GOOD NEWS: IHG Rewards Club is extending your hotel elite status to January 2022

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

• Peter says:

  24 Apr24 April 08:43

  This does sound churlish, but with my free night weekend certificate expiring 31/3/20 (supposed to have been used in Paris in the last weekend of March), now being extended to 30/6/20, how am I supposed to use it when I’m self-isolating for three months till 23rd June? The extension is effectively valueless, unless I have missed something?

  The other changes are welcome though.

  • TGLoyalty says:

    24 Apr24 April 11:05

    But you had a whole 11 months prior to all this to use it.

    Perhaps they will give you an extension due to your personal circumstances

• Kilburnflyer says:

  24 Apr24 April 09:00

  Can anyone offer anecdotal examples of some good upgrades/benefits that their Spire Elite status gave them? (Inc property recommendations)

  IHG Spire seems the weakest top tier hotel status of any of the major chains (no breakfast or club access), particularly as the best properties in the portfolio, Intercontinentals, often don’t acknowledge Spire status and only offer benefits to those who have paid for Ambassador membership

  • The Original David says:

    24 Apr24 April 09:15

    CP Helsinki: from basic room to club room, lounge access
    CP Chengdu Panda Garden: basic room to club room (x2), lounge access for 3 people, welcome drinks x4
    CP Huangshan: welcome drinks x4, 2 category room upgrade, ¥300 bar credit per day (I.e. ¥600 on a 1-night stay) in lieu of lounge access, extra made-to-order menu at breakfast
    CP HK Kowloon East: room upgrade, free afternoon tea ($80) per day, welcome drinks
    CP Singapore Changi: runway view room upgrade, welcome drinks, 5pm checkout
    CP Kunming: lounge access, suite upgrade, free breakfast
    Holiday Inn Chengdu: lounge access, welcome drinks
    Intercon San Juan: ocean view upgrade, welcome drinks

    In summary, Crowne Plaza is the sweetspot for Spires, preferably in Asia…

    • a9504477 says:

      24 Apr24 April 10:19

      It’s indeed CPs where it might make a difference. Many CPs with club lounges (but not all) will give access to lounge (very nice example: CP Barcelona with champagne in lounge all day;-)

      • PJJ says:

        24 Apr24 April 13:00

        How do you tell if the Crowne Plaza has a Lounge for access
        Looked at CP Barcelona website and couldn’t find anything
        Is there special wording or under particular heading
        T.I.A.

        • Rob says:

          24 Apr24 April 15:30

          There would be a room category for cash which clearly showed club access (and costing around £50 per night more than an identical room).

    • Andrew says:

      24 Apr24 April 11:48

      Pre-Covid, every week at HI Regents Park I was given an exec room, upgrade from standard. CP seem to offer lounge access as the welcome amenity – not sure why you would choose the free drink in the bar when you can have lounge access. And at all hotels I’ve always found the 2pm guaranteed check-out useful, not as late as the Bonvoy 4pm, but useful nonetheless.

      I do agree that elite benefits are not as valuable or as guaranteed as others schemes but have always found points earn and burn much better with IHG – my colleague who is wedded to Hilton and stays as much as I do for work and so is Diamond, earns a fraction of the free nights I seem to. This is a mixture of good earning rates with IHG, accelerate etc and then what seem to be good value redemptions around the world.

      • More coffee please says:

        24 Apr24 April 12:35

        +1 on this. I’m diamond hilton and spire IHG. Some great hilton properties (stayed in curio shoreditch just before lockdown – lovely hotel and free breakfast was exceptional) – but IHG is peerless for earn and burn, particularly in the UK due to number of properties. Depends what you are looking for as a main benefit I guess…

  • BP says:

    24 Apr24 April 10:45

    IC Bangkok. Upgrade all Spires to an Executive room which comes with free breakfast or the choice of 1 hour free drinks. Even on reward nights and for the entire room! Got really good value from using my rewards nights there!

    • Colin MacKinnon says:

      24 Apr24 April 22:42

      Both ICs in Jo’burg – apparently a bigger room.

      That was it – oh, nearly forgot,: as a valued Spire Elite, our general manager would like a personal word with you!

      And a free drink three times in the Holiday Inn Dar Es Salaam – but only for me (wife is Spire too) – and an upgraded “club room” but the club was closed.

      ps. Would any hotel allow me to just get the drink, better room etc without the cringeworthy welcomes! Especially the “you must travel a lot to be a Spire elite”. None of them have heard of Revolut and mum’s care home fees!

  • Neil says:

    24 Apr24 April 10:57

    Best I’ve had was at the CP Schiphol where I was upgraded from a standard room to their Ambassador Suite plus given lounge access.

    • Binks says:

      24 Apr24 April 14:54

      Crown Plaza Dubai free upgrade from basic to exec room and lounge access. Free breakfast etc

      Crowne plaza London city – upgrade to exec room and club lounge access.

      Crowne plaza Birmingham (although some not recommend as a lousy property with poor quality rooms and room amenities). Free lounge access.

      Platinum Elite status got me the above.

