Irons80

Complimentary upgrades are supposedly a benefit of Spire (subject to availability)... across various HIs in the UK I have been told:
- we don't upgrade to suites (I had booked 2nd highest room category)
- we only upgrade after revenue manager is sure he/she cannot sell the room (so basically you won't get one unless you check-in very late at night)

It seems that it's not a good idea to book any 'deluxe' or 'executive' (or whatever stupid names they call them - some hotels seem to have 10 different room categories) where there's nothing above them except a suite as you won't as a policy be upgraded.

blindman

Sounds like you ask for an upgrade every time you check in?

I just check in and if i get an upgrade\or not so be it.

A room is a room especially when travelling solo for work.

And if I'm on holiday and I wanted the suite-I'd book it.

Lewis42

Although I haven't stayed at any HI's in the UK, I have stayed at a few in EU / US / China and have pretty much always been upgraded to their biggest rooms.

FlyerTalker688786

Same here.

Now I avoid any Holiday Inns if there is one similar priced HIX or slightly higher priced CP nearby. Holiday Inns are becoming less relevant when CP upped its offerings and HIX offered better value.

The only way I can see Holiday Inn become my first choice again is if free breakfast is guaranteed for Spire members.

haakona

They have to, if the room is available at time of checkin. Don't let them tell you otherwise.

haakona

If they upgrade me by themselves there's no need to mention it. If they don't upgrade me but apologize for not upgrading me and tell me the reason for not upgrading me (And the only acceptable reason is "There was no availability") and i confirmed in the app that there actually was no availability then all is fine, if they don't do that i obviously complain. Why wouldn't i? They failed to do something they're required to do. Something IHG promised me they would do for which i technically paid, because i only booked that room under consideration of their promise to upgrade me if there's availability.

But i've never had any such problems in Europe, even as Gold i was always upgraded.

Irons80

I simply want to get the upgrades that are suggested with Spire...

In terms of HIs in the UK, I have been in some excellent ones recently (Manchester, Watford, Birmingham, Bristol), often much better than CPs, many of which aren't worth the extra money... Hotel Indigo on the other hand...

Irons80

Indeed - which is why now on the occasions, I have mentioned it, in the end I have been upgraded to a suite / higher room category... what's the point of loyalty if you aren't rewarded as such?

haakona

To be fair my only HI Experience in the UK was London Bloomsbury and i had no complaints there.

chrism20

They actually don't have to according to the terms and conditions.

Irons80

Indeed this appears to be the case - makes booking the room below a suite (where they have them available) completely pointless... in any case, both hotels where this happened to me had nothing else available except Deluxe and then a suite, but clearly this then stops you from getting an upgrade.

However, T&Cs are silly - the point about it being up to the revenue manager applied when I booked a standard room and was asking about an upgrade to an Exec room (next category up) and not even to a junior suite or suite... they said they won't unless they 'cannot sell the room'...

blindman

Do they not know who you are

As has been pointed out they do not have to upgrade you.

trouble747

Actually, no--the terms say they're not required to upgrade to a "suite or specialty room." He was simply requesting an upgrade from a standard room. Try again with less snark?

chrism20

And there lies one of the problems.

How do any of us know that IHG don't class an exec room as a speciality room?

Unless I've missed it somewhere there is nothing in the terms and conditions which actually describes what a speciality room actually is so therefore it can be anything bar a standard room.

IHG descriptions of an upgrade include corner rooms, rooms with a view etc but at absolutely no point does any upgrade description or term include the words:-

CATEGORY or GUARANTEED

So yes unfortunately you are completely at the mercy of the Revenue Manager and if she/he can sell it or even think they can there is not a cat in hells chance we will get it.

scubaccr

Hotels may have multiple 2nd-best-cat-rooms, but only one/two rooms in best-room-cat often with a substantial rate differential. So of course hotels can not afford to upgrade you to it, hotels need to sell the room, unless evening checkout on a 1-night stay you are highly unlikely to get that best room. Often only upgraded to if hotel sells out by overbooking and all guests turn up that night instead of the expected %age of noshows

Plus the room could even then go to another guest, elite/repeating-guest not yourself.

Alas IHG Hotel Suites/Speciality-Rooms are excluded from elite foc upgrades in the IHG t+c's, and terms even say upgrade does not need be a room category upgrade but can be nicer room (defining nicer as ... high floor / corner room / refurbed room / nicer view ... you get the picture).

HI's in Europe have very few suites (sometimes none), with top room being an exec room. If you book an exec or even junior-suite you can not expect an upgrade. That doesn't mean that some IHG hotels will not "generously" upgrade to a suite if free, though is rarer in Europe.

Basically you have to research/know your hotels policy regards elite upgrades before you stay and book accordingly. As often stated if you really need a particular room type eg suite/lounge then book that in the first place.

The associated "IHG Group Stay" FT page has threads for many hotels, and FTers shoud report good/bad stays.
I ignore IHG's site own hotel guests reports as hotels weed ot bad feedbacks which don't allow to post so appear rosy+good and that is not a totally reliable view.
However read the threads to see if any guests report upgrades and to from/to which rooms.

When I post tripadvisor reviews I try to remember to say upgraded as a Spire/IHG-Elite if hotel upgrades me... although I kind of stopped reporting all new/first-time hotel stays a year ago.

t+c's
====
Hotel Room Upgrades for Platinum Elite and Spire Elite Members:
Platinum Elite and Spire Elite members will be offered a complimentary upgrade, as determined by the hotel, which might include rooms on higher floors, corner rooms, newly renovated rooms, or rooms with preferred views. The upgrade will be offered at time of check-in, based on availability, and will only apply to the member's personal guest room. The hotel is not required to upgrade members to suites or specialty rooms. Upgrade benefits will not apply to rooms booked as a Reward Night reservation.