InterContinental Hotels: Priority Club & Inter-Continental Ambassador - BOGO stay more expensive than without it?

It's been a while I haven't used one of these, but it used to be very simple -
come to the hotel, present a cert, save some $$$. It seems like now I have
to book a special rate which is much higher than a normal rate available
for the same dates, so basically it makes no sense anymore to use it.
Am I missing something here? Or is it another "improvement" together
with a great new website?

Andrew

From what I see,

The BOGO rates are often the Best Available Rate.

You might be seeing other rates like Advance Purchase which are cheaper but still not cheaper when it's a 2 nights stay.

I made a reservation and wanted to replace it with one using BOGO.
Fri, Sat, Sun. I'm paying $160 for Fri night and $80 for both Sat and Sun night.
Using BOGO I'm getting a $240 rate for Fri-Sat and $129 rate for Sat-Sun
- average nightly rate using BOGO. Sorry, but this is way more money.

Do you guys have any experience simply doing it "the old way" - just
showing up with a cert and have hotel use it to pay for one night?

It changed some time ago ..... you should visit here more!:D

Sadly if you present yourself with the new style certificate then it is highly likely that you will simply have a bill for two nights at the full rate. I'd say the chances of your voucher being accepted with anything other than this rate is fairly low - as you will be relying on them making an error.

If however you have an old style with no printed detail of the new weekend rate link then you have a better chance. It may be that you will end up in a simple argument with someone at the desk.

I guess this is why it makes much more sense to use the cert in very expensive properties/cities such as IC Hong Kong, which is what I'm thinking of doing.

I guess this is why it makes much more sense to use the cert in very expensive properties/cities such as IC Hong Kong, which is what I'm thinking of doing.

It certainly does.

Another approach is for longer stays ie to tag the weekend two days after a day or two or three on a lower rate - perhaps friend and family - and hope that you'll be left in the first upgraded and cheaper suite than you purchased at the weekend rate.

I've done this often and never been moved.

I made a reservation and wanted to replace it with one using BOGO.
Fri, Sat, Sun. I'm paying $160 for Fri night and $80 for both Sat and Sun night.
Using BOGO I'm getting a $240 rate for Fri-Sat and $129 rate for Sat-Sun
- average nightly rate using BOGO. Sorry, but this is way more money.

Do you guys have any experience simply doing it "the old way" - just
showing up with a cert and have hotel use it to pay for one night?

Where in the world is there an IC at $80 a night other than Cleveland Suites?

As noted by others, for the past two years the BOGO rate has been fixed at the same level as the Best Flex rate. Suggest you book the Sunday night separately at $80 (as an Advance Purchase). This will average your per night rate to $120 for Friday and Saturday, and $80 for Sunday, which is actually $20 less than booking everything under the Advance Purchase rates.

If you try to do it "the old way" you'll end up paying for all three nights at the rate you booked. And since those rates are likely Advance Purchase, you won't get your money back for Saturday night.

The thread discussing the new conditions for the use of the BOGO could be found in this thread:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/intercontinental-hotels-priority-club-inter-continental-ambassador/1047567-change-use-bogo-certificate.html

To avoid two discussion about the very same topic, I will close this thread, Please follow the discussion in the above mentioned thread.

Thank you

FLYGVA
co-moderator IHG Forum