Marriott's Best Rate Guarantee is its price match. Book a Marriott hotel direct, find the same room cheaper on another site within 24 hours, and Marriott matches that rate and then takes off another 25%, or gives you 5,000 Bonvoy points instead.
It pays well when it works. SmarterTravel's example: a $600, three-night stay matched to $540, then cut 25%, comes to $405. But the rules are strict, and they got stricter in 2025 and 2026. This guide covers the rules as they stand in October 2026, checked against Marriott's own terms.
What the guarantee promises
Book through a direct Marriott channel (Marriott.com, the Marriott Bonvoy app or a Marriott reservation line). If you find a qualifying lower rate on a non-Marriott website or app and file within 24 hours, Marriott matches it and gives you one of two rewards. You choose when you submit, and you can't switch later.
Option A
An extra 25% off the room
Applied to the matched rate (20% at Design Hotels). Best for pricier or longer stays.
Option B
5,000 Marriott Bonvoy points
Plus the matched rate. Points post 7 to 10 business days after checkout. Best for cheap, short stays.
Other limits from the terms: you must be a Marriott Bonvoy member with the reservation linked to your account, rewards cover up to three rooms, one claim per site per reservation, and a claim must cover your whole stay, not part of it.
What changed in 2025 and 2026
| When | Change |
|---|---|
| May 2025 | You must book Marriott's lowest public rate for the room, Member rate included. The other rate must be more than 1% lower (2% if currencies differ). |
| Sept 2025 | New claim site with status tracking by reservation number. |
| June 2026 | Comparison capped at 2 guests. Families of 3 or more usually can't claim. |
| July 16, 2026 | Marriott no longer emails claim updates or requests for more details. You check status yourself. |
Marriott no longer calls it “Look No Further.” The terms also say Marriott can change or end the program at any time, so re-read them before you file.
The 8 things that must match
This is where most claims fail. The lower rate has to be for the same stay in every way that matters.
| Rule | What gets denied |
|---|---|
| Same hotel and dates | One night of a three-night stay |
| Same room type (and view) | City view vs. ocean view |
| Same bed type | King vs. 2 Queens |
| Same guests, up to 2 | 1 adult vs. 2, or any rate for 3+ |
| Same inclusions | Room only vs. breakfast included |
| Same cancellation policy | Free cancellation vs. non-refundable |
| Compared before taxes and fees | A tax-inclusive total vs. Marriott's base rate |
| More than 1% lower (2% across currencies) | A 1.5% gap after converting euros to dollars |
How strict is “same”?
A member on the Head for Points forum reported in 2024 that a Macau claim was rejected because the other site said “taxes and fees included” while Marriott said “taxes included.” The same member said roughly ten claims the year before were all rejected, with Marriott strict on room-type and tax wording. Compare the room description, not just its name.
Rates and hotels that don't qualify
A rate can match on all eight points and still be excluded because of where it comes from. The main exclusions in the terms:
- Coupons and promo codes. Any rate with a coupon, voucher, cashback or promo code applied by the other site. SmarterTravel notes this catches Agoda rates where a discount is added at checkout automatically.
- Non-public rates. Corporate, senior, group, government and paid-membership rates (such as AAA), and rates needing a certain residency, ID or credit card.
- Opaque and auction sites. Priceline, Hotwire and any site that hides the hotel brand until you book.
- Packages and “on request” rates, and sites that don't send bookings into Marriott's reservation system.
- Prepaid or non-refundable rates on certain sites: Ctrip/Trip.com, Qunar, eLong, Meituan Travel, WeChat and Fliggy.
- Other rate types: negotiated extended-stay rates (stays over 30 nights, per Marriott's help center), Stars and Luminous rates, Design Hotels website rates, and government tourism stimulus rates.
- Excluded hotels: all-inclusive properties, Marriott Vacation Club and other Marriott Vacations Worldwide brands, Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy, MGM Collection hotels, The Ritz London, The Ritz-Carlton Montreal, and a few others listed in the terms.
How to file the Marriott Best Rate Guarantee claim
- Find the lower rate and read its terms first. Google Hotels and other comparison sites help you spot it, but click through to the other site's final booking page. That page, not the comparison listing, is what Marriott checks. Check the room, bed, guests, inclusions and cancellation deadline, make sure no coupon is applied, and stay signed out. Large, well-known booking sites are the safest bet. Note the currency, guest count and dates you searched with.
