Hilton Joins In Offering Rate Guarantee

Hilton Hotels Corp. today announced it was offering a best rate guarantee designed to assure travelers that the best Internet deal for a Hilton brand guest room will be on its own Web sites. The last of the large U.S.-based hotel companies to offer such a guarantee, Hilton was prompted to make the move by the growing influence of third-party merchant model sites, which until recently have been able to offer heavily discounted rates.

The move to best rate guarantees by various hotel companies is a positive development for travel managers, since pricing parity across channels means there is less chance rates appearing on the Web will undercut buyers' negotiated rates.

To distinguish its guarantee from the competition, Hilton is offering a $50 American Express gift certificate to travelers if they are able to find a lower rate on another booking channel within 24 hours of making the reservation. In addition, Hilton said it will match the lower rate.

By contrast, competing offers do not offer gift certificates, but take an additional percentage off the lower rate. Extra discounts range from the 10 percent offered by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, InterContinental Hotels Group and Choice Hotels International, to the 25 percent offered by Marriott International.