InterContinental Carlton Cannes to become a Regent hotel

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• Paul says:

  6 Dec6 December 05:35

  Given the eyewatering level of Qatar fares ( just been quoted £17,000 for 2 in J LHR -SYD 1/8/23 to 15/8/23 ( hardly high season) they are clearly trying to discount via the back door.
  I am sitting on a plane at SYD right now, and have been fascinated by both the news and anecdotal comments about air fares. I can’t see this level of pricing being sustainable, not even with the massive reductions in capacity and pent up demand. The dam will surely break in the next few months especially for Qatar, and especially when Chinese airlines relaunch fully.
  Can’t happen quickly enough for me

  • NorthernLass says:

    6 Dec6 December 11:53

    August is peak time for European/American families for whom this might be the first opportunity to visit family since the pandemic. That said, I don’t think many would be able to pay £17k pp for a family holiday so hopefully this is just wildly optimistic pricing.

    • Colin MacKinnon says:

      6 Dec6 December 12:04

      I think things are weakening a bit – hence me getting Inverness-Sydney on BA with 241 in August just a few days ago – and there being five or six seats available some days!
      And good availability back with Qatar in September.
      And take the reward availability now to the Caribbean and the us – including F to LAX.

    • Calvin says:

      6 Dec6 December 18:07

      UK school holidays begin at the end of July/start of August, so this is indeed high season.

• Steve says:

  6 Dec6 December 07:01

  For the Qatar Airways / Amex offer the departure airports in the general information (Flights are available from London Heathrow, Manchester, Birmingham and Edinburgh) do not match those in the T&C’s (This promo code is valid from LHR, LGW, EDI and MAN to…)

  • Pam Hayward says:

    7 Dec7 December 14:58

    It let me use the code but wouldn’t let me pay with Amex. I haven’t booked yet.

• Dylan says:

  6 Dec6 December 07:31

  Ah so frustrating. I only booked some KLM flights last night just before bed that this would have covered. Ah well.

  • Chris says:

    6 Dec6 December 07:49

    If you booked direct KLM has the 24 hour cooldown where you can cancel foc.

• Will says:

  6 Dec6 December 08:04

  The IHG amb free weekend night cert is becoming an odd thing. If the premium hotels transition to Regent and IHG continues to make it an IC only voucher then you’re effectively going to end up with a free night in a crown plaza category hotel which is a tough sell.

  I don’t really see why they couldn’t open the voucher up for use at any brand in the chain.

  • Alan says:

    6 Dec6 December 08:31

    Agree, I’d prefer to ‘waste’ a voucher at a cheaper hotel rather than not use at all, but I guess they’d then need to load a special AMB flexible-but-a-bit-pricier rate at all this either properties too! Points such good value vs cash just now (esp abroad) I’ve not been able to justify using my voucher, even with the free night.

  • JohnG says:

    6 Dec6 December 08:53

    I understand the logic of keeping Ambassador largely focused on a brand (or premium subset). If the voucher becomes use anywhere then Ambassador gets close to just being a way to buy IHG One Platinum status for $200, get a free night, and get a couple of perks at ICs.

    With that said I have no idea what IHG’s strategy for Ambassador is, and it’s getting objectively worse: Some of the best IC’s are being rebranded as Regent, you no longer gets points for renewing, the premium you pay for the paid night when using the voucher is considerable, and things like upgrades and late checkout aren’t really guaranteed anymore.

    I used to keep Ambassador consistently, now I let it lapse and rebuy when I have a stay where I hope to benefit.

    If Ambassador worked across IC, Six Senses (it sort of does currently), and Regent it would at least help counter the feeling that Ambassador is excluded from the very best IHG properties.

  • rob keane says:

    6 Dec6 December 09:16

    free weekend night is an ambassador perks, and ambassador only applies to IC hotels, so it has never been possible to use it in a crowne plaza or HI etc. The Ambassador program is likely to cease before rather than changing it to provide benefits in Crowne plaza etc.

    • will says:

      6 Dec6 December 14:49

      I understand that, the point is that as IC’s used to be the top of the IHG portfolio the free night cert had a specific purpose that was clear.

      Now IC places below the top properties (Regent, Six Senses, possibly even Kimpton) it’s effectively occupying a space similar to what Crowne Plaza used to be.

      Conceptually it’s not clear in my head where I’m going to use it now without even having a destination in mind whereas before I’d use it in the nicest IHG property wherever I was going (and I’ve had some really enjoyable stays with it in SFO, NYC, HKG and SIN)

      • TGLoyalty says:

        6 Dec6 December 21:51

        IC deffo isn’t occupying CP space

        CP is meant to be premium and IC luxury.
        What’s happened is old ICs just aren’t up to the latest IC standards and in fact CPs are in better condition etc.

        Regent is the classic luxury brand focused on service and comfort.
        Six senses luxury leisure with a focus on wellbeing and health
        Kimpton your traveller looking for a boutique unique vibe
        Indigo your business traveller looking for nice hotel with a local twist

        You might think they’re all the same but they do all target a specific type of customer even if they might overlap slightly.

• powdarrmonkey says:

  6 Dec6 December 08:26

  “currently underdoing” 😂

  • Alan says:

    6 Dec6 December 08:29

    Haha saw that too, I’m guessing Rob’s already decided its going to be an underwhelming revamp 😉

    • TGLoyalty says:

      6 Dec6 December 10:47

      I highly doubt Katara will be skimping.

• Richard says:

  6 Dec6 December 08:31

  Very odd list of airports in the T&Cs of the Qatar promo. Basically all major/big enough for Qatar to fly to in the Middle East, Southern Africa, some West Africa (UK-Doha-Abidjan anyone?), India and Pakistan, are all included, but then the East Asian ones start to get curious: no Thailand or Vietnam, but the Philippines, Tokyo, and Singapore are in, no Jakarta or Australasia

• Kevin Young says:

  6 Dec6 December 09:18

  Is it just me, or does the name Regent conjure up an image of tatty 1970s cinema rather than an upmarket hotel?

  • RussellH says:

    6 Dec6 December 14:37

    It did not until now, but now it does!
    🙂

• Susan says:

  6 Dec6 December 09:21

  My first introduction to IC was Maui Wailea https://www.facebook.com/52760743971/photos/intercontinental-hotel-1980-a-great-angle-looking-towards-kihei-long-before-shop/10156821457038972/

  (And sadly yes, from around that era) it’s always been a resort brand too. Loved that hotel.

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