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Forums Hotel loyalty schemes IHG One Rewards IHG Diamond – how much longer…? Reply To: IHG Diamond – how much longer…?

JDB 6,230 posts

@Guernsey Globetrotter – my point was exactly yours as happens. We prefer not to stay in a boring chain hotel, but there are decent ones and a chain might sometimes be the best option. I just don’t want to be on a treadmill whereby if I go to X city I can only book Y chain hotels to clock up to gain something in the future that isn’t really free at all. My experience over many years is that I also don’t need to be a loyalty member to get all the perks, even if the highest tiers. I’m also very sceptical of any ‘subject to availability’ – I don’t mind if I’m travelling on my own but if I’m travelling with family, I want to know precisely which room/suite we are getting. This makes such a difference for any longer stay and where the personal touch transforms a hotel experience.

Re Airbnbs – one does need to choose with great care but the only last minute cancellation I believe was entirely genuine and the owner couldn’t have been more apologetic and helpful in resolving. We have stayed in the odd one that was a bit disappointing but not bad and one could have had the same experience. It’s great for families do one can have more space, everyone have their own bedroom at a cheaper cost than really quite grubby hotels.

For some reason I’m generally the hotel chooser and negotiator and my wife picks Airbnbs for which she seems to have a very good nose for good ones and how the owner communicates is an excellent lead indicator.

On the other side of the equation, we have a friend who lets out a holiday home on Airbnb and some of the tenants are just so ghastly – not only do they make a filthy mess, but they nick dishwasher tablets, rolls of bin liners, loo paper, washing up liquid. You name it, they nick it. He has had a picture stolen and a few other things as well. I did tell him that I had read somewhere that hotels have a problem with people nicking batteries out of TV remotes. It just defies belief that people stoop quite so low.

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