Will get Royal Ambassador
May 4, 2016, 12:18 am
#16
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 5,797
No difference at all between Spire and RA in non-IC properties, but a big difference in IC stays. You are all of a sudden treated like a real VIP customer rather than just a tick box dictated by IHG.
In the ICs that don't see many RAs you get real personalised service, and in the bigger ICs used to elites they have a well oiled process for dealing with you.
In the ICs that don't see many RAs you get real personalised service, and in the bigger ICs used to elites they have a well oiled process for dealing with you.
May 4, 2016, 12:37 am
#17
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Cologne
Programs: FB Plat, IHG RA Spire, TK Elite+, HH Diamond, LH SEN, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 972
Yeah I'm not so worried about the treatment in IHG - Non IC properties. In IC's I travel a lot to them with my partner so it is nice for us to get treated well together.
May 4, 2016, 4:44 am
#18
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 280
could I get an update what xx/xx/xx stand for?
I thought it was
total nights/thereof IC/thereof different IC
I thought it was
total nights/thereof IC/thereof different IC
May 4, 2016, 11:51 am
#19
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Cologne
Programs: FB Plat, IHG RA Spire, TK Elite+, HH Diamond, LH SEN, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 972
May 4, 2016, 1:34 pm
#20
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: MAN and LON
Programs: Mucci, BAEC LT Gold, HH Dia, MR LT Plat, IHG Diamond Amb, Amex Plat
Posts: 13,768
No difference at all between Spire and RA in non-IC properties, but a big difference in IC stays. You are all of a sudden treated like a real VIP customer rather than just a tick box dictated by IHG.
In the ICs that don't see many RAs you get real personalised service, and in the bigger ICs used to elites they have a well oiled process for dealing with you.
In the ICs that don't see many RAs you get real personalised service, and in the bigger ICs used to elites they have a well oiled process for dealing with you.
May 4, 2016, 2:21 pm
#21
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Cologne
Programs: FB Plat, IHG RA Spire, TK Elite+, HH Diamond, LH SEN, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 972
I had no idea they did. What kind of things do they do? simply just better service or?
May 4, 2016, 2:22 pm
#22
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: MAN and LON
Programs: Mucci, BAEC LT Gold, HH Dia, MR LT Plat, IHG Diamond Amb, Amex Plat
Posts: 13,768
May 5, 2016, 5:28 pm
#23
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Boston, MA, USA
Programs: UA 1K, DL Gold, IHG Diamond AMB, MR Gold, HH Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, National EE
Posts: 1,083
I've been RA since I was 23...I'm 26 now. The treatment is great once they realize I'm an RA. I'll often sit down in the Ambassador check-in area and they look confused. Then they check my account.
The only age bias I've ever encountered was at the IC Willard in DC. I wanted to book their top suite along with the connecting room for my brother's graduation. They wanted to know exactly who was staying in the room (family, friends, how old?, etc). The GM called to ask me this and I told him it was none of his business who would be staying in the room I'm spending thousands for. He got the hint. I think he was worried about a college bash at a prestigious DC hotel.
Ultimately I was bumped from that suite due to matters of "national security", which I still think is BS. Evidently some high ranking official or diplomat needed to be in that particular room due to security concerns.
The only age bias I've ever encountered was at the IC Willard in DC. I wanted to book their top suite along with the connecting room for my brother's graduation. They wanted to know exactly who was staying in the room (family, friends, how old?, etc). The GM called to ask me this and I told him it was none of his business who would be staying in the room I'm spending thousands for. He got the hint. I think he was worried about a college bash at a prestigious DC hotel.
Ultimately I was bumped from that suite due to matters of "national security", which I still think is BS. Evidently some high ranking official or diplomat needed to be in that particular room due to security concerns.
May 6, 2016, 7:50 am
#24
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: London
Programs: IHG Spire Amb, Accor Gold, HH Diamond, Krispy Kreme Brown with chocolate sprinkles
Posts: 507
Thanks
May 6, 2016, 6:11 pm
#25
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Amsterdam, Asia, UK
Programs: IHG RA (Spire), HH Diamond, MR Platinum, SQ Gold, KLM Gold, BAEC Gold
Posts: 5,072
try booking room category one level below a suite. don't expect as an Ambassador to get a suite upgrade from entry level room categories
May 8, 2016, 2:47 pm
#27
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: SJC
Programs: IC Spire Amb, RC Plat, Shangri-La GC, and more.
Posts: 148
So any reports of RA granted for fewer than 60 nights? Would 59 IC suite nights really not make the mark?
Last edited by FrenchLaundry; May 8, 2016 at 2:49 pm Reason: Typographical error.
May 8, 2016, 4:25 pm
#28
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Cologne
Programs: FB Plat, IHG RA Spire, TK Elite+, HH Diamond, LH SEN, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 972
May 9, 2016, 4:20 am
#29
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Oslo
Programs: SAS EBG, IHG Spire Amb, CCG
Posts: 591
May 9, 2016, 10:38 pm
#30
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: SJC
Programs: IC Spire Amb, RC Plat, Shangri-La GC, and more.
Posts: 148