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Trying to book a weekend stay at Intercontinental Barcelona by using the ambassador complimentary free weekend voucher. I am wondering can it be used to book on other higher types of room rather than the standard room that offer and be able to keep the room for the free night? TIA
When you book you are still booking a two night stay so they aren’t going to move you for the second night.
Rememebr as well that the full cost will appear on the booking email and in the booking on the IHG app / website and the voucher is only applied at the hotel.
Whenever I’ve checked ICs have offered me a range of rooms to use my voucher on from the cheapest basic to suites.
I use this link to search and and book
When you first select the hotel it does settle on the ‘standard rate’ tab but if you switch to the ‘one room’ tab then several room types appear
https://www.ihg.com/intercontinental/content/gb/en/ambassador/free-weekend-certificate/book
On a random weekend in June it’s giving me 9 room options for the IC Barcelona
Chris, thanks for the provided link as it provided more room types than go through the normal website booking system.
On top of that I also got an iHG CC free night voucher to be used, which likely to to be used on Thursday night, a day before the weekend. I am wondering if I booked a better room type over the complimentary free weekend nights would I be also get the same room for the night before that? Should I email them to link all the booking together to ensure they know about it or the chance is rather slim?
No problem booking suites – I have one booked for Amsterdam next week.
Note two things:
1-hotels have a cap on the number of certificates they accept each weekend so there is no guarantee you can use it
2-you can book BEFORE joining Ambassador, as long as you have the voucher in your online account at the time of check-inYou’ll know about the cap at the time of booking as there will be a banner showing ‘not able to us voucher’ or similar. Some suites are excluded from the programme in general too, but then again they won’t show when you search.
- This reply was modified 55 years, 4 months ago by .
On top of that I also got an iHG CC free night voucher to be used, which likely to to be used on Thursday night, a day before the weekend.
I’ve done this at other ICs using 2-4-1s and a mix of free night certs or points redemptions. Invariably it works fine with an email to the hotel in advance.
Hi Rob/All, my ambassador complementary weekend night is valid until 01/01/2023. Can I redeem it for 31/12/2022 to 02/01/2023 please?
Also, will the 2 nights stay using the ambassador complimentary free weekend night be considered as 2 qualifying nights, for the IC ambassador renewal offer of 20,000 bonus points after completing 2 qualifying nights please? Many thanksOne thing that is annoying about the free weekend night booking is that the rate is substantially more than best available – is this just to claw back some of the free night?
Hi
What happens with this voucher if 1 night is more expensive than the other?
HugoHi
What happens with this voucher if 1 night is more expensive than the other?
HugoIt’s the ‘second night free’. So if Friday night costs £100 and Saturday night costs £200, you pay £100 (Friday’s cost). There’s an element of gaming to it to identify whether Fri/Sat or Sat/Sun works in your favour.
One thing that is annoying about the free weekend night booking is that the rate is substantially more than best available – is this just to claw back some of the free night?
Define “substantially”
I have a booking for SFO next March for a Fri & Sat Night. It’s part of a longer stay and I did all sorts of calculations to get the cheapest overall stay whilst keeping it all cancelable for no cost.
The AMB rate is displayed as $ 348 per night (but averaged over 2 nights thats $ 174 / night).
The Members BFR is $ 331. So an additional $ 17 per night for the AMB rate.
But the final bill will be $348 v $ 662. A saving of $ 314 (or $ 114 if you take off the $200 AMB fee but still a good saving)
There is a $ 298 / night rate but that’s the non refundable “book early and save” rate but that’s not the comparison you should use as the T&Cs are different. Still over 2 nights that’s $ 596 v $ 348.
Difference in pricing varies wildly. I noticed the other day that the O2 bungs about £150 pn on top of the other rates if you book with the 241.
But adding an extra night on points or cash can pay off. It worked on a huge suite at the IC BOS, and for our Willard stay next month I booked the first night in a points “sale”, then 2 nights in a $800 pn suite with the BOGOF and we’ve been upgraded to an even better suite for all 3 nights. So $800 and 40k points for the whole stay, plus $84 credit per night as Diamond.
Difference in pricing varies wildly. I noticed the other day that the O2 bungs about £150 pn on top of the other rates if you book with the 241.
But adding an extra night on points or cash can pay off. It worked on a huge suite at the IC BOS, and for our Willard stay next month I booked the first night in a points “sale”, then 2 nights in a $800 pn suite with the BOGOF and we’ve been upgraded to an even better suite for all 3 nights. So $800 and 40k points for the whole stay, plus $84 credit per night as Diamond.
40K ‘sale’ at the Willard is excellent considering points pricinh there has gone doo-lally lately. 85Kish.
Difference in pricing varies wildly. I noticed the other day that the O2 bungs about £150 pn on top of the other rates if you book with the 241.
