2 verified ways to get your money back, ranked from easiest to most involved.
The rules of the game
Four things every traveler needs to know about hotel price drops before deciding whether to claim one.
Every hotel reservation falls into one of two buckets. A refundable rate can be cancelled up to the property's free-cancellation deadline for a full cash refund to your card. A non-refundable rate cannot be cancelled at all once booked. Only refundable rates can be repriced via the cancel-and-rebook path. Non-refundable rates are stuck with whatever you paid unless the brand offers a price-match program.
Refundable bookings are cancellable up to a deadline set by the property, typically 24 to 72 hours before check-in. Inside that window you can cancel for free and rebook at the lower rate. Once the deadline passes, the booking becomes effectively non-refundable. Always check the exact deadline on your confirmation email before you commit to a swap.
Most large hotel brands run a price-match program: Hilton's Price Match Guarantee, Marriott's Best Rate Guarantee, IHG's Lowest Price Promise, Hyatt's Best Rate Guarantee, and similar. These programs let you claim the difference (or a free night) when you find a lower public rate within the program's window. Each program has different rules around timing, qualifying rates, and payout format.
Brand price-match programs almost always require a direct booking through the hotel chain's own site or app. OTA bookings (Expedia, Booking.com, Hotels.com) are usually ineligible because the OTA owns the reservation, not the hotel. If you booked via an OTA, your refund path runs through the OTA's own policy, not the hotel chain's BRG. Check both before you give up on the drop.
Decision check
Answer four quick questions about your reservation to see whether cancel-and-rebook, a price-match claim, or nothing at all is the right move.
Worth claiming
Cancel and rebook. The free-cancellation window is still open and the new rate is refundable, so you can pocket the full price difference in cash.
Hotel rates change daily. Plot watches your booking and tells you the moment a refund or Best Price Guarantee claim becomes worth filing.
2 methods ranked by ease and success rate. Verified as of 2026-02-27.
Rebook at the new lower rate on the lower-priced listing
Log in and find your original reservation
Cancel the original booking (for refundable rates)
Book the new reservation first to lock in the lower price.
All claim methods
Rebook at the new lower rate on the lower-priced listing
Log in and find your original reservation
Cancel the original booking (for refundable rates)
Book the new reservation first to lock in the lower price.
We found a lower rate on the lower-priced listing. Take a screenshot of it to submit with your claim
Go to ihg.com/hotels/us/en/customer-care/forms/claim-lowest-internet-rate
Submit the form within 24 hours of booking
IHG will match the lower price if the claim is valid
Instead of manually checking IHG prices, forward your confirmation once and we do the rest.
Forward your IHG booking confirmation to plans@plot.travel. That is the only thing you need to do.
Plot tracks your exact IHG room rate around the clock, checking for drops until you check in.
When the price drops, we notify you instantly with the savings amount and IHG-specific instructions to claim your refund or credit.
Common questions about IHG price drops and refunds.
Yes. If you have a refundable booking, you can rebook at the lower rate and cancel the original reservation. IHG also offers a price match guarantee that may let you claim the difference directly. We have documented 2 verified methods on this page.
Yes. IHG offers a price guarantee, but you must submit your claim within 24 hours of booking. See the methods above for the exact steps.
For cancel-and-rebook, you will receive a full cash refund to your original payment method. For price match claims, IHG typically adjusts the reservation price directly. See the specific methods above for details.
Plot monitors your IHG booking 24/7 after you forward your confirmation email to plans@plot.travel. When the price drops, we send you an instant notification with the exact savings amount and step-by-step instructions tailored to IHG's specific policies, so you know exactly how to claim your refund without doing any research.
For cancel-and-rebook, IHG refunds typically arrive within 5 to 10 business days to your original payment method. Price match claims may be processed faster but depend on IHG's review timeline. Travel credits or loyalty points are usually available within hours.
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