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Good evening those of massive knowledge.
I’ve followed the flights side of this website for years, but have never paid too much attention to hotels because I haven’t needed to. This is now starting to change. I’m off to Kimpton de Witt in AMS in a couple of months, and planning the Intercontinental in Rome in September, so have taken the plunge and bought the Ambassador thingy. My questions:
1. I can see that Ambassador benefits aren’t valid if booked through a “third party website or tour operator”. Does this include Emyr?
2. Do the One Rewards Platinum benefits apply if booked through a third party website (eg Hotels.com)?
3. Any hints or tips for getting a bunch of points quickly? I think I’m mostly maxed out on credit cards chasing Avios.
Thanks!
For a third party website (OTA) you’ll get nothing but if booking something like Virtuoso through Emyr you’d get IHG Rewards benefits stacked on top (earning points for your stay).
I’m not sure about whether AMB benefits are stacked but the ones you are likely to get using Virtuoso should supersede them anyway (eg AMB gives 1-cat upgrade plus 15 EUR F&B voucher). The main thing to ask about would be the 4PM late checkout benefit (whether you get that included also).
1 – Emyr is fine to use.
2 – It depends on the hotel if you book via other websites. They may honour status in terms of upgrades or welcome benefits but not award points or qualifying stays. You mentioned the de Witt (which I like a lot) and I did once hear them say to a customer that since he booked via Expedia his IHG benefits didn’t apply. Ditto at a couple of Holiday Inns.
3- buy them is the quickest way. They are hard to earn without staying.
Remember that AMB benefits only apply to Intercontinentals and not at Kimptons and the other IHG brands but they will recognise your underlying IHG status – if you bought AMB then they give you Plat and they will honour that.
Thanks. I was given the offer to buy 1,000-3,000 points with de Witt (and Crown Plaza at Heathrow on the way out) but didn’t go for it. No idea what is/isn’t a bargain!
I work off 300 points = £1. I’d buy at that price or better, as I’m usually redeeming for that value or more.
The adding points to your stay rates are not fixed in my experience, so you have to do the maths on each stay.
Isn’t there something with IHG also that if you pay any part of your booking with points, if you cancel it they will only refund *all* the booking in points, ie you don’t get the cash back at all, just more points than you used to book at a very poor rate for your cash?
Obvs doing a cash booking with a bonus points package is different to this in that the booking remains a fully cash booking just you get the bonus points extra when you actually stay. But just in case anyone is thinking of doing the option to *pay* a booking in a mix of cash and point payment I believe there is this gotcha.
Part paying can be a very good deal – there’s a account online of someone having their account closed for buying too many points this way, i.e. continually making bookings and cancelling them to get the points back! But it does vary by booking, as pointed out above.
As with anything, only buy points if you’re certain to get a good return on them. (But wait till a 100% bonus comes along, of course) Sadly the best way of getting a lot of IHG points was via the Creation MC which is now closed to new applicants, though a replacement product may come along at some time in the future. You can earn a decent amount of points as Platinum on cash bookings, especially if you register for the regular IHG offers which come along regularly. Emyr is particularly beneficial if you don;t have Diamond status as you get all the member benefits plus breakfast, which can cost a fair bit at properties like IC and Kimpton.
Emyr is particularly beneficial if you don;t have Diamond status as you get all the member benefits plus breakfast, which can cost a fair bit at properties like IC and Kimpton.
Does Emyr do Kimpton as well as IC? Is there a handy list of types of properties he does cover?
He deals with many, mainly 4 and 5 star, properties, there’s no list that I know of, but if you email him with your chosen location he will let you know which hotels he can offer.
Yes he does Kimptons
See yesterdays article that mentioned the latest 5 nights for the price of 4 offer.
And there is his page in there – look under the ‘hotel offers’ tab at the top of the page.
Here’s more information https://www.headforpoints.com/virtuoso-agent-london/
I’ve followed the flights side of this website for years, but have never paid too much attention to hotels because I haven’t needed to.
Same, bought AMB for the first time this year. HfP content permeates through the blood brain barrier eventually! So found above helpful thank you.
Any hints or tips for getting a bunch of points quickly?
Well that boat long sailed.
Thanks all.
Follow up question. When gaining access to the ‘Club’ lounge, is everything complimentary? Just trying to gauge the value of a virtuoso free breakfast when breakfast may be free in the Club anyway…
Everything is free in the lounge. Some hotels also let those with lounge access eat in the restaurant for breakfast if they wish, but you need to confirm this locally.
The only issue is the size of the lounge breakfast vs the restaurant one, and indeed whether you give a monkeys about the size.
Everything is free in the lounge. Some hotels also let those with lounge access eat in the restaurant for breakfast if they wish, but you need to confirm this locally.
The only issue is the size of the lounge breakfast vs the restaurant one, and indeed whether you give a monkeys about the size.
These hotels give free lounge access via Emyr – https://www.headforpoints.com/2022/11/14/intercontinental-hotels-free-club-lounge-access/
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