IHG Diamond status and Ambassador

[NorthernLass]

Another thought – does it make a difference whether you were Diamond already? My friend who bought Amb with points was Platinum but then found she had been “upgraded” to Diamond but now showing this ends Dec 22. I was already Diamond when I bought Amb with cash and still showing as such till Dec 23.

[Pangolin]

NorthernLass wrote:

Another thought – does it make a difference whether you were Diamond already? My friend who bought Amb with points was Platinum but then found she had been “upgraded” to Diamond but now showing this ends Dec 22. I was already Diamond when I bought Amb with cash and still showing as such till Dec 23.

Purchasing Amb shouldn’t upgrade you from Platinum to Diamond though. This looks like (yet another) IHG system glitch, and maybe they are finally trying to fix these glitches relating to status.

[NorthernLass]

It shouldn’t but it did in this case, she got the breakfast amenity offered on her IC 2nd night free stay last November after she got Ambassador!

[BuildBackBetter]

NorthernLass wrote:

It shouldn’t but it did in this case, she got the breakfast amenity offered on her IC 2nd night free stay last November after she got Ambassador!

That’s what Pangolin is referring to. It’s probably all fixed now.

[FFoxSake]

Far fewer free IHG breakfasts are going to be handed out now in 2023.

Cue a mass switching of bookings back to Hilton by the HfPers…

[NorthernLass]

Or use all our points at Holiday Inn Express 😂

[PeteM]

So to confuse things further, the website and app account say I am Diamond Elite until 31/12/2022, but I just got an email with my February IHG One Rewards eStatement that states “Diamond status through 31/12/2023″…

[Harrier25]

Yep, same here. Although it says I’m Diamond until 31/12/2024, while the app says 2022. I reckon the app is up-to-date and the email isn’t.

Oh well, I’m sure D-day is approaching when we all discover whether or not we go hungry at breakfast time. My money’s on I’ll be starving unless staying in a Hilton property.

[NorthernLass]

Don’t know about hungry but we may be driving to Burger King for breakfast on our next Kimpton Seafire stay this summer!

[sloth]

PeteM wrote:

So to confuse things further, the website and app account say I am Diamond Elite until 31/12/2022, but I just got an email with my February IHG One Rewards eStatement that states “Diamond status through 31/12/2023″…

just had the same email with my old expiry date of 31/12/23…but it does say Account status valid as of 22/02/2023…so it must have been amended since then…but they like to rub salt into the wounds ha

[BJ]

sloth wrote:

PeteM wrote:

So to confuse things further, the website and app account say I am Diamond Elite until 31/12/2022, but I just got an email with my February IHG One Rewards eStatement that states “Diamond status through 31/12/2023″…

just had the same email with my old expiry date of 31/12/23…but it does say Account status valid as of 22/02/2023…so it must have been amended since then…but they like to rub salt into the wounds ha

Correct, estatements are out of date by the time they’re emailed so they confuse nothing. Hopefully everything will work out fine next Wednesday.

[Harrier25]

NorthernLass wrote:

Burger King for breakfast

Yuck! 🤮

[Lyn]

The February statements also say, under the heading “Your 2023 IHG One Rewards Status” —

“Our annual review of your 2022 qualifying activity is in progress. Your 2023 status will be updated in your account by the end of March”

So it may take them a while longer to update accounts.

[Harrier25]

Well tell them that there’s no rush, Lyn. Take all the time in you want, IHG. Actually 31/12/2024 suits me!

[kklmnop]

Any who is currently Diamond and has recently renewed or enrolled Ambassador either with points or cash and got Diamond extended till December 2024?

Thinking of doing so today. Thanks!

[NorthernLass]

Have you even read this thread? 😂

@Harrier25, beggars can’t be choosers … !

[stevenhp1987]

Harrier25 wrote:

NorthernLass wrote:

Burger King for breakfast

Yuck! 🤮

Having just ate in a HIX I’d personally also rather have Burger King for breakfast.

I had forgotten how bad HIX eggs are!

[NorthernLass]

Burger King was the alternative to the $50 pp Kimpton Seafire breakfast!

