InterContinental Rome Ambasciatori Palace

[chelseafifi]

meta wrote:

chelseafifi wrote:

Well I have got absolutely nowhere with my end of March booking, I did two IHG in app chats early Feb, they rang hotel and spoke to “Alice” who confirmed absolutely the hotel would be ready and open for my stay, I was not to worry. I then called IHG and was on phone for over hour whilst they looked into if hotel would be open end March, they said they had been told to move guests to Indigo, ended up getting cut off on phone before anything was resolved, no return call, even though they had taken my number in case the line dropped. I have now emailed 3 times and it’s just getting worse the customer service. Basically Indigo is fully booked for my dates, they are recommending Holiday Inn or Crown Plaza!!!
I am Diamond status and joined Ambassador only cause I had this hotel booked!
I’m loosing the will on this one, I’ve now booked a little B&B for our stay.

Send an email to IHG CEO and ask them to pay for the bill of a new hotel. You won’t get anywhere with CS. If you want your case be heard louder write a bad review on TA or post/comment on their social media preferably under a cheerful promo post.

Finally got something for my cancelled reservation, thanks Meta I emailed CEO after 6 days got response, given 80k points, plus I’d already been given 10k from a previous CS rep.

[Crafty]

Opening date has moved back again! Not even sure what the new one is, but my booking is out; had this email:

“We hope this email finds you well.

With our greatest regret, we contact you to inform you that, due to unforeseen circumstances that are not under our direct control, with regards to some bureaucratical process that forces us to this delay, we will not be able to confirm our opening date as previously scheduled.

Therefore, the hotel’s opening date has now been precautionary moved forward.

A dedicated team handling the case of your reservation will be contacting you shortly with all the necessary indications and the best possible solutions for you.

Our team is really dismayed for having to send you this announcement.

A heartfelt thank you for your understanding.”

Asked for my booking to be transferred to Six Senses. Let’s see what they say…

[ntshstrk]

Crafty wrote:

Opening date has moved back again! Not even sure what the new one is, but my booking is out; had this email:

“We hope this email finds you well.

With our greatest regret, we contact you to inform you that, due to unforeseen circumstances that are not under our direct control, with regards to some bureaucratical process that forces us to this delay, we will not be able to confirm our opening date as previously scheduled.

Therefore, the hotel’s opening date has now been precautionary moved forward.

A dedicated team handling the case of your reservation will be contacting you shortly with all the necessary indications and the best possible solutions for you.

Our team is really dismayed for having to send you this announcement.

A heartfelt thank you for your understanding.”

Asked for my booking to be transferred to Six Senses. Let’s see what they say…

I haven’t received an e-mail yet so I guess I should periodically check my inbox. When were your booking dates? Website still says rooms available from May 2.

[Crafty]

Had a call from IHG. It’s only a small pushback this time – now planning to open May 1st.

I reiterated my request to be relocated to the Six Senses, which is available, but the rep said she can’t because “you booked on points” and secondly “the rate is really high”. Obviously, I challenged both points, and she did eventually confirm that cash and points customers are being treated differently , with cash paying customers prioritised for better rebooking options.

The only rebooking options made available for points customers are the Holiday Inn and the Indigo, or alternatively, flat compensation of 40,000 points. Of course I rejected all of these, asked for an email confirming all this in writing, and said I would have to write a legal letter to IHG HQ.

[ntshstrk]

Crafty wrote:

Had a call from IHG. It’s only a small pushback this time – now planning to open May 1st.

I reiterated my request to be relocated to the Six Senses, which is available, but the rep said she can’t because “you booked on points” and secondly “the rate is really high”. Obviously, I challenged both points, and she did eventually confirm that cash and points customers are being treated differently , with cash paying customers prioritised for better rebooking options.

The only rebooking options made available for points customers are the Holiday Inn and the Indigo, or alternatively, flat compensation of 40,000 points. Of course I rejected all of these, asked for an email confirming all this in writing, and said I would have to write a legal letter to IHG HQ.

