Originally Posted by
nacho
Yes and No.
Yes - IHG has plenty of properties spreading out all over the world. Especially in rural area close to National Parks in the US (it's hard to find Marriotts for nights close to National Park).
No - IHG's properties are not as consistent as Marriott's. I have stayed at an IC that is worse than any Marriott I stayed at.
Agree that in some places IHG has the edge on availability alone - sometimes this is all that matters depending on your travel plans. I've stayed in some rural areas where it was Holiday Inn Express or Bates Motel... Guess that's what got me into IHG in the first place... that and my company's drive to lower costs.
Out of curiosity, what IC did you stay in that wasn't up to par?
Originally Posted by
pinniped
Well, I wouldn't get too carried away with those equal signs.
I suspect that IHG has Marriott on sheer numbers mostly in the lower-end brands.
My thoughts on quality...
Ritz = No IHG comparison.
JW = IC. Roughly...I consider both good brands but there's that whole RA status you need to have for IC. "Regular" MR Platinum works at non-resort JW's.
Marriott >>> Crowne Plaza. This one isn't even close.
Renaissance >>> Indigo. This one isn't close either.
CY < HI. This one is all over the board but I'll give HI the edge here from the perspective of a Platinum in both programs.
FFI < HIX. My few 2011 HIX stays were in newer builds - pretty good stays.
RI > Staybridge. RI gets the edge both on quality of the newer builds and the fact that they have some interesting/character properties. That said, there are also some tired suburban properties that need a retrofit.
SHS/TPS > Candlewood. Both of those brands are somewhat nicer than Candlewood IMHO.
To me, it's pretty clear cut: PC/IHG is a solid program if you do a ton of rural stays for work and then redeem awards at IC. Being able to stack promos and pile up big points is a major plus. The availability and quality of the motels - especially the newer HIX's - is a marked advantage over most Fairfield Inns. At least now, in 2012...
But if you need either long-stay or regular city business hotels, I think Marriott is a far better program overall. Every Crowne Plaza I've stayed in in the past 10 years feels closer to Ramada than Marriott.
Hasn't IHG talked a long time about pumping serious money into a revitalization of the CP brand? If they want to be thought of alongside SPG, HH, MR, and HY, I think they have to do that. There aren't enough IC's in this world for them to rest on that brand alone.
Agree with you on this one. I suppose my opinion is biased as I generally stay in lower end hotels and do often redeem points for ICs. I am not sure I would even redeem points for a Ritz-equivalent property if IHG had one - and would think most IHG Platinums would be with me on this one.
Yes, RA benefits are very good and hard to achieve, similar to Marriott PP. However, regular Ambassador benefits are not too shabby depending on the hotel. In the last IC I stayed in, I received free airport transfer, free breakfast, free internet, and free lounge access with happy hour with Ambassador alone.
Not too sure on IHG pumping money into CPs, although like you say, they seem to have plenty of money to open new HIXs - some of which are pretty good value for the money with nice amenities for regular business travel (free breakfast and internet comes to mind).
Originally Posted by
socrates
just curious...this thread had been dead for 2 years...what made someone decide to respond to a 2 year old post today? (not that this thread doesn't have value...it does)
Haha, point taken. I was searching through the forums and found this - didn't look at the date of the last post!