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Just requested 2pm checkout at a HIX in Germany, as a Platinum member, and was asked to pay for it as their system shows my booking as being made via a third party.
I generally book hotels via either affiliate links like Rob’s or cashback sites and have never had an issue with scheme membership not being acknowledged / recognised before.
In this case I’d booked on the IHG website after clicking through from a cashback site.
Pointed out that I have the direct-from-IHG booking confirmation email as evidence that it wasn’t a third party booking, but “computer said no”.
After persisting a while I was given the late checkout but am wondering what’s going on here and whether to be worried for future stay benefits or to raise it with IHG centrally…
– A fault in the hotel’s new computer system (incidentally installed yesterday and the day before)? Though they insist not.
– Change to IHG policy? i.e. starting to consider affiliate bookings as not granting status recognition.
I was clearly given an upgraded room (as far as could be done for a HIX with only 1 or 2 room categories) and got my drink voucher on checkin (albeit only when requested, which I put down to the receptionist being new and unfamiliar with IHG One and the hotel computer system being out of action as mentioned above).I recently had IC Park Lane not give me my £15 Ambassador F&B credit on account of having not booked direct but via a Virtuoso LuxLife agent. Bizarre as it was a free night award so had to have been booked via IHG direct. They gave me the credit but I’m not sure they were convinced.
That’s complete nonsense. I think someone saw something on the booking which made them think it had come via Expedia etc.
If you got points for the stay then it was a qualifying booking and qualified for free breakfast.
@BWS – bizarre indeed.
Thanks, Rob – yes, definitely a commissionable rate and points earned, so no idea what was going on there. (It was HIX, so brek included anyway.) I’ve raised it in my requested post-stay review, but did wonder if there might be a new or upgraded IHG computer system post the recent cyber attack – and either the new system is flagging things wrongly, or staff haven’t been properly trained on understanding it.The issue is that the IHG website now shows ‘Travel Agent’ in the booking notes if you use a cashback or reward site. I have raised this and they say it is for their own tracking purposes, but it isn’t very helpful to guests.
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