That’s a bummer. We’re booked April 30 – May 4 and I still don’t have a cancellation e-mail. I wonder if they’re doing a soft opening and letting us stay the night of the 30th, but I won’t hold my breath. I’ve made a reservation at the Indigo though, just in case.

[Gerry]

Anyone got email for Keith Barr, been on for 5 hours alone with multiple disconnection, I have flights etc booked and no longer any reward nights in other hotels and cash rate is 300+ for indigo, final offer was 30k Points. Not impressed

[ntshstrk]

I got the call, no cancellation e-mail. I didn’t want to fight them but managed to negotiate points compensation equal to first night of IC Rome, which was 90k. I have a booking at the Indigo but cancelled that since we decided to go with Hilton.

[NorthernLass]

It’s possibly further back in this thread as well but @meta managed to get a good result in similar circumstances by (IIRC) calling out IHG on Twitter and threatening legal action for breach of contract. A few months ago my airport hotel was cancelled and 3 or 4 emails to the Ambassador email address eventually resulted in an offer to move me although I had found an alternative at that point (MAN and prices were crazy).

[phantomchickenz]

Looking to book for September. Do we think it will be open by then 😉

[meta]

This is the original thread (from January 2022, mind you!)

https://www.headforpoints.com/forums/topic/intercontinental-rome/

I didn’t threaten on Twitter, I did email Keith Barr and said I’ll be taking a legal action in Georgia, US. Result was a hefty points compensation. People might as well do first a bit of social media shaming given that worked for IC Danang.

They have been taking money from guests without ever intending to fulfil the reservations. Guess this is a new business model for paying construction costs. This has been ongoing since September 2021 when first reports started!

No doubt @JDB will come here to defend his colleagues involved in the hotel and say there are other luxury hotels around that are competitors. But there are luxury hotels next to each other in almost every city around the world. It’s a lame excuse. They should stop taking any reservations full stop right now until the day they are actually open.

[meta]

phantomchickenz wrote:

Looking to book for September. Do we think it will be open by then 😉

I have a booking for July and I am 99% certain I’m not staying. Three weeks ago it was still a building site apparently.

[JDB]

@meta the people you refer to as my “colleagues” are simply friends who happen to own a number of hotels under a variety of banners. However, your post suggests a fundamental misunderstanding of how these hotel contracts work – IHG is very keen to list as many hotels on its site as possible even if it means jumping the gun, as in this case. As a result it is IHG which is responsible for paying any compensation, not the owner. I’m not clear about your point re competitors, although it may refer to an old comment I made about how unusual it was for six new 5* hotels to open in the immediate Via Veneto area.

Clearly you are of a generation where you expect to be compensated for the slightest thing that goes wrong and are happy to “threaten” to sue the CEO or whoever in the state of fknowswhere and revel in collecting a few points off them and never speak to them again; the sledgehammer approach. Personally, and for my family, we accept stuff happens but if we are particularly unhappy and something needs putting right we will go for the gentlemanly negotiation that will generally yield a far better result and often lead to a long term relationship for our mutual benefit; the polite approach.

I’m not sure anyway why you should wish to impugn the integrity of the hotel owners who you know precisely nothing about. They are extremely experienced and professional hotel owners (and sometimes operators) of the highest repute within the industry. This project has been beset with extraordinary difficulties that naturally don’t suit them any more than the guests IHG has booked. Clearly you are most fortunate to live in a perfect world where every work or personal project goes exactly to plan, on time and on budget but most of us live in the real world.

[meta]

Listing is one thing, taking bookings is another. How many hotels are listed on IHG site, but are not taking bookings at all, have you thought about that? This hotel has been taking bookings for nearly two years and still is! Since the hotel is not owned by IHG, you can’t say with a straight face that IHG is taking reservations without being led by the hotel owners! This is simply dishonest both to IHG and the customers. They should immediately stop taking bookings.

