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Attention! You consumed minibar 'ABOVE AVERAGE'!

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Old Mar 17, 2012, 4:36 pm
  #31  
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Originally Posted by scienm
It is not to be used for entertainment purposes.'
Does it mean minibar can be used only for drowning one's sorrows
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Old Mar 17, 2012, 4:39 pm
  #32  
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Originally Posted by nicolas75
Welcome to the club

PS1: My dream would be, as a Royal Ambassador, to have my minibars full of Diet Coke only . In that case, my minibar consumption will be largely above average, and certainly will receive the nasty email from Ambassador Service (I still cannot believe this story is true)

PS2: Of course I do also have a Diet Coke at breakfast.
Hehe. I can just see the e-mail now:

Dear Mme. La Blonde:

It has come to our attention that you have consumed a greater than average amount of Diet Coke from the mini-bar in a 24-hour period. The mini-bar is stocked with Diet Coke for your personal consumption only, not for you to invite the Stanford Graduate EE Department for an all-night dweebfest and Walking Dead Marathon. We even noticed that the person(s) in your room had two (2!) Diet Cokes for breakfast each morning, and nothing else.

If you persist in inviting your little "friends" to use your hotel room inappropriately, we will have no option but to suspend your elite privileges with our hotel.

Sincerely,

TPTB

But, but, but . . . I've been going through a six-pack and more since I was 15!
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Old Mar 17, 2012, 4:42 pm
  #33  
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What's wrong with emptying the minibar? If the T&C stating that you are entitled to it, then they should never complain that you drank too much.

If a hotel feels so strongly about it, they should really opt out of the programme IMO, or perhaps put the amount of drinks that they think it's 'suitable'.
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Old Mar 17, 2012, 4:55 pm
  #34  
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Very poor email. I would be seriously offended if a hotel wrote to me like that. And it would certainly influence my future patronage of the property and the chain.
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Old Mar 17, 2012, 6:21 pm
  #35  
 
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Originally Posted by AJLondon
Very poor email. I would be seriously offended if a hotel wrote to me like that. And it would certainly influence my future patronage of the property and the chain.
On the face of it yes I agree, but judgement can only be made on information provided here.

If the hotel were able to post in this thread they may shine new light on this episode.

PC's worst nightmare is people buying RA Certs from ebay with the intention of abusing the system and drinking IC's dry. Accepted this is not the case here I would not be surprised if it's happened.

It would be interesting to know how many of these emails have been sent out, perhaps the OP got a standard message which is too harsh in his case.
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Old Mar 17, 2012, 6:41 pm
  #36  
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Originally Posted by midnight
On the face of it yes I agree, but judgement can only be made on information provided here.

If the hotel were able to post in this thread they may shine new light on this episode.

PC's worst nightmare is people buying RA Certs from ebay with the intention of abusing the system and drinking IC's dry. Accepted this is not the case here I would not be surprised if it's happened.

It would be interesting to know how many of these emails have been sent out, perhaps the OP got a standard message which is too harsh in his case.
Everything of this nature is a form and it's been reviewed by lawyers to make sure that it complies with the program's t&c's.

Clearly they are losing money on OP and would just a soon that he, as he threatens, jumps ship.
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Old Mar 17, 2012, 7:25 pm
  #37  
 
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I've noticed some IC's forget the mini-bar is not filled with shooters that cost them $12.00 but shooters that cost 50 cents retail, less wholesale. They incorrectly think you drank a $350 mini-bar dry when it cost them $50. Buy a nice steak meal at the restaurant and they get all their money back. The true cost of mini-bar contents is insignificant compared to RA loyalty and any reputable IC knows this. Once a front desk person raised an eye brow when clearing my mini bar bill...told him RA stood for Real Alcoholic and the bottles are just way too small.
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Old Mar 17, 2012, 8:27 pm
  #38  
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Originally Posted by nicolas75
I generally only drink softdrinks from minibar.
It is people like you who screw up the average

So, the lesson learned is that RA members should drink hard to raise the average.
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Old Mar 17, 2012, 8:40 pm
  #39  
 
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Originally Posted by midnight
PC's worst nightmare is people buying RA Certs from ebay with the intention of abusing the system and drinking IC's dry.
There is a simple solution to that. Stop the certificate system and make people RA based on their stays only.
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Old Mar 17, 2012, 8:54 pm
  #40  
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Originally Posted by midnight
On the face of it yes I agree, but judgement can only be made on information provided here.

