IHG Diamond status and Ambassador

[Andrew J]

Has anyone used their milestone reward lounge access pass at ICs yet – working ok and understood by staff?

[BA Flyer IHG Stayer]

Hard to tell Andrew.

When I checked in to the IC in San Francisco a few weeks ago they just said I had club access.

Whether they had seen I had selected it as a benefit or just gave it to me anyway I don’t know. But I suspect the former.

[jj]

Rob Burgess wrote:

Diamond lets us get free breakfast in the restaurant, which for 4 people for the buffet comes to $180 inc service if you pay cash.

$45 per person for breakfast, whilst common, is totally insane for a buffet breakfast. It’s the service equivalent of pinning your customers to the floor whilst a bovver-booted skinhead stamps on their head.

For that price at breakfast, I would expect exemplary table service and the very finest local, seasonal produce. If a hotel can’t feed me without abusing me, I will stay somewhere else.

Do these people realise how much damage they are doing to their brand? At some point, even Wile Coyote will look down and realise he has run off a cliff.

[JDB]

Also, if staying in some beautiful city, does one really want to be stuck in a soulless, busy hotel dining room just to eat as much ‘benefit’ (sic) as one can? Yes, great to have hotel breakfast if you are by the sea or have some other special view but otherwise it’s much more appealing, for us at least, to be out and about and have breakfast in a local café in some attractive location.

@jj I don’t think these hotel chains/marketing systems do care much about their brands which is why they have so many hotels in their portfolios that consistently don’t meet official brand standards; the large number of second rate owners call the shots and milk the brand for their own purposes rather than considering the longer term or the greater good of the brand.

In this context I note one good owner bankrolling Room Mate that I think will provide a good challenge to hotels. We haven’t tried it yet, but people whose views I value speak highly of it. It appeals to us as we don’t need or want trappings such as spas, gyms, or restaurants/bars when staying in a city so the proposition of high end, well located properties, more spacious than usual rooms with a good design content (but liveable and not gratuitously quirky) at a good price is rather compelling.

When people eventually manage to step off the chain treadmill, the scales will fall from their eyes!

[strickers]

The only thing I miss about Covid restrictions was the fact that the hotel I stayed at with work closed the breakfast buffet and went a la carte.

[Tracy]

Had to laugh at @Robs comment about not spending the F&B credit at intercontinental. Recently stayed at Park Lane and had the £15 credit. Thought it would go someways towards 2 g&ts….after the credit was applied I still paid £25.50 for the cheapest g&ts on the menu. And to make matters worse, I still paid the automatic service charge even though I sent them back as they made them how they wanted not how I asked (I like a highball glass and slice of lime, they like balloon glasses and some dried out fruit pieces 😂) and I had to get them to redo the bill as they charged me for a more premium gin too. Next time I might forgo the £15 credit too…

[jj]

@Tracey maybe try the Rose & Crown across the road next time? Much less pretentious and somewhat cheaper.

@JDB, I somewhat lazily hadn’t previously thought too much about the customer service consequences of the hotel industry splitting ownership/branding/sales/service into separate businesses. But your observation makes a lot of sense: there is little personal gain for the owners of one IC hotel to defend the reputation of the IC brand when the benefit flows to other IC hotels under separate ownership. Regardless of the reason, I share your view that chain hotels are best regarded as a last resort, such as an airport stay. With just a few honourable exceptions, the hotels to which I return are almost always owner managed.

In a couple of months I’ll be staying in a small Greek hotel where I would willingly pay $45 for breakfast if it weren’t automatically included in the room price. It’s table service overlooking the beach with an exceptional range of local delicacies sourced from the best suppliers on the island, and the culinary artwork arrives at your table in a state of perfection. But $45 for a lukewarm processed sausage, a rehydrated pasteurised-egg omelette and bread made with the Chorleywood-process? I’m too old and care too much about my body to put up with that kind of nonsense.

[Harrier25]

I’m now Diamond to 31/12/2023. Phew! Just need the missing Creation points now and free night voucher. God, there’s always something else!

