IHG clarifies its rules on the gifting of reward nights

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• gtellez says:

  7 May7 May 05:29

  I have done it few times in the last year for my parents or my in laws. Every time I have received elite nights and they have received my Diamond benefits (breakfast). Last time it was a couple of months ago in a Holiday Inn in Hong Kong. The only time I did not receive elite nights was because I booked two rooms with points and only received elite nights for my room (the other appeared in the app as overlapping stay).

• meta says:

  7 May7 May 05:56

  I think the bigger news about new T&C is that IHG can now cancel your reward night booking if it considers it to be too low.

  • SammyJ says:

    7 May7 May 06:21

    Yes this worried me quite a bit! I often book almost a year ahead and find that the points price doubles as time goes on.

    • G says:

      7 May7 May 07:24

      I suspect this is when major pricing anomalies happen rather than people booking at the lowest ends of the dynamic pricing.

      • BJ says:

        7 May7 May 09:16

        I agree but the problem we have at the moment is that hotel rates in key cities around the world are outrageously high and with those hotels at or near capacity IHG must be on the hook for massive, possibly unsustainable, outlays. That must be making it very tempting for them to use this rule change to remove some of the liability. I think that is what some are worried about.

    • TGLoyalty says:

      7 May7 May 08:28

      I’m pretty sure they mean if a major error occurs likes 1 or 1k points for IC PL (usually 90-100k)

      The 45k rates have always stuck.

      • meta says:

        7 May7 May 09:00

        They haven’t really stuck. IC Danang is case in point and people had to fight to get their reservations reinstated.

        @BJ I am convinced that they will especially for new hotels that have not opened yet. This is a get out clause for them not having to compensate customers.

        • BJ says:

          7 May7 May 09:33

          @meta, just replied @G o the matter. Bottom line is whether they end up abusing this or not I don’t like it. When I first read about it my first instinct was focus on Hilton again and don’t bother renewing Ambassador. To abuse it would be shooting themselves in both feet so hopefully it will not come to that. Unfortunately, such abuses have vecome all to vommon in loyalty schemes in recent years. BA and downgrading companions on vouchers spring to mind, more recently we’ve had a few stories about Qatar messing around people with reward bookings. While unacceptable I think such is the rare exception not the rule, and hopefully IHG will be the same with this.

        • BP says:

          7 May7 May 10:09

          I’ve had a few mistake points rates honoured over the years.

          2 bookings for the corner suite @ IC Bangkok. No issues at all with that one. Lounge access included too.

          Beachfront pool villa @ IC Samui. The hotel didn’t want to honour that one and it was a bit of a fight but IHG corporate made them honor it in the end.

          I was lucky enough to stay in IC Danang back when it was only 25k points!!

  • BJ says:

    7 May7 May 06:59

    Yes, but I’m unconvinced that IHG will abuse this in a major way, to do so would alienate too many loyal customers. However, time will tell.

    • JDB says:

      7 May7 May 09:27

      @BJ the issue is that IHG wouldn’t really be alienating customers/guests it considers loyal, so they will continue to do exactly what suits them. IHG really only cares about signing up owners; guests and brand standards are just an annoyance.

      • BJ says:

        7 May7 May 09:42

        I cannot speak for anybody else, only guess, but the rule change in itself goes some way to alienating me, it has absolutely changed my future intentions. If I end up with about £4-6k of unexpected hotel bills this summer I’ll definitely be alienated and I’d imagine many feel the same.

      • meta says:

        7 May7 May 12:59

        Yes, we are always forgetting that the ratio of loyalty scheme guests to loyal guest is. For stays where it matters, it pays to get in touch with the hotel in advance.

  • Will says:

    8 May8 May 01:39

    Surely there’s a consumer rights act issue here. If a contract as been formed (offer of points accepted and points deducted) then cancellation on the grounds the rate is not enough after this point is contentious in law regardless of terms.

    It’s often a forgotten point that just because terms state something doesn’t make them compliant with the law.

    • Will says:

      8 May8 May 01:40

      To add to that, dynamic pricing further weakens their argument. On the old rates they could argue that a pricing error is obvious, with dynamic pricing that’s much more difficult to argue.

  • Roy says:

    8 May8 May 18:16

    I don’t know if the wording I’m reading is the same that you and others are commenting on, but right now the terms I see allow them to cancel “in the event of an erroneously published Reward Night point price”. I’d imagine most chains have terms that likewise allow then not to honour a booking made at an erroneously published cash price – ultimately this seems like a fairly standard business term to me – basically E&OE.

    An erroneously published price would have to be one that constitutes a genuine mistake, such as a serious website bug or someone missing a zero when inputting the base price – IHG merely regretting having sold the room at that price – whether for points or for cash – would not be enough. If IHG were to blatantly abuse this I would imagine that many HfP readers will MCOL them, probably with a significant degree of success.

• SGJNI says:

  7 May7 May 06:55

  As @meta says, I think the elephant in the room is the rule change regarding points cancellations, how is that going to be applied and how can you contest it if it happens, particularly if you only get one or two days notice.
  Is this what was going on with IC DaNang bookings at the start of the year? If they start cancelling points bookings I will stop booking and Hilton can have all my 40 plus nights a year!