- Book direct, at the lowest matching rate. Book on Marriott.com or the app at the lowest public rate for that room, usually the Member rate, with the same cancellation policy. Pick a cancellable rate: if the claim fails, you can still cancel and book the cheaper site.
- Open the claim form. Go to Marriott's Best Rate Guarantee page, sign in to Marriott Bonvoy, and choose the Best Rate Guarantee claim link. (The old marriott.com/look/claimForm.mi address now redirects there.)
- Enter the details exactly. Your Marriott reservation number, the other site, room type, bed type, guests, inclusions, dates, cancellation policy and the rate before taxes. The name and Bonvoy number must match the reservation.
- Pick your reward. 25% off or 5,000 points. This is final.
- Submit in time. Within 24 hours of booking and at least 24 hours before standard check-in. Sooner is better, since Marriott has to see the rate live.
- Check the status yourself. It shows on the claim site within 24 hours, by reservation number. Marriott won't email you. Questions go to BestRateGuarantee@marriott.com.
After approval, avoid changing the reservation (even a name change). The terms say changes can void the approval and the reward.
Why claims get denied
The rate was gone when Marriott checked
Marriott must verify the rate itself, and its terms say screenshots are not accepted as validation. Online prices move by the hour. Keep screenshots to help the review, but file the moment you see the gap.
A discount was baked into the other rate
Signed-in member prices, app-only deals and automatic checkout coupons all make a rate non-public or coupon-based. Check the price in a private browser window, signed out.
The gap was too small
Compare the bare room rate, without taxes, gratuities or other fees such as resort fees. It must be more than 1% lower, or at least 2% when the other site shows a different currency. Marriott can ignore gaps that come mainly from exchange rates.
You didn't book Marriott's lowest rate
If you booked the standard flexible rate while a Member rate with the same terms was available, the claim fails.
25% off vs 5,000 points: the math
The 25% comes off the matched room cost for your stay. The points are a flat 5,000. At TPG's August 2026 value of 0.75 cents a point, that's about $37.50, so the break-even is a matched stay of about $150 before tax.
| Matched stay | 25% saves | 5,000 pts | Better pick |
|---|---|---|---|
| $100 | $25 | ~$37.50 | Points |
| $150 | $37.50 | ~$37.50 | Even |
| $300 | $75 | ~$37.50 | 25% off |
| $540 | $135 | ~$37.50 | 25% off |
When the points are worth more
Since March 12, 2026 you can top off a Marriott free night certificate with up to 25,000 points (up from 15,000). If 5,000 points is what stands between your certificate and a hotel you want, they can be worth far more than $37.50.
What to do when the Marriott rate drops after you book
The guarantee only covers lower rates on other sites, and only for 24 hours. If Marriott.com itself gets cheaper next week, you can't claim it. But you can usually still get the lower price:
- Check that your current booking is still free to cancel (the deadline is on your confirmation and varies by hotel).
- Book the new, lower rate on Marriott.com for the same dates. Pick a cancellable rate again.
- Once the new confirmation arrives, cancel the original reservation.
Book first, cancel second, so you never lose the room. Prepaid rates that can't be cancelled for a refund don't work this way. More on this in our hotel rebooking guide.
Why a direct booking still wins
Why not just book the cheaper site? Because bookings through third-party sites generally don't earn Marriott Bonvoy points or Elite Night Credits, and elite perks aren't guaranteed. A winning claim gets you the lower price and keeps all of that.
| Benefit | Direct + BRG | Third-party site |
|---|---|---|
| Bonvoy points on the stay | Yes | Generally no |
| Elite Night Credits | Yes | Generally no |
| Elite perks (upgrades, late checkout) | Yes | Not guaranteed |
| Extra reward | 25% off or 5,000 points | None |
If the claim fails: ask the hotel
This isn't Marriott policy, but it sometimes works. A Head for Points member reported emailing a Dubai hotel's general manager with a cheaper third-party rate, and the hotel matched it. Hotels generally prefer direct bookings, so a polite email with the exact rate and room is a fair ask. Expect a no as often as a yes.
Let Plot watch the rate for you
The hard part isn't the form. It's catching a lower price while it's live. Forward your Marriott confirmation to plans@plot.travel and Plot Pro watches your cash rate until check-in. When it drops, on Marriott.com or on another site, Plot alerts you with the steps to rebook or file the claim. Plot also has claim guides for Hilton and IHG.