[PeteM]

Harrier25 wrote:

I’m now Diamond to 31/12/2023. Phew! Just need the missing Creation points now and free night voucher. God, there’s always something else!

Same, yay 🙂

[Peggerz]

Harrier25 wrote:

I’m now Diamond to 31/12/2023. Phew! Just need the missing Creation points now and free night voucher. God, there’s always something else!

I was in Voco Glasgow on Monday and now IC Dubai Festival and this Diamond extension is just fine by me. Being well looked after. And now until 31/12/23.

[sloth]

Had my expiry date reinstated to end of this year too. All that worrying over nothing! Haha

[Guernsey Globetrotter]

sloth wrote:

Had my expiry date reinstated to end of this year too. All that worrying over nothing! Haha

Yes, Mrs GT’s Diamond Elite expiry also went from 31/12/22 to 31/12/23 over the last day or too also… happy days. Mine is still 31/12/24 – even happier days ! 🙂

[hitthelow]

Harrier25 wrote:

I’m now Diamond to 31/12/2023. Phew! Just need the missing Creation points now and free night voucher. God, there’s always something else!

Can confirm my Diamond has now also updated in the app to 31/12/23.

[Crafty]

+1

[VALittleRed]

Same, very happy with the scheme! Will sort out my breakfasts this month with upcoming stays including at IC Le Grand 😊

[BuildBackBetter]

This thread can be put to sleep now. To be resurrected in Dec trying to find if anyone got it extended by renewing AMB.

[RobH not Rob]

+1

[NorthernLass]

Another data point before it goes into hibernation – my friend who purchased Ambassador as Platinum and found herself promoted to Diamond is still Diamond! Apparently, for a few days her account was showing as Diamond with no expiry date so she thought she was about to be busted back down to Platinum. However now her account is once again showing as Diamond until the end of this year. It makes me wonder if the status “review” actually resulted in anyone losing their sparkle!

[hitthelow]

NorthernLass wrote:

Another data point before it goes into hibernation – my friend who purchased Ambassador as Platinum and found herself promoted to Diamond is still Diamond! Apparently, for a few days her account was showing as Diamond with no expiry date so she thought she was about to be busted back down to Platinum. However now her account is once again showing as Diamond until the end of this year. It makes me wonder if the status “review” actually resulted in anyone losing their sparkle!

I think a decent portion must be down to revenue reviews (particularly Ambassador purchases) – I have noticed out of my friends who had the Diamond promotion especially through the now-expired sign-up link that circulated around (and didn’t make many hotel stays, maybe 1 at most) were mostly downgraded. However, I have noticed that the ones (myself included, I purchased Ambassador) who were promoted through any means, who went onto make a decent number of bookings and/or purchase Ambassador (so an ‘upward spending curve’ from IHG’s perspective) were not downgraded at all for the most part. Entirely anecdotal of course, but I have spoken to a decent number at least!

[YC]

BuildBackBetter wrote:

This thread can be put to sleep now. To be resurrected in Dec trying to find if anyone got it extended by renewing AMB.

Why? There will be renewals coming up before Dec and previously they have extended diamond to the following year

[Dace]

Is it only renewals that extend the status? I have my renewal due, however last year taking out a new AMB didn’t provide me with a status extension, which then required me to earn it the hard way. Be helpful to know if the extension will trigger as I usually do AMB based on an offer.

[aseftel]

If you want to hold out for a renewal offer, you can request a one-off two month extension of your Ambassador status.

[Dace]

aseftel wrote:

If you want to hold out for a renewal offer, you can request a one-off two month extension of your Ambassador status.

I think I cannot do that as I had one during Covid. In regard to the renewal, do you know if Diamond is only extended when doing a renewal or if it is also done when taking a new membership?

[RobL]

I think I cannot do that as I had one during Covid. In regard to the renewal, do you know if Diamond is only extended when doing a renewal or if it is also done when taking a new membership?

I got the extension with a new membership.

[Guernsey Globetrotter]

Within the last six months, I got an extension with a membership renewal and Mrs GG with a new membership, so on that evidence it can work with both.