Leaked: Benefits of IHG’s new reward programme

[NorthernLass]

@Harrier25, my 2 nights at the Indigo were 30k points each (it’s double that now) so I’m sticking with that! Will probably spend £200 on F & B which will trigger the similar IHG Amex offer. Probably find a nice spot in the town for breakfast.

Enjoy your weekend and post any recommendations!

[Harrier25]

NorthernLass wrote:

@Harrier25, my 2 nights at the Indigo were 30k points each (it’s double that now) so I’m sticking with that! Will probably spend £200 on F & B which will trigger the similar IHG Amex offer. Probably find a nice spot in the town for breakfast.

Enjoy your weekend and post any recommendations!

Enjoy your weekend too, Anna. Bath is a wonderful little city!

[strickers]

So looks like the welcome amenity will stay for Diamond according to the new site. That works well for the hotel I use for work where breakfast is included.

[Mayfield]

So if you are currently Spire and have also purchased Ambassador status, would your stay now qualify you for free breakfast at a IC hotel?

I’d appreciate any thoughts?

Thanks

[bibby135]

Does “No Blackout Dates for Reward Nights​” mean a huge improvement from the current set up? When you search, vast majority of hotels say “no reward nights available” but many rooms still free to buy with cash. Going forward, will you have a much better chance of actually booking a room for points! Find it really frustrating when it says “no reward rooms” and would also be nice to use points to book better rooms……

• This reply was modified 54 years, 4 months ago by .

[strickers]

Mayfield wrote:

So if you are currently Spire and have also purchased Ambassador status, would your stay now qualify you for free breakfast at a IC hotel?

I’d appreciate any thoughts?

Thanks

I think it will depend on whether you are Diamond under the new scheme and when the benefits roll out. Still a few unknowns at the moment.

[BP]

Just got an email from IHG confirming my new status as Diamond (Spire previously via CC spend).

[janed9388]

BP wrote:

Just got an email from IHG confirming my new status as Diamond (Spire previously via CC spend).

Me too, hopefully that means free breakfast for my reward stay in August.

[strickers]

Early June, wish they’d put a date on it, I’m at the IC O2 on the 5th.

[Aston100]

BP wrote:

Just got an email from IHG confirming my new status as Diamond (Spire previously via CC spend).

Ditto.

Thanks Creation!
Shout out to Mr X and JDB.

[NorthernLass]

I also have this – “Diamond is Your New Best Friend, NorthernLass”. As long as it’s ethically created in a laboratory, though!

Might have to re-think our Porto trip in August now.

• This reply was modified 54 years, 4 months ago by .

[Aston100]

NorthernLass wrote:

I also have this – “Diamond is Your New Best Friend, NorthernLass”. As long as it’s ethically created in a laboratory, though!

Might have to re-think our Porto trip in August now.

You’re not wrong.
I might be able to move my 21 nights from an inferior IHG property to an IC in that city.
Completely changes the dynamics

[aseftel]

The detailed terms are now live https://www.ihg.com/content/gb/en/customer-care/member-tc/2nd-page

[BP]

Thanks. So the free breakfast counts as your Welcome Amenity. “Diamond Elite Members’ Welcome Amenity choice also includes Free Breakfast at full-service brands (Six Senses, REGENT, InterContinental, Hualuxe, Hotel Indigo, voco, Crowne Plaza, Even, Holiday Inn, and select Kimpton properties)”

[Naveen]

NorthernLass wrote:

I also have this – “Diamond is Your New Best Friend, NorthernLass”. As long as it’s ethically created in a laboratory, though!

Might have to re-think our Porto trip in August now.

You would make a great fraudster if you are not already. 😉

[Rui N.]

Fantastic, my long-dead Creation card suddenly became even more valuable, providing extra benefits beyond the grave!

[Super Secret Stuff]

I have to say I’m surprised by how much they’ve added! I thought they’d be reusing to devalue

[MKB]

I’m not as excited about this as others. The IHG programme used to be very useful, with its huge footprint, as an earn-and-burn chain. The devaluations and dynamic pricing of awards means it’s now hard to beat the cash rate, so it’s not surprising that IHG have had to try and ramp up status benefits instead.

As a Diamond, breakfast is nice but not a big deal for me. Most of my IHG stays are in the UK, and on weekdays I usually check out before breakfast to get an early train home in time for work, or they are leisure stays following a night out where I’m sleeping in very late. In any case, breakfast appears to be only an option instead of the welcome drink — which I already had — and I’ll probably still opt for the drink most of the time.

