An odd stand-off at an IC in Mexico. A beaming receptionist tells me my `Diamond status has earned me Club access as an upgrade, tagged on to my standard room. I point out that because i already have access to the lounge through my annual pass, the upgrade is meaningless.

Then the oddness starts, a supervisor overhears and gets involved, says (I precis here) they know nothing about my IHG entitlement: the hotel system says i booked a standard room, they are giving me lounge access because of my Diamond membership. End of.

And as an additional tweak, having been given access to the lounge, i must take breakfast there rather than in the main restaurant - my Diamond-related breakfast entitlement subsumed in the upgrade.


It was a rather out of the way IC, so I guess maybe they are not totally familiar with the rather complicated turns the Reward programme has taken. But I was surprised that guest entitlements under that programme are not communicated in the reservation information received from IHG.