FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Barcelona, London, on a plane
Programs: BA Silver, TK E+, AA PP, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott LT Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 13,048
Getting 1K elite qualifying points for $5 is generally a good deal.
No upgrading using points, however, although some hotels make a mistake and allow different categories of room to be booked with points.
Ambassador gets you nothing outside of ICs. I can't recall if Ambassador automatically comes with some kind of IHG status.
Otherwise, thanks for the heads-up about the new hotel. I was stuck in a hotel room during my last visit to Laos, so have been looking for an excuse to go back...