That’s what I’m talking about, the AMB rate is little more than a scam. Of course its a decent deal when you get one night free, but you get no more benefit from booking the AMB rate so it’s merely to take a slice out of your wallet.
I’m having some difficulty seeing your point. I think you may have misunderstood the AMB rate.
I’ve given you a real world example of where the BOGOF rate works and saves more than booking a ‘normal’ rate.
But you only book that rate for those 2 nights. You book BFR or Book Early & Save or whatever for the rest of your stay if you’re there for a longer period
“Scam” because you don’t save as much money as you want.
“Little benefit” from the AMB rate. You still get two nights cheaper than you would if you had booked two nights on a bottom of the barrel non refundable rate, but you end up with a refundable booking.
I don’t misunderstand the AMB rate – it is what it is, you pay to be an Ambassador and one of the perks is a free second night on a two night booking – only it’s not really totally free because you need to use an inflated rate so they claw a slice back, it’s pretty simple to understand. Of course it will still be cheaper than paying two nights on a best available….but you miss the point.
Verdantbacon – decent point, granted it is refundable, so that is a slight differentiation, but surely doesn’t justify the extra £150 in the example quoted above. It’s the same rooms.
You dont have AMB – You pay for the cheapest two nights, non refundable and no chance at an upgrade, no hotel credit, no late check out
You do have AMB – You pay for one night (1.5 if you’re always booking non refundable rates), guranteed upgrade, hotel credit and late check out
From experience using the certificate, I’ve gotten multi category upgrades into suites all 3 times I’ve used it, though of course this is not guranteed, though you’d have more chance at this with AMB, than without.
Given it’s a flexible rate, it really should be compared to the best flexible rate, and yes it does tend be a little higher than this still at times though not as much as a non refundable rate.
It’s STILL cheaper than booking 2 nights under ANY other rate, with a lot more benefits.
If it doesnt work for you, it doesnt work for you, less AMBs redeeming free nights is better for the rest of us anyway!
Like everything to do with loyalty schemes, the best deals require some shopping around and flexibility.
@Blair Waldorf Salad – yes indeed. Those 2 “sales” weekends were great, got 2 nights at the IC Park Lane in July for 40k pn where it’s 95k pn now and also at the George on one of the May bank holidays.
Agreed with Verdant and Anna.
AMB wasn’t even on our radar until the flash points sale. AMB status was recognised even on a points booking – was given one category upgrade and late checkout.
Even managed to get a discount on an upgrade to a suite at a price much less than what I would have topped up on a cash stay.
Now pondering whether to get AMB for player 2 as well.Agreed with Verdant and Anna.
AMB wasn’t even on our radar until the flash points sale. AMB status was recognised even on a points booking – was given one category upgrade and late checkout.
Even managed to get a discount on an upgrade to a suite at a price much less than what I would have topped up on a cash stay.
Now pondering whether to get AMB for player 2 as well.Junior suite at IC Singapore?
Agreed with Verdant and Anna.
AMB wasn’t even on our radar until the flash points sale. AMB status was recognised even on a points booking – was given one category upgrade and late checkout.
Even managed to get a discount on an upgrade to a suite at a price much less than what I would have topped up on a cash stay.
Now pondering whether to get AMB for player 2 as well.Junior suite at IC Singapore?
Upgraded to a kids theme suite.
Thankyou to all the posters for sharing such knowledge. We are planning on Madrid in Jan (going to the use the T3 lounges) and the overseas dining credit. We thought we may aswell use the ambassador certificate but as others mentioned, it gets quite expensive.
Im looking at going Friday/Saturday/Sunday. Am I right in thinking, just book the 2 nights (first 2 or last 2 with the certificate), then book the 3rd night completely separate. I will have a play around and see if I can find the best value.Correct yorkshireRich, either Fri/Sat or Sat/Sun. Have a look at the brunch at the IC Madrid, more like lunch but it was very good. Patio de Leones was walking distance from the IC (about 25 mins) and we thought it better than Bibo which was just across the road.
Correct yorkshireRich, either Fri/Sat or Sat/Sun. Have a look at the brunch at the IC Madrid, more like lunch but it was very good. Patio de Leones was walking distance from the IC (about 25 mins) and we thought it better than Bibo which was just across the road.
Thanks for that strickers. We are thinking of going Saturday Sunday Monday night now, as Iberia express fly direct to Manchester on the Tuesday.
I’ve had a quick glance at the terms and conditions and it would appear it would still work if I booked lowest room category on the Saturday and then the ambassador rate for Sunday Monday.
Finally, the wife kept asking why we need to go on January, and I kept saying why not. I’ve just told her now that by complete co-incidence and complete luck that it looks like the Madrid football derby is on that that weekend. She just rolled her eyes.
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