scubaccr

Well there are a)Paid Nights, b)Bogo Cert Free Night, c)Points/Award nights and finally d)CC Free Nights.

i)Paid and Bogo nights are meant to receive RA/Ambassador Upgrades
ii)Award nights are in many IC hotels treated to some of the bennies (or all) even though not required by the Ambassador Program t+c's

Finally
iii)A CC free night, unlike a BOGO free night is not a night an IC has to give Ambassador benefits like a room upgrade etc for. As such ymmv depending on hotel you redeem at.

example
For instance I know IC BKK will upgrade RAs on Paid, Bogo + Award nights but not on a CC free night as Lounge Staff there when i asked about a free night cert rooms upgrade I was immediately asked if BOGO or CC and lounge manager explained that upgrade treatment is different, ie does not apply to a CC night.

cazane

Booked cheapest room with breakfast, and got the usual upgrade to a corner deluxe room. Half an hour after check-in I got a phone call from the front desk telling me that they changed their policy, and I am welcome to use the club lounge for free as a RA.

whimike

+1, I just stayed at the FRA IC a few days ago. I was put into a river-view room, but not a corner, not sure if deluxe. But, I did get lounge access.

BRAISKI

North America
It seems that IC Toronto Centre no longer gives Lounge access to RAs for free. I am staying here in a paid stay.

Tim O'Brien

frankly i will probably stay at Yorkville next stay, the staff are nice at the Centre, the culture isn't, you can get a much better value upgrade at the Yorkville than the Centre

BRAISKI

I will be staying there next month. I guess since Yorkville is smaller, its more personal.

bello

Agreed, Toronto centre really going by "the book" these days. They almost seem "annoyed" by RA's. I'm convinced they created a new category called "executive" to deal with RA upgrades to avoid club access or suites. Try say it's a 2 level upgrade but just looks like a regular (refurnished) room. Fruit amenity quite plain, no additional gift on last 2 stays this year. Difficult to take when other locations seem to bend over backwards.

Raynyan

InterContinental Hong Kong changed the policy that offering complimentary Club Access as Royal Ambassador Members benefit!

scienm

That's awesome!! After RA referral cert discontinue, IC may start to enhance the RA benefits

MXM135

Free club access is still provided for Royal Ambassadors at the IC Toronto Centre. They have re-instated this as their policy.

See post #180 at the following thread:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/inter...centre-12.html

mxm135

Atacama40

Yep I can vouch for this. Read that IC HK was fairly stingy on decent upgrades & club access. However was there a week mid April and got a great suite after basic room book, full club access and they even took a weekend voucher. They asked me if I had one!!! .... after scrabbling around for 5 mins I found a rather tatty one and they took it! Not sure it was even in date.

Lounge was pretty good. However on the Friday I think it was they had a huge roof flood and lounge was closed for two nights. Got breakfast at the steakhouse dowstairs (forget the name) a free evening at Spoon next to the club and the next night the Harbourside full buffet and alcohol pack. Then they fixed the roof so then rest of week in the lounge.

As upgrades to Club Lounge go, that's pretty good....

bello

thanks for the update, glad they came around

BRAISKI

IC Frankfurt (June 2014)
- Booked F&F and cheapest room
- Received Upgrade and Lounge

IC Paris Le Grand (June 2014)
- Reward Nights
- Received Jr Suite Upgrade and Lounge

mnredfox

Hi all, did some clean up of the thread so it should be up to date. As you post, please post if you get both (UG AND club access). Some folks are saying "UG to club" - that is hard to differentiate what that means.

Thanks, keep the reports coming in!

BRAISKI

IC Vienna
Ambassador BOGO with Cheapest Room
Room Upgrade to Deluxe and Lounge Access


Initially I was offered Two level upgrade + €40/day for Lounge, I declined but got an upgrade and lounge anyways.

I was told that they might change their rules, to match the rest or most of Europe.