Marriott Improves Best Rate Guarantee With More Transparency for Guests

When booking a Marriott stay, the brand has long promised that its own website offers the lowest rates. While that “Best Rate Guarantee” sounded good on paper, many travelers found the process slow, vague, and full of exclusions.

Now, Marriott is making changes to provide a clearer, more accountable experience for guests who find a better deal elsewhere and want to submit a Best Rate Guarantee claim.

Here’s what you should know.

What’s Changing in Marriott’s Best Rate Guarantee

Marriott has announced updates to its Best Rate Guarantee claim process, designed to give guests more visibility into what’s happening after they file.

Here’s the new promise:

• Guests can now use their Marriott reservation number to track the status of a claim directly on the Best Rate Guarantee site within 24 hours of filing.
• If a claim requires further review, Marriott says it will contact you within 24 hours.
• You can also reach out directly to BestRateGuarantee@marriott.com for updates.

Additionally, if your claim gets approved, Marriott will match the lower rate you found and sweeten the deal with your choice of either an extra 25% off your stay or 5,000 Marriott Bonvoy points. This perk has been around for a while, but it’s one that’s easy to overlook — and points enthusiasts know those 5,000 points can go a long way toward a future redemption.

Previously, Marriott only stated it would respond within 24 hours — without giving travelers any way to check progress on their own. The ability to log in and confirm status is a meaningful step toward transparency, even if Marriott has stopped short of guaranteeing full resolution in that timeframe.

It’s worth remembering that not all lower rates qualify. Prices you see on online travel agencies (OTAs), for example, are often excluded since Marriott doesn’t control their inventory. That said, if you do find a valid lower rate, this streamlined process should make it easier to hold Marriott accountable.

Final Thoughts

Marriott’s updated Best Rate Guarantee doesn’t fix every frustration. There are still plenty of exclusions that make it tough to file successful claims. However, by allowing travelers to track their claim status, promising faster responses, and offering either a 25% discount or bonus points upon approval, the brand is at least taking steps toward accountability.

For guests loyal to booking direct, this improvement could make the Best Rate Guarantee feel a little less like a marketing slogan and more like a real perk.