You know nothing about my approach or to which generation I belong. You are also clearly incapable of reading and understanding abstractly.I don’t threaten lightly and I do take a considered incremental approach, but when you are faced with constant lies, offered paltry compensation and customer services not cooperating, then of course I will say I will sue.

As I said numerous times, things don’t go according to the plan, but the way you go about it is important. We have seen here people having to fight for any kind of compensation. Then it is also of varying degree. They should have a compensation strategy and treat everyone accordingly given that this hotel isn’t cheap.

[NorthernLass]

I suspect I might be slightly closer to @JDB’s generation than @meta’s, but surely a hotel should make things right if it cancels a reservation, especially if prices for alternative accommodation are no longer comparable to the original booking rate? That’s not compensation, that’s just fulfilling the spirit of the contract they initially made with you.

[JDB]

NorthernLass wrote:

I suspect I might be slightly closer to @JDB’s generation than @meta’s, but surely a hotel should make things right if it cancels a reservation, especially if prices for alternative accommodation are no longer comparable to the original booking rate? That’s not compensation, that’s just fulfilling the spirit of the contract they initially made with you.

@NorthernLass unfortunately because one books through IHG who are, for practical purposes, acting as a travel agent, IHG doesn’t want to help because it comes out of their pocket rather than the hotel’s. Additionally, their real relationship, and the one they value, is with the owner, not guests. Contracts with hotels are pretty flaky. It’s another reason for booking direct, albeit I appreciate you can’t do that for points.

In respect of the spirit of the rules, that’s another generational issue! Historically, customers and companies did act within the spirit of rules – even BA used to act impeccably. Now, too many people think that if something isn’t explicitly excluded it’s OK, even if it would be wrong to most people, so we all get worse treatment. I would say it applied with Creation, with customers clearly not acting within the spirit and Creation returning the favour, to everyone’s detriment. We also see it a lot with politicians who do things that aren’t necessarily unlawful but which the court of public opinion considers totally unacceptable. Sorry for the digression.

[NorthernLass]

Point taken, but I would argue that the average customer is as David to the Goliath of the big companies (and also to the politicians with their entirely legal cronyism and tax shenanigans)!

*While he was still a harp-strumming shepherd, obviously!

[PeteM]

What I’ve never entirely understood, @JDB, is why you bother with us oiks here on HfP. You’ve said before you come from a “different social milieu” – why expend all this energy arguing with us?

[chelseafifi]

Returned from Rome last weekend, had a lovely 3 days, hadn’t been for 12 years and went same time of year, it was so busy this time! Used Amex dining credit at All’Ora, lovely atmosphere & service, food was good. Due to IC cancellation ended up staying in a small B&B, not what I’d originally planned and really wasn’t very good, clean & good location was it’s best points! Very nice Premium Plaza at FCO E gates, massive lounge Monday midday around 15% full!

[JDB]

meta wrote:

This is the original thread (from January 2022, mind you!)

https://www.headforpoints.com/forums/topic/intercontinental-rome/

I didn’t threaten on Twitter, I did email Keith Barr and said I’ll be taking a legal action in Georgia, US. Result was a hefty points compensation. People might as well do first a bit of social media shaming given that worked for IC Danang.

They have been taking money from guests without ever intending to fulfil the reservations. Guess this is a new business model for paying construction costs. This has been ongoing since September 2021 when first reports started!

No doubt @JDB will come here to defend his colleagues involved in the hotel and say there are other luxury hotels around that are competitors. But there are luxury hotels next to each other in almost every city around the world. It’s a lame excuse. They should stop taking any reservations full stop right now until the day they are actually open.

@meta the people you refer to as my “colleagues” are simply friends who happen to own a number of hotels under a variety of banners. However, your post suggests a fundamental misunderstanding of how these hotel contracts work – IHG is very keen to list as many hotels on its site as possible even if it means jumping the gun, as in this case. As a result it is IHG who is responsible for paying any compensation, not the owner. I’m not clear about your point re competitors, although it may refer to an old comment about how unusual it was for six new 5* hotels to open in the immediate Via Veneto area.