Lounge access when you’re upgraded to a Club room at Crowne Plazas doesn’t seem to be mentioned any more, so I guess that has gone at some point too. We have the the threshold options instead, which, given my falling IHG usage, I doubt I’ll aim for.

Benefits that would have truly piqued my interest would have been a guaranteed 4pm or 6pm checkout for Diamonds — even the 2pm is not guaranteed –, and extending the drink voucher to both guests, not just one. (Some hotels already do the latter, but it’s not a requirement, and many stick stubbornly to the one-person rule.) Obviously, there is sill Intercontinental with it’s guaranteed 4pm check-out for Ambassadors, but there aren’t too many of them in useful locations, and I don’t need IHG One Rewards for that.

As things stand, I’ll give IHG a chance, but I expect to allow my Spire/Diamond Ambassador status to fall back to Platinum Ambassador, if/when it ever does, and continue to use IHG considerably less than I was doing, say, five+ years ago, when they were promo-central. I’m finding that I’ve been getting a lot more from my top-tier benefits at Hyatt, Hilton and even Marriott.

[MKB]

bibby135 wrote:

Does “No Blackout Dates for Reward Nights​” mean a huge improvement from the current set up? When you search, vast majority of hotels say “no reward nights available” but many rooms still free to buy with cash. Going forward, will you have a much better chance of actually booking a room for points! Find it really frustrating when it says “no reward rooms” and would also be nice to use points to book better rooms……

I don’t think that’s new. They only have to make one room available on points though on any night, if they choose. It’s not the same as all standard rooms being available for points.

• This reply was modified 54 years, 4 months ago by .

[Nepweno]

I’m Spire so assume Diamond. But in future without creation won’t be able to reach anything meaningful. Is there a soft landing so will start as Diamond this year and then drop a level every year thereafter?

[MKB]

Of course, this being IHG, can we be sure the new Diamond breakfast option is for all registered guests, or just the Diamond member, as with the drink voucher?

[strickers]

MKB wrote:

Of course, this being IHG, can we be sure the new Diamond breakfast option is for all registered guests, or just the Diamond member, as with the drink voucher?

T&Cs say +1 for Diamond breakfast.

[aseftel]

Some observations from the new benefit terms:

– Welcome amenities are now excluded on reward stays. It has to be a Qualified Stay, which means a points-earning rate
– You only get points as a welcome amenity if you use digital check-in
– F&B rewards are issued based on your membership country, unlike the Ambassador credit which is based on where you are staying. UK members get a £15 reward even if they are staying in the USA.
– Lounge membership is for the member and a guest. The guest does not need to be staying at the hotel.
– The lounge membership is not valid on reward stays. Like the welcome amenity it has to be a Qualified Stay
– The lounge membership gets you into the room but no other Club-level perks outside the room (e.g. free laundry)
– You have to be staying at the hotel to make use of a lounge membership (unlike the Shangri La benefit)
– The lounge membership is valid until the end of the next calendar year
– Confirmable Suite Upgrades are for up to five nights, can be requested 14 days before arrival, up to 24h before arrival
– Confirmable Suite Upgrades can only be used on bookings on an Eligible Rate. I assume this is the same as a Qualifying Rate – i.e. not on reward stays. Advance payment rates are also excluded
– Confirmable Suite Upgrades can’t be combined with Ambassador upgrades
– Confirmable Suite Upgrades are valid for 12 months from selection
– Mr & Mrs Smith isn’t excluded from Confirmable Suite Upgrades, but this might be a drafting oversight

Overall looks like bad news if you are on a reward night.

[Sean Mc]

IHG FAQ of these changes referenced on loyalty lobby site suggests reward nights are qualifying.

• This reply was modified 54 years, 4 months ago by .

[TGLoyalty]

@MKB The diamond welcome choice is Breakfast OR drink/snack OR points. Platinum retains points or Drink/snack.

“– Welcome amenities are now excluded on reward stays. It has to be a Qualified Stay, which means a points-earning rate”

Not the way I read it … reward was qualifying.

Other news

Finally, there’s only one change to which points are elite-qualifying. Sadly, spending on IHG credit cards will no longer earn elite-qualifying points. When asked about this change, an IHG spokesperson noted that spending thresholds to obtain higher elite status levels on select IHG cards effectively replace the ability to earn elite-qualifying points through credit card spending.

• This reply was modified 54 years, 4 months ago by .