      • Binks says:

        24 Apr24 April 14:55

        *platinum status

  • Mr. AC says:

    24 Apr24 April 11:39

    CP Tel Aviv City Center: lounge access with excellent breakfast buffet.
    Holiday Inn Vinogradovo: free breakfast (quite good for a HI).
    CP Tretyakovskaya: upgrade from basic to club room one time, from a “Deluxe” to a Business Suite another. Welcome gifts on top of the points/voucher (dessert & fruit).

    • Kilburnflyer says:

      24 Apr24 April 11:56

      Thanks everyone, that’s helpful. So it seems best to look at the good Crowne Plaza locations for optimum elite benefits. Fair point about redemptions too, especially as earning is easier due to large global footprint v Hilton etc..

      Has anyone found any particular Intercontinentals that treat Spire Elites well, with upgrades to Club rooms / amenities for example?

  • Pangolin says:

    24 Apr24 April 12:06

    Lounge Access for Spire at CP is a brand standard for China.

  • ChrisC says:

    24 Apr24 April 14:29

    I achieved Spire at the end of last year.

    This year I have had room upgrades at all my stays bar 1.

    2 x CP Stays – upgraded to club room

    1 x HI – upgraded to Suite

    1 x Kimpton – Upgraded room.

    1 x Indigo – nothing other than a welcome note.

    Now all three upgrades were For stays in January / February So availability would be better then.

    I book a room I would be happy in even if I wasn’t upgraded.

  • Tony says:

    24 Apr24 April 17:40

    In last 12 months:
    CP in Birmingham upgraded to top floor with lounge access.
    Holiday Inn in Prague upgraded to business floor with relative benefits.
    Intercontinental in Aqaba room upgraded.

  • Mac D says:

    24 Apr24 April 19:21

    Crowne Plaza Athens – Upgraded room + lounge access (Good offering)
    Crowne Plaza Aberdeen – Upgrade to club room and lounge access (limited options)
    Crowne Plaza London The City – Upgrade to club room and lounge access (Very good lounge)
    Crowne Plaza Harrogate – Lounge access (Average offering)

• KD says:

  24 Apr24 April 09:17

  I have just realised reading this thread, that when I became spire in Jan 2020 I didn’t receive and still haven’t the 25k bonus points, that’s now almost 5 months, how do I claim these?

  • Secret Squirrel says:

    24 Apr24 April 09:46

    Contact CS.

    • The Original David says:

      24 Apr24 April 10:36

      Although you do need to go on the website and choose your 25k option (because you could instead gift Platinum to a friend). The points don’t just credit automatically without you choosing them.

  • TGLoyalty says:

    24 Apr24 April 11:07

    Did you achieve spire in January 2020? That’s some going 75k points in the first month of the year.

    Or was it in December 2019? Makes a difference as hitting it again this year means you get another 25k. Have you chosen your reward as it’s not automatic.

  • luckyjim says:

    24 Apr24 April 11:20

    Five months have passed since January? Blimey, I’ve completely lost track of time since I’ve been in lockdown.

• Claire says:

  24 Apr24 April 11:04

  What about the free night certificates earned for £10k spend on credit card?

  • TGLoyalty says:

    24 Apr24 April 11:07

    Had mine extended from end of August to end of Dec.

  • Scallder says:

    24 Apr24 April 15:24

    I also had points deposited into my account for the value of an expired voucher that was to be used in May (expired June 2019) – hotel was 35k a night so got 35k put into my account

  • Anon says:

    24 Apr24 April 17:46

    My credit card night voucher has been extended rather than my ambassador night voucher.

• Nathan says:

  24 Apr24 April 16:07

  Any ideas what happens if you have earnt spire for this year? Will it be until end of 2022?

• RDB says:

  24 Apr24 April 16:26

  Afternoon … with the possible demise of South African Airway I sit on 135k Voyager Miles can’t book Star Alliance flight and as you must use Voyager Call Center to change it. I travel to SA frequently so Mango could be a possibility but 15k miles JNB/CPT fully flex (flights about £50 or less) is really not an option.
  Any ideas …

• Secret Squirrel says:

  24 Apr24 April 16:45

  Someone in the U.S has already received their 2nd 25k spire offer today. Now how long until the U.K receive theirs!

  • Nick says:

    24 Apr24 April 18:46

    IHG Rewards Club Spire Elite benefits choice is showing on my IHG account now.

    Gift Platinum membership to a friend, or add 25K points to your account.

• Vinz says:

  24 Apr24 April 17:13

  Slightly OT

  I applied for a IHG basic card just before the end of March, I’ve already spent £500 and received 10,000 points soon after spending £200. When will I get the remaining 10,000 points? Would you have an idea?

  Thanks

  • Secret Squirrel says:

    24 Apr24 April 17:33

    Usually about 2 x weeks after hitting £500. The extra 10k shows up in your ihg account & not your creation account.

  • Rob says:

    24 Apr24 April 17:49

    No idea, but they come from IHG so don’t badger Creation about it.

    • Vinz says:

      25 Apr25 April 00:59

      Thank you

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.