Originally Posted by
travelexpert
I do not think it is worthwhile aspiring to be Spire.
I have the status, and cannot see that it does anything special.
IHG is probably the ultimate large hotel brand where top elite status is irrelevant.
In contrast--I do see purchasing Intercontinental Ambassador for around $200 per year comes (with one BOGO certificate for weekend use) as making a significant difference to IC stays. Upgrades (even to suite), late checkouts--worth every penny.
This is kind of a blanket statement. It apparently is accurate as it relates to your needs, but it certainly doesn't reflect mine.
My job requires an average of 3-4 hotel nights every week. I have to stay somewhere, and my travels often take me to secondary and tertiary cities throughout the US. The IHG family seems to have properties where I need to be, so it's a little bit of a no brainer to pick them and stick with them. I earned Spire with stays in the last 3 months of '15, and requalified for '17 last week.
This means I accumulate a ton of points. I use them to "pay" for personal travel that I am going to take anyway, or to gift to my friends and family. Last fall, I used them to pay for 3 nights at the Holiday Inn Fisherman's Wharf for my daughter and son-in-law. In a couple of weeks, my wife and I are going to Vegas for a couple of days for a bowling tournament with 3 other couples. 4 rooms at a Holiday Inn Express, 2 nights, no charge. Last spring, driving vacation from Portland, OR to El Paso and back. 10 days, never paid for a hotel.
For me, the ease of accumulating points and redeeming them is a huge bonus.