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My membership is due for renewal on 1st December. IHG is offering 15,000 points if I pay cash for the renewal via a link they sent me. The hotel I’m currently staying at also seems keen to get me to renew with them.
Will I be better off renewing online, or with the hotel?
Depends what the hotel is offering you – somethign which you don’t mention.
They’re not offering anything, just seemed keen for me to agree to pay for the renewal on my hotel bill.
Use the new Amex IHG offer and save on Ambassador membership renewal by paying on checkout? 🙂
Use the new Amex IHG offer and save on Ambassador membership renewal by paying on checkout? 🙂
That’ll be brilliant if it works, but can only be done at ICs?
Use the new Amex IHG offer and save on Ambassador membership renewal by paying on checkout? 🙂
That would have been a great idea. Unfortunately I didn’t bring my AE card 😔
Hong Kong GS gave me a a IHG branded box with a candle and a scented stone when I renewed at the hotel. Nothing major but it was pretty good quality.
Use the new Amex IHG offer and save on Ambassador membership renewal by paying on checkout? 🙂
This worked. Happy.
Hong Kong GS gave me a a IHG branded box with a candle and a scented stone when I renewed at the hotel. Nothing major but it was pretty good quality.
Not sure that would be worth the 15k foregone points to me
That would have been a great idea. Unfortunately I didn’t bring my AE card 😔
That’s why storing your cards on Google Wallet or Apple Pay as back-up for times like these, makes perfect sense.
I think I’d call hotel ahead and ask if renewing likely to be possible on your visit, or the latest point I might bring this up would be when I arrive and start the checkin process. May work better at an IC… would be interesting to know if kindness was volunteered by a hotel if renewing or buying in to Ambassador at another brand.
Of course being able to use the cost towards an Amex offer is good too..
Accor nemberships can be worth buying or renewing at a hotel you stay at too, when I ran those I used to choose a hotel I was a repeat visitor to, that was well run and honoured the limited perks Accor could offer. No harm in doing it on a new checkin as a thank you to a hotel that haa treated you well in the past.
That would have been a great idea. Unfortunately I didn’t bring my AE card 😔
That’s why storing your cards on Google Wallet or Apple Pay as back-up for times like these, makes perfect sense.
Yep, used Apple Pay at checkout and it worked.
Accor nemberships can be worth buying or renewing at a hotel you stay at too, when I ran those I used to choose a hotel I was a repeat visitor to, that was well run and honoured the limited perks Accor could offer. No harm in doing it on a new checkin as a thank you to a hotel that haa treated you well in the past.
The memberships on offer in Asia are more valuable relatively. Not sure if we have to change the address to somewhere in Asia.
A few years ago I deliberately delayed becoming an IHG Ambassador until I actually checked in personally at the (then) Intercontinental Sandton Towers at Johannesburg rather than doing it on line.
On a quiet Sunday I asked the relevant assistant front desk manager what he could do for me if I signed up there and then. Friendly negotiations went from my “already granted” Platinum Elite upgrade from an inside room to a corner room > a corner room but on the Club Floor > a Club Junior Suite (plus option of full breakfast in main dining room) > that plus a bottle of sparking wine and chocolates. All this worth about £500 at weekend rates, was delivered immediately and the room was spectacular. They even let us keep the room way beyond 4 pm when BA 056 was delayed 5 hours.
The real joy was that the Platinum Elite status had only come with the IHG credit card and the original booking was a Rewards redemption for a standard room made with points bought cheaply on a “double points” offer. Some success then ….
Reported this to Rob who thought that some Intercons have an periodic Ambassador sales target to reach and I had hit a sweet spot.A few years ago I deliberately delayed becoming an IHG Ambassador until I actually checked in personally at the (then) Intercontinental Sandton Towers at Johannesburg rather than doing it on line.
My first (and so far only) sign up was in person on the spur of the moment. Superb top-of-the-shop suite upgrade. Mine’s just lapsing now, I’m assuming I’d be better off waiting until my next actual stay to renew. As Rob has previously pointed out, there’s nothing to stop you booking the Amb free night without membership in place yet.
As Rob has previously pointed out, there’s nothing to stop you booking the Amb free night without membership in place yet.
Good point. The only snag is you need to time it well to stay at an IC before renewal. You cannot apply the voucher in same stay.
Better not to renew at all IMO. The whole scheme and many ICs are a bit of a dinosaur.
There are some IC gems though, maybe we should have a thread telling readers where to use their free nights and where to avoid?! The Willard is fabulous for location and ambiance, Park Lane for service (IMO), etc.
The program needs a revamp. More demand for leisure travel than business. I’ll pay a premium to have the flexibility to use the vouchers on weekdays and more brands like Regent and Kimpton.
@Anna, just not enough of them IMO. This was my first year as a members and I’m not renewing. I vet that it pays for itself in one stay but despite that I just didn’t find it useful and couldn’t get excited by it.
@BBb, I’m unconvinced separate brand-specific schemes are necessary. IHG One Rewards is sufficient on its own; perhaps the Diamond tier should have the same qualofication as Platinum but require an additional cash co-payment and provide Ambassador-like benefits appropriate to each brand across all brands. At the moment Ambassador is a member club not an earned status and I’m not sure the model is valid any more. What’s the point when we can already or could buy most of the Ambassador benefits on a stay by stay basis as and when required.
@Anna, just not enough of them IMO. This was my first year as a members and I’m not renewing. I vet that it pays for itself in one stay but despite that I just didn’t find it useful and couldn’t get excited by it.
@BBb, I’m unconvinced separate brand-specific schemes are necessary. IHG One Rewards is sufficient on its own; perhaps the Diamond tier should have the same qualofication as Platinum but require an additional cash co-payment and provide Ambassador-like benefits appropriate to each brand across all brands. At the moment Ambassador is a member club not an earned status and I’m not sure the model is valid any more. What’s the point when we can already or could buy most of the Ambassador benefits on a stay by stay basis as and when required.
Have to agree with you @BJ – did the “easy” Diamond/Ambassador route last year as it paid for 5 x 3 b/fasts for us at crazy prices in the US, but haven’t been able to take advantage of it since. However, it’s all down to personal preferences, of course, and we’re heavily Hilton-dependent as we have Family & Friends access. I’ll def. bear in mind getting the Ambassador as a one-off in the future for some “nice” stay somewhere!
Absolutely – I doubt I’ll renew my membership until there’s a specific use for it, but people have posted in the past that they’re struggling to use the free night certificate so might be looking for ideas of where to get good value.
I think The George is now off my list after last weekend’s mediocre experience, it’s not like there’s a shortage of nice hotels in Edinburgh!
@Michael @Anna I am not really sure what the answer is but I agree with you, change is needed as I think the current set up is way beyond its best before date for most people. Sorry your Edinburgh stay did not live up to expectations Anna, it just proves the point when all tgree ICs in the UK are falling short in one or more respects.
@Michael @Anna I am not really sure what the answer is but I agree with you, change is needed as I think the current set up is way beyond its best before date for most people. Sorry your Edinburgh stay did not live up to expectations Anna, it just proves the point when all tgree ICs in the UK are falling short in one or more respects.
And having said all that, looking forward to IC Sukhumvit, @BJ!
@BJ, thanks, we still had a lovely weekend and only paying for one night (plus hopefully £70 Amex cash back) definitely took the sting out of the poor service! Already planning next year’s visit, might go completely rogue and try The Witchery 😂 (OH asked if it was to do with Harry Potter, lol)
IHG could probably make Ambassador viable by offering free breakfast (or equivalent perk for members who would choose it as Diamond), or at least a better F & B credit.
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