Discount hotel rate

* Cendant Corp.'s hotel group introduced a Best Rate or It's Free guarantee, promising customers their first night free if they don't receive lower rates on its brand Web sites and toll-free numbers than on third-party Web sites. The program was introduced May 1 and replaced a best available rate guarantee introduced two years ago that offered a 10 percent discount off the lowest price for the first night if guests found a lower rate online.

Bruce Adams, badams@advanstar.com