HIE varies for me. We had a really good breakfast at the one in Leith last month – maybe you just get better quality ingredients in Scotland! We have 6 nights at the GIB property at Easter so I’m hoping there will be jamon etc from over the border …

[Lady London]

kklmnop wrote:

Any who is currently Diamond and has recently renewed or enrolled Ambassador either with points or cash and got Diamond extended till December 2024?

Thinking of doing so today. Thanks!

Have you even read this thread? [stereo with @NorthernLass]

Or taken a look under the IHG category heading for topics mentioning Diamond?

Or if you’re really not feeling like doing that, try googling site: headforpoints.com IHG Ambassador Diamond . Any 2 of those 3 search terms will probably give you enough extremely recent stuff.

[stevenhp1987]

NorthernLass wrote:

Burger King was the alternative to the $50 pp Kimpton Seafire breakfast!

HIE varies for me. We had a really good breakfast at the one in Leith last month – maybe you just get better quality ingredients in Scotland! We have 6 nights at the GIB property at Easter so I’m hoping there will be jamon etc from over the border …

I know but you previously mentioned HIX for using up points…

I’ve stayed in HIX Barcelona before. Not sure there was Jamon, but there was some meats, cheeses and Spanish omelette! It was far better than a UK HIX so hopefully GIB is more like that!

HIX breakfast seems better on the continent. HIX Strasbourg, for example, had baguettes, French meats and cheese etc!

[John]

So I got diamond by with the promo from staying 15 nights in 2022. It should last until Dec 2023, but my app also shows Dec 2022 now.

Checked into a UK HI a few hours ago and they saw me as Diamond. Incidentally I am the only diamond here tonight *and* there are only two other members with any status. Bar and lobby seemed busy.

Don’t eat eggs at UK HIEx. Don’t eat them at UK Hamptons either, they are not real eggs.

Generally at UK HIEx the only things I can eat are plain bread and maybe a packaged pastry or yoghurt, generally give the hot food a pass except for the occasional sausage. However surprisingly Glasgow Airport breakfast was very good and also starts at 4am every day, as was Antrim (NI).

Heathrow T5 (Slough) was the only one where I took one look at the “food” and walked out, it was full of backpackers and budget tourists seemingly scoffing down crap because it was “free”. That was a £33 mattress run as I was going to be in the area and wanted to “rent a table” for work but ended up sleeping as didn’t finish work until midnight… went home for breakfast.

I agree, mainland Europe HIEx breakfasts are slightly better. In many German ones there is no hot food at all, but it’s still possible to make yourself a nice sandwich etc as the baked goods and meats are good.

I stayed in the Gibraltar one in 2018, I think they used real eggs and something better than the lowest quality of bacon and sausage. The room was pretty tiny and had only the small corner table that you find in some newer HIExs, no chair only a pouffe, and the bathroom flooded unavoidably when showering (no matter how you oriented the shower head).

HIEx I have stayed in in Asia and Australia are a lot better, resembling a “normal” European hotel breakfast, though worse than the typical offerings in their higher end “competition”.

[BJ]

Thanks @John, supports my suspucion that the status issue is just all IT and everything will be fine on Wednesday or soon after. Agree on the scrambled eggs but he problem is not exclusive to the budget end of the spectrums, most hotels fail scrambled egg test IMO. I’m not a fan of cooked breakfast anyway, I stick to cereal, yoghurt, fruit, patry and coffee or tea most of the time. If bacon or sausage is ok quality and sufficiently well done I’ll sometimes use them to make a sandwich. To excel at breakfast hotels must pass the scrambled egg test, and must also provide porridge with both salt and a bottle of whisky on the side…

[BuildBackBetter]

John wrote:

Don’t eat eggs at UK HIEx. Don’t eat them at UK Hamptons either, they are not real eggs.

Wait, what are they then?

[BJ]

BuildBackBetter wrote:

John wrote:

Don’t eat eggs at UK HIEx. Don’t eat them at UK Hamptons either, they are not real eggs.

Wait, what are they then?

A good question! Perhaps the best answer can get Rob’s Doha duty free purchases as the prize…

[strickers]

They are real eggs but they come pre-prepared usually in 1Kg bags from catering wholesalers. I think some places reconstitute powdered eggs too, I’ve also seen them come in plastic bottles similar to what you get milk in. Poached eggs for me in hotels, they are usually made fresh but can also be bought ready made, you can tell instantly by the shape.