If the hotel were able to post in this thread they may shine new light on this episode.

PC's worst nightmare is people buying RA Certs from ebay with the intention of abusing the system and drinking IC's dry. Accepted this is not the case here I would not be surprised if it's happened.

It would be interesting to know how many of these emails have been sent out, perhaps the OP got a standard message which is too harsh in his case.
I don't think so. I think they are well aware of ebay things. They don't have to offer RA Certs to RAs. There must be something good for IHG.

And I also really want to hear the hotel's opinion.
The thing is that I consumed mini-bar within the limit. This fact won't be changed anyway.

By the way, I'm not the RA with Certs. I renewed with my stays.
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Old Mar 17, 2012, 9:03 pm
  #41  
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Originally Posted by Often1
Wrong. They can say anything they want and, if you read the t&c, simply close out OP's account and his status. The email is a polite warning and OP ought to take it that way.
Ye.. If they close my account abruptly, I'll change all of my stays to another chain. That's it.
Now I'm staying about 60 nts with IHG, 70 nts with SPG and some with Marriott. I can simply adjust my stays to another chain anyway.

But I like InterContinental properties and I have loyalty also.
That's why I feel awkward and I want to get apology from both hotel and Ambassador services to continue my stays with IHG.
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Old Mar 17, 2012, 10:50 pm
  #42  
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I'd be annoyed and put off. Was letter from the hotel (sounds like it) vs RA services?

I'd write RA services to say how upset you were.
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Old Mar 17, 2012, 11:39 pm
  #43  
 
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Screw then.

Originally Posted by scienm
I stayed IC Shanghai EXPO last week and I've got an email from Ambassador Services today.

'the hotel has notified us that there was an above average consumption from the mini-bar during your stay, and we would like to bring this to your attention. The mini bar privilege is meant for your personal consumption in your guest room and only during your stay, it is not to be used for entertainment purposes.'

I stayed 2 nights with my friend(me and 1 person) and I consumed 2 champaign, 1 red wine, 2 beer, Whiskys, Some sodas for my entire stay. I consumed within the limit of standard minibar.
It was my personal consumption, in my guest room and only during my stay of course.

Did I something wrong? I'm so upset about this situation.
Complimentary Minibar is one of the most important privilege being Royal Ambassador and that's why I stay with IHG more than 60 nights.
And now they are saying I consumed 'above average' so I have to be cautious.
I think this is an important issue.
I've been a royal ambassador for 2 years but I've never got an email like this.

What do you think about it?

Do not stay IC Shanghai EXPO. If you are a Royal Ambassador and consume mini-bar 'above average', they will notify to IHG that you violated sth and consumed too much.
-------------------------------------------------
Screw them~
Shanghai Expo IC is acting less than a freaking MOTELs.
How much actually cost to fill up the mini-bar,
when they charge over $300 per night?
Do they ever think of how much money a RA has to spend
every year to maintain the loyalty statue?
Shanghai Expo IC should pull off IC Brand,
if they don't want to accept RA previleges.
And for the Amb Services officers, they should be educated again
about their own customer policies again.
What a disappointing actions they have choosen...
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Old Mar 18, 2012, 2:17 am
  #44  
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I'm a bit confused about the minibar privilege: if you stay with you spouse, is he/she not allowed to drink from the minibar because it's "for personal consumption" only?

A reply to Ambassador Service will definitely be needed -- detailing that the amount consumed by two persons staying in the room for two days was appropriate, and that no "entertaining" of outside persons had taken place. Otherwise it will be assumed that you are a *bad* RA.

I'd also make it clear that you will feel uncomfortable staying at this particular IC again in the future, but gladly there are other options available in Shanghai. You should also raise concern that your minibar consumption is being monitored and reported (privacy issues, anyone?).

HTB.
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Old Mar 18, 2012, 2:33 am
  #45  
 
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Originally Posted by htb
.... in Shanghai. You should also raise concern that your minibar consumption is being monitored and reported (privacy issues, anyone?).

HTB.
Nobody has taken any issue with privacy so far as they know that Shanghai is in China .... and they realise that plenty of things there are monitored that affect business dealings more than the minibar
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