Originally Posted by
bsb21
Corp tells you, you carry it out. End of story.
The situation where the BRG agent confirmed a free night and then latter (after probably talking to the hotel) decided that the free night would not be offered, speaks very badly of IHG.
Sad
Many thanks to all for your thoughts on Le Grand oddness. I've been back in touch with the BRG agents... not foot-stamping, more pointing out loyal-Ambassador-many-years-lotsa-money and all that... and they do seem to be trying to negotiate with Le Grand to make things right.
They've agreed the rate was publicly available, and have been trying to get a manager at Le Grand on the phone (by Monday, now, apparently)... So their judgment on my claim has gone Approved > Denied > Approved-if-we-only-could.
But it seems that the BRG agents simply don't have the power to over-rule a hotel. If the first person they talk to at Le Grand doesn't want to honor the claim, they pretty much have to keep calling back and pleading with them until they do. (Sound like an FT approach, any? Call centre guys having to play call center roulette... I'm sure someone higher up in corporate could over-rule the hotel, but these guys can't.)
Seems like a very labor-intensive way to run the system, doesn't it? Every claim's going to need a negotiation, every hotel's going to have a different attitude. I tend to agree with those who say that the BRG agents should simply be able to adjust the reservation where appropriate. As for me, well, Park Hyatt will get a bit more money than I'd intended this autumn... but with IHG, I'm afraid, I've grown used to some stellar properties, with a most haphazard central system...