• Andrew J says:

  7 May7 May 07:03

  As others have said – this is a non-news article as it’s always been the case. The ability for IHG to cancel points bookings in advance (unclear how in advance – day before?) as they wish is very concerning.

  • BJ says:

    7 May7 May 07:11

    Hope you got your stays in the big A out the way or will do so soon.

  • Mr. AC says:

    7 May7 May 07:49

    Always been the case – yes. But important to know that this is now official policy and not something you need to specifically negotiate or worry about with hotels.

• BJ says:

  7 May7 May 07:04

  How are people adding names o second guest? I used to do this in the additional comments/special requests field but cannot see this or any other way to add additional guests in the version of the app I’m now using.

  • dannyrado says:

    7 May7 May 07:27

    You can do it online

    • BJ says:

      7 May7 May 07:41

      Thanks, I’ll have a look haven’t used anything but the app for a few years.

  • Mr. AC says:

    7 May7 May 07:47

    I haven’t seen this in the app as well. In the website the field is there.
    For an existing booking I reckon calling would work.

    • BJ says:

      7 May7 May 09:45

      Never had any issues calling but it is good to know that this is now formally possible online. If only they had not made the otger change.

• Matt says:

  7 May7 May 07:18

  I’ve done the same thing at UK Marriott Bonvoy properties several times (usually for family members as the second guest) and it’s always worked – status benefits were given and elite nights awarded. I’ve also written what I’m doing in the booking notes to avoid being deceptive or risking any challenges at check-in, with never any hotel staff taking issue.

• Ruralite says:

  7 May7 May 08:27

  On the subject of IHG and upgrades, we are just finishing a w/e break in Dubai at the Voco on Sheikh Zayed road. It is convenient for the museum of the future (just across the road but about a 15 min walk as to cross you have to use one of the metro access bridges) which is mainly what we travelled over from Abu Dhabi to visit. It is situated between WTC and Emirates Tower metro stations. We had considered treating ourselves to 2 nights at The Address but then decided we didn’t really want to be near the busy Dubai Mall/Burj Khalifa area and for the amount of time we’d be in the hotel it wasn’t worth the cost. So we booked a premier room with lounge access at the Voco at a cost of approx. AED 1550 inc. taxes for 2 nights (about £175 sterling/night). The hotel is modern, clean and airy with a lounge on the 42nd floor where guests with lounge access check in and which has sea (through the Dubai haze) and city views including the top half of the Burj Khalifa. On arrival as now (only) Platinum Elite we didn’t expect too much but we were immediately upgraded to a 1 king bed city suite on the 46th floor which at 83sqm is huge, with a separate lounge area, walk in closet, separate sink area, toilet and wet room complete with bath that you can lounge in whilst looking out of the large window at the the Burj etc lit up at night. A welcome plate of assorted small cakes and a fruit bowl were waiting for us in the room. We were also given free breakfast in the main breakfast restaurant if we wanted it but we’ve actually just used the lounge as the buffet choice, including a variety of egg dishes and eggs Benedict cooked to order, has been fine for us and quieter. Afternoon tea is served in the lounge with canapés and Arabic meze food later from 6 – 8pm. Through the day it is help yourself soft drinks and hot drinks with help yourself bottled beer, wine, spirits and sparkling wine (Hardy’s) with the canapés in the evening. The evening hot and cold food buffet is sufficient to replace an evening meal if you wish and although it is timed they don’t rush you in order to start clearing. There is a bar on the 50th floor, again with good views, a lounge/nightclub above that and a pool lower down the building plus a spa (we didn’t visit the nightclub/pool or spa so can’t comment on those. The staff are all exceptionally friendly and helpful. It’s more of a city break hotel than a holiday hotel but we’d certainly use again.

  • TGLoyalty says:

    7 May7 May 08:33

    Did you visit the Indian restaurant in the Voco?

    • Ruralite says:

      7 May7 May 08:36

      No, but I believe it’s good.

  • Mohamed says:

    7 May7 May 09:00

    Sorry but this post is about IHG rules and condition not hotel reviews.

    • GeoffreyB says:

      7 May7 May 10:11

      👮‍♂️

      • Rob H not Rob says:

        7 May7 May 11:11

        +1

• Mohamed says:

  7 May7 May 09:04

  I remember years ago I booked IC Carlton Cannes for my friend and he was blocked from check in until he provided them with my ID, he was left to wait couple of hours until I received his message and sent him my possport copy, despite his name clearly in the booking.
  Another incident IC Singapore I booked a room for my friend a very well known travel blogger and i bet must people here know and follow him and when he arrived he was informed I need to call property to get him access to the room, yet again couple of hours waiting and despite him knowing very well the rules and showing them his name on IHG app booking but they kept denying it and insist I should call and authorise him in the room.

  • The Original David says:

    7 May7 May 18:53

    Do “very well known travel bloggers” not cover their own hotel rooms? Or is he not a very successful one?

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