Using my Ambassador “free night” at Intercontinental O2

[Peter T]

I signed up for Ambassador last year. I was HHonours Diamond but doing more hotel stays. Drinks and bonus points etc have been very welcome. Thanks HfP.

I’ve booked my “free night” JUST before it expires to the DAY!

I’m expecting a “guaranteed upgrade” of room OR 10 000 points / $50. I looked at using suite upgrade voucher but seems no point as it states this “negates” the guaranteed upgrade (which as Rob says OFTEN it’s only a benefit of it’s guaranteed; this is NOT!)

I’ve got lounge access as I’ve just hit 40 nights and took annual lounge membership until end of 2025 as one of two benefits; plus five F&B vouchers.

I think I get $20 per day food and drink from ambassador and have five $15 food and drink vouchers which I think stack with each other AND the $20 daily F&B benefit.

I get breakfast from the lounge and drinks “all day” in the lounge (according to their blurb!)

I’ve also just rejoined as 40000 IHG points for the year, and the room is £439 (though I could have got it cheaper) given upgrades and Ambassador benefits I think this is a “great value” free night!

I should hit Diamond with IHG (still think Ambassador is worth it) should maintain HH Diamond. Also should get bonus points from “business” registered with HH, as mg stays will be double nights! Yay!

I’m planning on arriving early Friday, and working in Saturday and enjoy the Hotel on Sunday.

Just checking for any tips/advice as it’s my “first time” and want to make the most of it. Enjoy the spa and enjoy some lovely food!

Thanks for any help!
Peter

[Paul]

Its OK but your should always check the rates as your get nearer the stay. I have a 241 shortly at the IC O2 and was happy to pay £300 for the two nights. Just yesterday I cancelled and rebooked for the equivalent of £180 for two nights.

Simply note the total costs on your original booking then use the duplicate booking button on the right.

I do this regularly for all my booking points and cash up to May of next year. I have save thousands of points and quite a bit of cash.

As got the O2 my feelings are mixed. I did the same trip last year and it was at best average. The hotel is lovely but it’s a wedding venue at weekends and they have gone down the Wizz Air business model route with charges for almost everything including the use of an umbrella!

Rooms are great particularly the river view, and the lounge is lovely with great choices and superb staff. You will have a good time but if you are a regular IC user I think you will see its only just an IC.

[TGLoyalty]

It’s a nice enough hotel and I read the lounge food offering has improved but it’s all day soft drinks/coffee and alcohol during the afternoon happy hour, plenty spirits, wines inc Prosecco and a couple beer options all your usual basic “house” brands.

Agree the river view is much better than O2 view, it’s like looking at a Warehouse lol

[Retron]

“I get breakfast from the lounge and drinks “all day” in the lounge (according to their blurb!)”

FWIW, if you have lounge access you can take breakfast in the Market Brasserie instead – it’s a much wider spread, but much busier than the lounge.

I’ve found the Ambassador upgrades to be fantastic, but that’s starting from a high level: I usually book a junior suite, and the room levels above that are suite, high floor suite, 1-bed suite, 2-bed suite, penthouse. The very first time I went as an Ambassador, I got the 2-bed suite, which was fantastic. The regular suites are the equivalent of two rooms joined together, the 1-bed suite is the entire end of a corridor (two rooms plus a bit of what would have been the corridor), the 2-bed suite is the same but with an added bedroom on top.

It’s a very nice hotel and one of the quietest in terms of room noise that I’ve ever had. My last stay had a room behind the lifts, and I didn’t hear a thing… *and* I’m a very light sleeper! A far cry from similar rooms in other hotels, where you get a full gamut of clunks, dings and people yacking…

EDIT: You only get one Ambassador food/drink credit per stay, and it’s £15.