Originally Posted by
MrsW
In first place, drum roll - 2 year free lounge pass. We chose it in early Jan 23 and it expires end Dec 24. We have used it during 12 separate stays,
Does anyone have different rankings?
No - as a fellow leisure traveller with 74 IHG nights and 60+ elsewhere think you and FlyGVA have nailed it.
Lounge Pass has had 30 outings since qualification in early March.
Previously usually paid Club. So no chance of RA even with over 40 IC nights including 7 fully paid Club nights at Jimbaran Bali
re the above - I note a thread where a Lounge Pass member was evicted from the Club Pool. Understand - but what is the upgrade price from lounge pass to just get the Club pool access. Academic for me - Bali once every 30 years is enough - and unlikely to make it again. LOL
But this Lounge Pass may have worked well for IHG.
I also like the fact that I don’t feel any remorse for not using a Lounge I have paid a fortune to access. In 2 recent 6 night IC stays we only dropped by quite late for cocktails on several nights. And afternoon tea is rarely used - although must admit Sanctuary Bay, Gold Coast Australia was rather good
8 UK Crowne Plaza one night stays on quiet nights which would not have been considered without lounge. Our pattern in explore mode is - early breakfast - decent lunch - drinks and light snack in the evening. So Lounge works well for us.
5 nights at HI and Suites Makati Philippines. IHG are not on our radar in Manila. Please can we have an IC again - the demolished one was tired but good. We normally use The New World. But Stevne who was lounge manager there moved across —- and I needed the nights in December to get to 70.
Several other discretionary stays were clinched by the lounge pass.
CSU is a farce. Two attempts rejected repeatedly using very dubious definitions of base suite. Defining the base suite as lounge excluded and then showing multiple availability for the same room lounge included just demeans the offer. Seriously bonkers was being refused several times by a certain hotel only to get the requested suite gratis upon checkin!
F&B Certs. Found them useful for buying kids meals for grandkids. Or to bulk up IC Ambassador benefit allowance for a decent drink! But in many hotels the mark up is so ridiculous that points are more valuable.