kit125

Title says it all. I think Marriott and SPG are both far inferior programs to IHG. Maybe I'm biased as an RA, but honestly, this seems like rigging. Even when they considered the affinity cards, IHG was shut out. I can't think of at other card that provides the bennies of ihg's.

Anyone suppose this will cause a stir??

rbAA

I'm also RA and use IC as my main stay program. This is more a matter of price point and number of property options, though I do enjoy the IC brand even if some of those are reducing benefits, i.e. IC Puxi stopped giving consideration to the customer preferrence of suite or Club access, which they are permitted to do, but doesn't sit well. In addition, IHG has had too many problems, which frustrate too many people, including myself. So, Hyatt deserved the awards, and IHG didn't. Between the foolish "Into the (Chaos) Nights" and "Set Your Sights" issues, the poor CS and follow up by IHG (doesn't) Care, and constant changes, many implimented without much notice, the program doesn't match up to the great CS Hyatt GP offers.

No one program is perfect, I've had my issues with Hyatt as well, but they seem to take a more proactive role in resolution. Of course, I didn't bother with their Jan-April promo, since they emulated IHG in their targets being unreasonable for many, including mine.

Dave Noble

IHG wasn't shut out, it just didn't do very well

From http://freddieawards.com/2015-annual...e-awards-27th/

IHG won awards for
Best Redemption Ability : Europe/Africa
Best Customer Service : Middle East/Asia/Oceania

Why would it cause a stir - the programme simply failed to get enough votes to win

Temedar

Only if you consider skipping breakfast a benefit

htb

Thank you for the clarification. I was wondering what "shut out" meant since post #1.

Since only relatively few people are (active) members in more than one hotel program, and are therefore able to actually compare, I always feel that whatever program manages enough members to participate in the voting process will win the award.

HTB.

Chinatrvl

who would seriously vote for them? They managed to p... off both groups over the last two years.
1. Those who play the points game by limiting points earning and status qualification, probably including those "bloggers".
2. Those, like me, who really stayed a lot by limiting RA benefits and the devaluation of redemption rates (making hard earned points after being away from family for more than half a year worth less) as well as ridiculous goals in their personalized promos (60 nights per quarter and 2500 USD f&b spending, anyone?)

So what's the reason to stay loyal?

mav

I agree.

sdsearch

Yes, you are! The point is RA is mostly beneficial only at IC properties, but IC properties are a small fraction of the total IHG hotel porfolio!

So in any survey of hotel programs, the bulk of the IHG respondents are going to be people who stay at Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, HI Express, etc. And how do you think they're going to rate the program that gives no free breakfast and/or guaranteed lounge access to any status holder, when most of the other programs (Hilton free breakfast at Gold and lounge access at Diamond, Marriott both at Gold, SPG both at Platinum) do?

So I'm confused, if you factor out RA (which only works at ICs, again), what are all these benefits of the IHG card that trump things like free breakfast and lounge access of Hilton/Marriott/SPG elite status cards?

uk1

If anyone is trying to find out what is the best programme the last place to have that darkness illuminated is in these award schemes. They not only "tell you nothing" they actively mislead hence the often bizarre results.

In the IHG scheme for example to make some sort of meaningful comparison you would have to - as a starting point - and then with a process of "wheighting" to accomodate different sized survey populations have a seperate programme for Priority Points, Ambassador and Royal Ambassador. Even then arguably you would need to break it down further and compare different levls of Priority Point levels ie basic, Gold, Plat with some sort of comparing them with genuine comparable equivalents elsewhere. It is absolutely impossible - but it never stops them and gullible people read the results and think one programme is better as a result.

How can you lump together a response group that incorporates a minute number of RAs enjoying the fatted cow, free mini-bar, upgrades etc in a suite in a top-end IC with an enormous number of blues enjoying the square root of B^&%$ert all in a HI Express all in the same response group and compare that with anything?

Smacking them all together and comparing it with other programmes ... well you may as well compare cheesecake with a frankfurter for all its value.

The only way of understanding what is better is by reading something like the experiences of members on places like FT. These programmes are utter rubbish.

Tim O'Brien

i think IHG's key problem is a ridiculous management culture,and poor management. We've seen them use gaming points, as a marketing strategy, and publishing codes on their own websites for years, and making them readily available via various channels, and then overnight, with no notice, change their strategy completely, and then punish their most loyal, and enthusiastic customers, by closing accounts, and absconding with points etc. How about an email, like most others send out. They have failed at customer service for a long time, Manila, and just silly nonsense email responses come to mind, and and have yet to stabilise their IT management. It all smacks of a disastrous culture, and mismanagement.

Spock Seat

LOL. I think SPG is superior to IHG now, but not superior to Priority Club then. ^

craigthemif

The OP is joking, right?

• Zero status benefits. (except for the warm Coke I received on my latest check-in)
• Dare to visit an IC as a mere Platinum, and enjoy relegation to lower floor, no view rooms.
• Minimal loyalty program customer service, outsourced to people who haven't the slightest idea what they are doing.
• Promos that appear decent, but with IT that doesn't work.

I might get fewer "free" nights per $ of spend from Hyatt, Starwood, or HHonors, but at least I'm getting food, drink and a nicer room. All of which mean people are going to show them more love when it comes to awards...

Chinatrvl

Exactly, methodology and method of the awards are flawed - and IHG apparently even lost the votes of the spin-doctors.

IHG (and others) have long appeared to be a strange pile of brands. The sum appears to be worth less than the parts of each own - which eventually should lead to the obvious.

rumbataz

Having just recently realised that you can become IHG Platinum Elite by applying for a credit card, which will then get you up to 80,000 IHG points and a free night's voucher, I'm questioning IHG's 'loyalty' programme now. You can get the same benefits by doing nothing as someone who stays for many months at IHG properties on paid stays. Thus, IHG must be diluting the programme due to so many Elites around who don't put anything into the programme.

The result is a lack of practical benefits of being a Platinum when you're actually staying at an IHG property.

Hence, I've just resurrected my SPG membership and they've offered me Gold or Platinum tier match if I complete a certain number of paid stays at SPG properties within 3 months. I realise that there is an SPG AmEx card but you have to spend a lot of money to get Gold SPG membership and you won't get Platinum by just getting the credit card. Like-for-like, the SPG Platinum benefits appear to be more tangible when staying at an SPG property compared to the IHG Platinum benefits at IHG properties.

Then there's the IHG Customer Services, or lack of, followed closely by IHG's remarkable IT capabilities. My opinion is that it's a washed-out programme that's struggling to cope. Having said that, I've enjoyed my redemption stays over the years.

IAN-UK

Until quite recently the value of Platinum was dramatically diluted by the easy of gaining points through promotions. Now bonus points do not count, and we do not see so many threads crowing about reaching Plat within a month of the new year.

The expectation was that Plat benefits would improve as that level of status became more difficult to achieve, and Priority Club would go to the top of the Freddies .....