IHG amenities when booking with points

[ceriinpainswick]

I am a diamond elite member in the IHG scheme. Should I receive an upgrade or welcome amenities when I stay at a hotel that I paid with points?

[davefl]

yes

[Rob]

Well …. you’re not guaranteed an upgrade anyway.

If you’re Gold or lower the welcome amenity is now scrapped. Plats and Diamonds still get it, and you should get it.

Ambassador has odd rules over reward night benefits (albeit rarely imposed by hotels) but not the main scheme.

[ceriinpainswick]

Ok. So staying at the crowne plaza Heathrow terminal 4 And so want to give them benefit of the doubt given the fact that I know how bad recruitment is and it must be hard over the last 2 years.

But frankly, it’s a bit rubbish. Surly check in, no amenity or upgrade and the staff, in general, a bit clueless.

[ceriinpainswick]

Thanks @rob

[davefl]

Rob Burgess wrote:

Well …. you’re not guaranteed an upgrade anyway.

If you’re Gold or lower the welcome amenity is now scrapped. Plats and Diamonds still get it, and you should get it.

Ambassador has odd rules over reward night benefits (albeit rarely imposed by hotels) but not the main scheme.

Dunno why you complicated that answer Rob. He said “should I” and he was Diamond.

The answe is simply yes he should get both. If the hotel hasnt given them, then raise a case with IHG.

Gold or lower and Ambassador have no relevance here. Points or drink/snack are guaranteed and upgrade is always subject to availabilty.

[Sean Mc]

davefl wrote:

Rob Burgess wrote:

Well …. you’re not guaranteed an upgrade anyway.

If you’re Gold or lower the welcome amenity is now scrapped. Plats and Diamonds still get it, and you should get it.

Ambassador has odd rules over reward night benefits (albeit rarely imposed by hotels) but not the main scheme.

Dunno why you complicated that answer Rob. He said “should I” and he was Diamond.

The answe is simply yes he should get both. If the hotel hasnt given them, then raise a case with IHG.

Gold or lower and Ambassador have no relevance here. Points or drink/snack are guaranteed and upgrade is always subject to availabilty.

As the upgrade is subject to availability – the answer clearly isn’t yes then.

[SteveJ]

ceriinpainswick wrote:

Ok. So staying at the crowne plaza Heathrow terminal 4 And so want to give them benefit of the doubt given the fact that I know how bad recruitment is and it must be hard over the last 2 years.

But frankly, it’s a bit rubbish. Surly check in, no amenity or upgrade and the staff, in general, a bit clueless.

You’ll probably get the welcome amenity points posted to your account, that’s the only guaranteed benefit.

Definitely worth feeding back on surly staff, but that’s not going to get you anything, but it’s good for them to know.

[RonnieB]

Had a stay at Crowne Plaza Lake Buena Vista in Orlando last week and received the free breakfast as a Diamond amenity choice, it was excellent as US buffet breakfasts go.

[CamFlyer]

I stayed at the CP Albert Embankment (London) recently, on points. I was told explicitly at check in that there were no benefits applicable on points stays other than 600 points at check in (no option for welcome drink or snack).I was required to pay £30/night for an upgrade to a river view room, which couldn’t be booked on points. I appreciate an upgrade wasn’t guaranteed even as Diamond, but there is a difference between ‘not available’ and ‘not eligible’. To add insult to injury, IHG have claimed that room upgrades are not points earning. From the posts above, it sounds like I should have been entitled to the usual Diamond benefits.

Other that, it’s a nice property. The restaurant is overpriced, though breakfast was good. Staff (other than the front desk clerk when I arrived) are wonderful. The views from the river view rooms are terrific.

[ChrisC]

Well the new benefits haven’t kicked in yet officially so you’re only entitled to whatever the “old” scheme benefits are.

[pbcold]

On my way to I/C Maldives, staying on points and Credit Card vouchers and I`ve been upgraded. Pleasantly surprised.

