and a good loyalty program . However , I’ve started avoiding Hilton as I try not to patronise organisation with integrity issues

    Reply

  16. Hilton Price Match is just advertising puff. Total scam. We found a COMPLETE mirror match to our booking on booking.com and submitted a claim. They denied the claim due to room types being different. I called the toll free and pointed out that the room types were identical. Then they said it must be that the booking refund polices must be different – they didn’t even ask for our booking reference or other booking platform. I asked if they wanted the screenshots – the customer service girl on the phone said no need – claim denied. We are diamond members – what a waste of my time filing the claim and then calling. Save your time and money – book where you see cheapest.

    Reply

  17. A client at the Hilton Long Island, told me last week, 3-14-20, how he booked through Kayak and after an argument the Hilton gave in.
    Last night we booked for $94. After asking, was informed, that it only applies to Hilton.
    CANNOT BE TRUE.
    With regard to the SHUTDOWNS AND THE VIRUS, they disposed of food, closed all doors, except front, which is a fire hazard, and it just seems like I am paying the salary of those not laid off.

    HOW COULD THEY ARGUE AT A TIME LIKE THIS, BESIDES THE ACTUAL POINT.

    Mr. Gold, what about managers who say that you are not welcome to their property. Happened to a friend, who booked, and was never called, but found out and the lie he (Kevin of homewood suites melville) recited was so bogus. I was with her. thanks

    Reply

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