Marriott launches room-rate pledge

By Ingrid Kwok HONG KONG Marriott International has launched the Look No Further Best Rate Guarantee to ensure business customers receive the best available room rate at approximately 2,500 Marriott hotels. Any customer booking through the Marriott and finding a lower publicly available rate within 24 hours for the same hotel, room type, or dates anywhere via online travel sites, a travel agency, travel management company, or even another Marriott, will see the hotel matching the lower rate plus an additional 25 per cent off. The group is the first leading hotel chain to offer a comprehensive rate guarantee beyond the internet. Research shows that travellers spend as much as half a day shopping around for the best room rates — with the majority of travellers not making hotel reservations on the internet. Vice-president, Asia-Pacific, Marriott International Bernadette Dennis said customers — particularly in Asia — are getting more price sensitive. "We are only charging two-thirds of our 1996 rates. The economic environment makes people more aware of pricing (and) large corporations are cutting up to 25 per cent of travel budgets, so hotels need to be more realistic."