IHG giveth and IHG taketh away

[zio]

IHG giveth: just logged into my new Diamond a/c to discover a CC free night voucher. I can’t be sure this appeared with the website change, but it definitely wasn’t there in December when I used my expiring voucher to book Key West (more on which below).

The book between dates are 23/6/21 and 31/12/22 which doesn’t match with one which has been withheld by Creation, or, if I remember correctly, with the “free” one which some got during the pandemic. The start date would be close to my (closed) Creation account anniversary though. Anyone else had a surprise bonus? Any thoughts apart from “book quickly”?!

IHG taketh away: I stayed in Key West a couple of weeks ago on a CC free night. A charge for this stay has appeared on an Amex (I must have used the card to confirm the stay; I used Curve for incidentals pre-auth). I have the email confirmation saying free night, and it’s showing as a zero spend stay on my IHG dashboard. Has anyone else been charged after checking out on a CC free night? I filled in the IHG contact the hotel form on Thursday saying please reverse it before I dispute it with Amex. No response so far but I’ll given them a couple more days because of the Easter holiday.

[ChrisC]

How much was the charge? I’ll suggest around $30 which is approx the amount IHG pays hotels for reward nights,

It was an error that the hotel charged you and there should be no problem with them reversing the charge

[zio]

No it was $400 or so. Clearly an error, I am giving them a chance before I dispute with Amex.