Kevin,
Thanks again for posting an update here. While not every question I have has been answered to my satisfaction, I appreciate the effort.
On a personal note, I want to pass on how disappointed I am with the rollout of this program. The Terms and Conditions have been nothing short of ambiguous and flat out misleading. I have read through all three revisions and no where does it state that any hotel under IHG’s umbrella can selectively choose to honor IHG’s “Most Powerful Guarantee in the Industry”. There were also no restrictions on class of room, minimum number of nights per single stay or specific hotels that were not participating in the program. As a result, I took the IHG CSR for her word when she told me via phone, and later in an email, that my claim was in fact valid. This was on September 28, 2011. It is now more than a month later and my rate has yet to be adjusted. I’ve since moved forward with my travel plans by booking airfare, making hotel reservations and purchasing travel passes for the rest of my itinerary. Now I’m faced with the daunting prospect that I may be required to pay for my room while in Rome and hope that IHG, who is the same company that assured me that my night would be comped as a result of a valid BRG claim, will send me my funds in a timely fashion. In my case, which I acknowledge to be extreme, I will be out of pocket over $4,000.00 for a single night. (Penthouse Suite with terrace) I would have been more than happy to book a lower class of room had I been granted a valid BRG claim when I first called. I can no longer afford to part with $4,000.00 should it be needed at check-in as the monies have otherwise been allocated. So this leaves me with having to book an alternate hotel while on my trip so that I don’t have to sleep in the streets. Even with an email guarantee, I won’t really know that all is well until I check-in.
I don’t understand why IHG isn’t being more proactive with hotels that are delaying or flat out refusing to honor your BRG policy. Could we not put a timeframe on the process and offer your customer’s points in exchange? I don’t see what the harm is in that. If you give me my first night for free, how will that cost the hotel anything different than letting me book my room with points…which WILL be accepted by all hotels chain-wide? Why am I, as a consumer, asked to front my funds because your hotels aren’t cooperating? Why doesn’t IHG write a check to the hotel on my behalf instead? I would be more than willing to trade my $4,000.00 room for 2 nights in a standard room, provided that they are available to book with points on my firm dates. I’m happy, you’re happy and the hotel can potentially make a $3,200.00 profit in the exchange. It’s win/win/win.
But instead I am left to ponder a “Plan B” should my original plans fall through. I don’t know how much time is reasonable for me to expect IHG and my hotel to sort everything out. The only answers I get are when I personally call...which are none. It would be nice if the CSRs would drop me an email to let me know that they’re still working on my case. Appearances are everything. What I perceive is that IHG has a stake in me NOT having this sorted out beforehand which will result in canceling a reservation of a “freeloader” that took them up on their bold claim. By the time I leave for my trip, more than 6 months will have passed from the date my BRG claim was accepted. Am I being too lofty with my expectations? I don’t think that I am.
/rant off