scubaccr

One issue here is historically until circa 12months ago there was no tickbox on ihg.com room selection to add breakfast to individual chosen flex or bar rooms. The website redesign , I think Dec2014 introduced these tick boxes for b/f

Previously the b/f rate was a full extra room type for b/f, just like we still have separate lines for twin/double/std(well alloc on arrival) blocks for each room type.

As such hotels that dumped/sold non-returnable blocks of discounted rooms to OTAs offering b/f simply had to not offer a b/f bookable line on IHG.COM to avoid BPG claims.

This arrangement went out the window with website changes in Nov/Dec2014 and no doubt many hotels started getting numerous BPGs by BPGers ticking the b/f box to then compare like b/f rate with OTA and win a free night

To be honest I am really surprised it has taken IHG this long to react and stop this newer practise of ticking ihg.com b/f tickboxes to win a free BPG night/stay

However blocking claims for non-entry level rooms, eg Exec/Club/Suite is disingenious to say the least and unwarranted.

It was always just a question of time until repeat BPGers booking only single night stays killed this "Golden Goose" due to booking BPGs multiple times per year and also booking either or both
a)only bpg claiming single night stays.
b)only bpg nights and never paid nights
c)booking bpg at far more costly nightly room rates than they book if paying themselves
d)booking same hotel under bpg multiple times

Maybe IHG should follow other chains now with rate matching an $50 off for a fairer system, that hotels will more likely accept lost revenues on. Such system also stops claims by those BPGers who book £500 rooms for BPG claims when only making paid stays at say upto £100 night.
For those booking suites as a matter of course on many stays BPGs such a BPG system would still be worthwhile.