[CamFlyer]

ChrisC wrote:

Well the new benefits haven’t kicked in yet officially so you’re only entitled to whatever the “old” scheme benefits are.

I pulled up the ‘old’ benefits on the website to show the clerk. His response was that none of them applied on award bookings, not even late checkout.

[Gareth]

CamFlyer wrote:

ChrisC wrote:

Well the new benefits haven’t kicked in yet officially so you’re only entitled to whatever the “old” scheme benefits are.

I pulled up the ‘old’ benefits on the website to show the clerk. His response was that none of them applied on award bookings, not even late checkout.

Had exactly the same experience at staybridge Heathrow this week. Refusal to give drinks vouchers until I kicked off and pulled up site.

[SteveJ]

CamFlyer wrote:

I stayed at the CP Albert Embankment (London) recently, on points. I was told explicitly at check in that there were no benefits applicable on points stays other than 600 points at check in (no option for welcome drink or snack).I was required to pay £30/night for an upgrade to a river view room, which couldn’t be booked on points. I appreciate an upgrade wasn’t guaranteed even as Diamond, but there is a difference between ‘not available’ and ‘not eligible’. To add insult to injury, IHG have claimed that room upgrades are not points earning. From the posts above, it sounds like I should have been entitled to the usual Diamond benefits.

Other that, it’s a nice property. The restaurant is overpriced, though breakfast was good. Staff (other than the front desk clerk when I arrived) are wonderful. The views from the river view rooms are terrific.

I stayed at that property twice last year on points, both times upgraded to River View without asking. Possibly due to low occupancy.

[Tariq]

Sounds like IHG are rapidly descending to Accor levels of hospitality and reward…

[ChrisC]

Tariq wrote:

Sounds like IHG are rapidly descending to Accor levels of hospitality and reward…

Nonsense.

They are about to implement a huge change to the programme with lots of new benefits.

[Tariq]

ChrisC wrote:

Tariq wrote:

Sounds like IHG are rapidly descending to Accor levels of hospitality and reward…

Nonsense.

They are about to implement a huge change to the programme with lots of new benefits.

If it was so great the benefits would be live already, not this paralytic nonsense where people are getting neither the old nor new benefits.

[ChrisC]

Not getting benefits now isn’t connected to the new schemes.

It’s a problem with an individual hotel and not systemic.

[JDB]

Gareth wrote:

CamFlyer wrote:

ChrisC wrote:

Well the new benefits haven’t kicked in yet officially so you’re only entitled to whatever the “old” scheme benefits are.

I pulled up the ‘old’ benefits on the website to show the clerk. His response was that none of them applied on award bookings, not even late checkout.

Had exactly the same experience at staybridge Heathrow this week. Refusal to give drinks vouchers until I kicked off and pulled up site.

Are the drinks vouchers worth ‘kicking off’ for or is it just a case of why does a dog lick its *****?

[Suggs]

Holiday Inn Wall Street last week a paid 2 day stay.
I was upgraded to a higher floor
But was offered nothing more by way of points or drinks except a bottle of water!
Wasnt expecting much wasn’t let down lol

[Aston100]

Holiday Inn Filton, Bristol.
Refused any welcome points or amenities as it was a rewards booking.
Duty manager also confirmed the stance.
Fortunately, IHG customer services awarded 10k points when I complained to them afterwards.

[Sam]

HIX Ramsgate booking with (silly high amount of) points as Diamond (thanks creation)

Got a friendly welcome, offer of points or drinks

[Ruralite]

Diamond Elite – Am just finishing a stay at Kimpton Fitzroy, one night points, 2 nights CC vouchers and final night paid. No room upgrade as such at check in as hotel full but paid room on last night (which is higher category than the room bookable for the 3 free nights) allocated for whole stay after I politely emailed in advance asking them to link the 3 separate bookings & requested to have the same room for the whole stay, so I guess a slight upgrade. Also given £15 raid the bar voucher and free breakfast for 2 for the whole stay plus the 600 points also credited to account. All in, quite happy with the stay and the hotel.