Originally Posted by scubaccr

Trick only works for existing earned Platinums, as the Gold/Plat status associated with a new ambassador year is related to your earned IHG @Rewards status for the Jan-Dec period in which you actually purchase Ambassador status.

As such if you are qualified Platinum for Jan-Dec and buy/renew Ambassador, you currently get Plat Ambassador, for 12months, and keep Platinum Status even if your stays history would not renew non-Ambassador IHG @Rewards Platinum Status come the next January. As such can be useful for existing Plats who will drop status in January, to buy Ambassador in December and sneak Platnum status for 12months extra for the next Jan-Dec year,even if they will stay in HI/HIW/CP etc but IC branded hotels.

If you are an expiring Plat Amb, whose IHG status would be Gold (or lower) for current IHG Jan-Dec2014 year based on 2013 stay history, renewing Ambassador would drop you to Gold ambassador.