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I’m here on a redemption night prior to a flight tomorrow. I was pleased to be upgraded to a Club floor room (though receptionist said it was a suite) on check-in.
Was less pleased to find I couldn’t access the lounge and to be told my upgrade was ‘just the room’.
We’re not exactly talking about an Intercontinental facility here, so it seems unnecessarily cheap. Perhaps this is an IHG restriction?
That’s normal at crowne plazas.
Only paying for the club room or having it for forty nights gets you in the lounge.
Some crowne plazas lets diamonds in the lounge though.
It’s IHG policy (my bolding)
https://www.ihg.com/content/gb/en/customer-care/member-tc/2nd-page
Complimentary Upgrades: Room upgrades are subject to availability, at the hotel’s discretion, and will only apply to the Member’s personal guest room. Upgrades may include next best available room, such as suites, rooms on higher floors, corner rooms, newly renovated rooms, or rooms with preferred views. Complimentary Upgrades to Club rooms, Club REGENT or Club InterContinental rooms / floors do not include Club Level amenities or services, e.g. Club Lounge access, free pressing, airport transportation, etc. Upgrade benefits may not be available at all brands and IHG Residences, including but not limited to InterContinental Residences, voco Residences, Crowne Plaza Residences
TBH you’re not really missing much other than some wine / beer between 6 and 8 in the evening. Otherwise it’s machine coffee, tea and soft drinks and some crisps.
I know I’m not missing much, but thanks for confirming that it’s an IHG thing. Still seems tight to me!
@bh. Oh you’re missing out on loads!
The lounges normally have caviar, moet champagne, the finest steak, the finest French cakes.
Everyone gets their own butler who also shines your shoes and presses your suit while you quaff your champagne.
Literally no hotel group gives you lounge for just being upgraded to a club or exec room. Only Hilton does if you’re a good member and upgraded.
It’s up to the individual property if they want to but experience tells me that’s one way to have crowded lounges.
This hotel is often fully booked and the Lounge is quite small and very busy just with those entitled to access. We have been upgraded to suite a couple of times recently, but only got Lounge access as took that reward at 40 nights.
@Tw33ty. Your post made me smile and think of our good fortune. Have been upgraded to a suite a few times at the Ritz Carlton Kuala Lumpur, which did include our own butler! Have also been upgraded a number of times at Shangri-La hotels in Asia and given Lounge access. But this is very rare and possibly because we have visited the hotels many times but don’t have status with those hotel groups.I doubt it applies here, but some hotels are reluctant to offer upgrades precisely on the basis that even when offered a discretionary upgrade, some guests still aren’t happy, wanting more, so the view is taken not to bother. At T4 there is always the option of the Premier Inn a few steps away – a whole lot cheaper, no stress about whether any exalted status will be honoured or access allowed to the caviar and champagne lounge.
I doubt it applies here, but some hotels are reluctant to offer upgrades precisely on the basis that even when offered a discretionary upgrade, some guests still aren’t happy, wanting more, so the view is taken not to bother. At T4 there is always the option of the Premier Inn a few steps away – a whole lot cheaper, no stress about whether any exalted status will be honoured or access allowed to the caviar and champagne lounge.
We frequently use the Premier Inn T4, but go for whatever is cheapest/available – the CP is often cheaper than the HIX and Premier Inn.
Probably not going to help the OPs BP but i have on a couple of times this year (but not this week) been upgraded to a suite and told when asking to use my lounge pass and diamond welcome amenity that it was already included as part of having a suite (so got a couple of drinks vouchers instead). So it does happen.
But I am diamond and stay there half dozen times a year so that may be part of it. And this week the hotel has been very busy and was sold out on Tuesday when I was there.
I just checked the room types and there are two suites both the same size and both the same price but only one gives club access and breakfast. Go figure.
I stay there every week – what you get at check-in (like anything in life) is as good as the person you deal with. I am diamond/lounge pass until end 2025, and often get upgraded but do know other guests who get the upgrade with lounge access. However, as stated above, it’s a small lounge and I’ve struggled to get in there to sit down! As such, I think they have clamped down on just giving access away to make it accessible for guests that should have access – paid room/lounge pass etc. Fairly basic offering for a club lounge but Michelle who runs it is lovely and makes sure you are looked after!
I’ve received lounge access when using CSUs even though it’s excluded by the terms
I’m only Platinum Elite and we have been upgraded to a club room on last 3 times. Any upgrade is welcome IMHO. We also always get two drinks vouchers rather than the one we often get at others. Usually a great deal.l on the room tate, it’s now our ‘go to’ for LHR.
@John that’s an odd one because teaching using CSU or SNAs/NUA is like booking the actual room so the hotel is move likely to extended the associated benefits.
Well reading that back it makes no sense.
I meant “that’s an odd one because technically using a CSU or SNAs/NUA is like booking the actual room so the hotel is more likely to extended the associated benefits.”
I think part of the spelling mistakes issue is the fact the browser zooms into the comment box and cuts 30% of it off. Oh and my fat thumb.
I always ask for 2 drinks vouchers and most hotels are happy to oblige. Though had a miserly check in experience recently so chose the breakfast for 2 instead which I’m sure cost them more.
Yes but then IHG should not have excluded lounge access explicitly
Did you really decide only to eat breakfast at the hotel just because you didn’t like the check in?
I always choose the breakfast but it’s weird how some hotels still try to pretend the breakfast option doesn’t exist, while others proactively offer breakfast (and they usually give the points anyway)
Yup but hotels are free to treat their patrons better than the T&Cs and that’s my point with the CSUs same if you’re a repeated cash paying customer.
And yeah it Was a one night stay in a town with plenty of food options and I actually prefer a brunch vs breakfast so asked for 2 drinks (can choose cocktails here so value is about even per person). She said just 1 so I took breakfast for two, and we just ate slightly earlier than we normally would. Was a nice cooked to order hot breakfast with a small continental selection but I wouldn’t pay their asking price for it.
Funny enough I had the opposite at IC Park Lane he tried to insist the drinks voucher option didn’t exist anymore and just points (breakfast would be a waste as I had lounge access). Though he quickly decided as I was a returning customer he would make an exception (probably just realised he was wrong because why else would he have a draw full of drinks chits 😂)
Agree but both times this happened to me it was my first time at the hotels in question and they were points stays!
Which hotels? Some hotels are more generous than others regardless
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