Clearly you are of a generation where you expect to be compensated for the slightest thing that goes wrong and are happy to “threaten” to sue the CEO or whoever in the state of fknowswhere and revel in collecting a few points off them and never speak to them again; the sledgehammer approach. Personally, and for my family, we accept stuff happens but if we are particularly unhappy and something needs putting right we will go for the gentlemanly negotiation that will generally yield a far better result and often lead to a long term relationship for our mutual benefit; the polite approach.

I’m not sure anyway why you should wish to impugn the integrity of the hotel owners. They are extremely experienced and professional hotel owners (and sometimes operators) of the highest repute within the industry. This project has been beset with extraordinary difficulties that naturally don’t suit them any more than the guests IHG has booked. Clearly you are most fortunate to live in a perfect world where every work or personal project goes exactly to plan, on time and on budget but most of us live in the real world.

[jek]

chelseafifi wrote:

Returned from Rome last weekend, had a lovely 3 days, hadn’t been for 12 years and went same time of year, it was so busy this time! Used Amex dining credit at All’Ora, lovely atmosphere & service, food was good. Due to IC cancellation ended up staying in a small B&B, not what I’d originally planned and really wasn’t very good, clean & good location was it’s best points! Very nice Premium Plaza at FCO E gates, massive lounge Monday midday around 15% full!

We did almost the same last weekend! All’Oro on Sunday and Plaza Premium on Wednesday. We stayed at the Indigo as I made backup reservations there just in case the IC would not open in time…

[Paul B]

Booked for mid June, should I be starting to get worried?

[chelseafifi]

jek wrote:

chelseafifi wrote:

Returned from Rome last weekend, had a lovely 3 days, hadn’t been for 12 years and went same time of year, it was so busy this time! Used Amex dining credit at All’Ora, lovely atmosphere & service, food was good. Due to IC cancellation ended up staying in a small B&B, not what I’d originally planned and really wasn’t very good, clean & good location was it’s best points! Very nice Premium Plaza at FCO E gates, massive lounge Monday midday around 15% full!

We did almost the same last weekend! All’Oro on Sunday and Plaza Premium on Wednesday. We stayed at the Indigo as I made backup reservations there just in case the IC would not open in time…

Hope you had a good time unfortunately Indigo was fully booked for our dates.

[Crafty]

Quick update for anyone interested – several emails back and forth, each from a different first-name-only person in customer service, and we are going round in circles – I think they may *genuinely* in tonight’s email have been telling me to book into the Indigo, at a higher points cost, if lucky enough to find availability.

I have a points offer on the table, but don’t consider it sufficient, as I don’t feel I should be left substantially out of pocket by their cancellation leaving me only 4 weeks to find an equivalent hotel in Rome. I’ve outlined 3 different acceptable offers, and until tonight, been very polite and reasonable in my approach. However, tonight’s reply will be stroppy, as they need to show some flex their side too, and the most recent reply has annoyed me no end. As has their failure, twice, to respond when I’ve asked for the name and contact details of the person to whom letters before action ought to be addressed.

Tomorrow I suspect it will be time to go to the top…

[meta]

Indigo is not a comparable hotel to IC (4-star vs 5-star even though they are saying it’s a 5-star) and is also in a totally different location which wouldn’t suit me.

[JDB]

You don’t need anyone’s name to send a Letter before Claim as it’s the company you are proposing to issue a claim against, not an individual, but you can always send these things addressed, by real post, to the Company Secretary – you’ll find her details and the registered office under Intercontinental Hotels Group plc on the Companies House website.

If you are going to send such a letter and you want it to be taken seriously, you need to set out briefly, but very clearly the reason for your claim, its legal basis and a chronology – essentially what will go into Part 3 of the claim form if they don’t settle. Both should be cross referenced to any supporting documents you have. Specify what you will accept by way of settlement, without prejudice to what you might claim if they oblige you to issue proceedings. Don’t appear stroppy or annoyed, just clinical.