Loyalty Club

Towards the end of last year I switched my business fully over to SPG and achieved their Platinum challenge. The treatment I get at Starwood properties totally trumps my old IHG stays. I was finding that even having RA status was only resulting in the same single level upgrades that Ambassador only level membership provided. With SPG I also get Club and Lounge benefits as standard, which isn't a benefit of RA. I never really raided the mini-bars, so Club benefits are of more interest to me. Also getting virtually no benefits at IC specific branded properties on reward point stays disappointed me as I really don't want to stay in the lowest room categories that are available on points. With SPG, even reward stays count towards gaining Elite level membership, along with room upgrades and all other programme benefits. Earning 10 Suite night awards each year is also a great perk.

I feel that the priorityclub and the Ambassador programmes have really devalued over the past couple of years and especially with this years' latest redemption changes.

Wan1dap

Normally put all my nights (>130, mostly ICs) at IHG but this year will put roughly half with Hyatt.

scubaccr

Thinking about it I will be staying at CP's more this year than last year, with less IC night's. CP's often have Club rooms, and I can buy a couple of beers a night at the bar instead of getting from a free inroom minibar.

A London CP at £140+tax a night with £40/night incidentals for 5 nights gives me £900 spend x 16 points = 14,400 points and 7,200 bonus points, for a pricier IC 5night stay I get a measley 2000 points + 2000 plat/RA bonus points and nothing for my meals either.

I avoid IC Hotels when I book full week stays + even stays longer than 2nights at IC's, as against CP nights, due to the far far greater number of points I get at CP from both cost of room and my extra spend, ie meals/beers. If I was not an RA I could not really justify IC over CP nights.

I feel unwanted at Europe/Asian IC's due to the inequality with USA having converted to points per US$, whilst in Europe a meager 2000 per stay is awarded and often when European nightly room is at least double the USA IC cost.

I now need those extra points from CP versus IC to fund the increased points/night from the PCR 2012 and 2013 points hikes to my award nights.

Funnily it was using points for award nights that got me staying at IC's in the first place, as I accumulated loads of unspent points from my CP stays, and then I got used to paying for IC nights occaisionally.

asian_journeyman

Definitely have changed my stay patterns. I find the 2000 points/stay to be quite pathetic for ICs in asia and europe and will only book IC if its a 1 night stay, and even then, rarely.

E.g in HK, though the IC HK is a really nice hotel with beautiful harbour views, I find it extremely difficult to justify as I usually end up staying in HK 3-4 nights per trip. I have switched my stays to either the RC or the W and sometimes the JW. Considering that I spend about USD 2500 on average/ stay, the returns from IC is pathetic compared to the RC or the W.

The cities I usually end up in are Tokyo, Beijing, Shanghai, Singapore and Bangkok. Plus some of the second and third tier cities in China where only PC has decent coverage.

I could go on and on.. but the 2000 points/stay I get is just pathetic considering the spend and the blurb about staying in ICs being about the 'luxury hotel experience' and not for points rings hollow as their competitors in those markets are as good as if not better then the ICs.

I guess the only way I would prefer to stay in an IC in Asia and Europe other then on redemption nights would be if they aligned points earning to spend as in the US.

Bowgie

Two years ago, I was over 20 nights per year at IHG.

Last year, those all went to Hilton, mostly because of the nice breakfasts that overseas Hiltons give to HH golds. IHG still got some stays.

Now because of the devalution and general lack of promotions by IHG, my stays are now 100% Hilton.

Yeah, HGI won't miss just me, but multiply that by everyone else, and that's got to hurt.

bearvest

Same thing here. About 10 business stays and 10 vacation stays on rewards or Pointbreaks.

Will they miss my $2500 annual spending? Probably not.

But In my service business, 80% of revenues are generated by existing, not new customers. The migration of small but loyal customers may have a significant impact on their revenue base.

nub2travel

I am taking a break from PC for 2013 at least. I did not renew ambassador which is what attracted me the the hotel group to begin with. I have never had much luck the Points Break so I will just hold on to my points until a special trip opportunity allows me to use them. Maybe by then PC will be be my fav program again.

scubaccr

New plan for my IC 2013 stays
I am about to add hotel hopping for week stays, say IC-Hilton-IC-Hilton-IC now I have HH Gold. In Park Lane IC and Hilton are near by to make hotel hopping painless. Two fold purpose, get 3sets of IC points per week + jump to HH Diamond on stays.

Then with HH Diamond I can switch my IC RA stays to Hilton with Room/Siute Upgrade, Free Internet, Guaranteed Lounge, Points per $ spend for all nights AND spending points, HH award nights give a)bennies b)count a qual nights

To keep me at IC's in Europe, IHG need to equalise IC points with USA to points per $, else I am moving to Hilton when I get HH Diamond. If I find I like the Hilton experience will move CP stays too.

icewraithuk

I average about 150 nights a year in hotels, which was roughly split between HI and Marriott. I'll likely stay the nights to renew platinum this year, just in case they sort this out next year, but once I have that status renewed I'll be looking to move my business elsewhere - I get far better benefits from my Marriott platinum than IHG before they made the changes, they're now way better and Hilton is looking attractive as my 2nd place.

FlyerTalker688786

I would prefer IHG to move into $ per point PLUS a minimum 2,000 points per stay style...lol...greedy me.

mnredfox

Not really, but go where?

schauschun

with the devaluation of priority points now I am a loyal customer of clubcarlson.
with only 35 nights I just got concierge elite member = free breakfast, free internet at radisson properties (but also at many park inns, park plazas ..) and withz 3000 bonus points for online booking (as a concierge) and 75% bonus points on base points - reguarding that free nights starts at 9000 points

archstenton

I'm mainly a leisure traveler, only for business on average about 4 nights per year.

I originally hooked up with IHG 10 years ago because of the Ambassador program to help with honeymoon to Bora Bora and a following year trip to Paris. The main reason I've stuck with IHG, just seems I've been able to accumulate a lot of points without having to physically spend many nights at the properties. We're going to redeem for a either Mark Hopkins or other Intercontinental SF night primarily from me and wife doing the e-rewards surveys and other quirky 1000 point here/1000 point there things and bonus stuff. Also, gotten lucky a couple times with Points Breaks and a trip already planned.

Probably will make a decision if decide not to get the credit card in the near future, may abandon IHG until kids are gone, plan our first big non-kid trip and maybe try to buy a RA certificate off the internet.

I've struggled with room upgrades using points or money at the check in desk. 3 little kids, need a third bed in the room. IHG hasn't been too accommodating. Gold status usually isn't very impressive to them.

Marriott works great for us, because typically a lot of Town Place Suites or Spring Hill Suites are on the lower redemption tiers and the base room can accommodate us already.

BotB

Yes.

I tend to stay in hotels enough each year to get top status in 3-4 chains and Priority club was always second for me behind Hilton.

Now it will be my fourth. I will stay once in a while when it is convenient and no other chain is around or the value is simply too good to not take up but I won't be getting platinum and I won't be renewing my Ambassador status.

I imagine I will just put more towards the other three chains I use rather than add a new chain due to my travel patterns.

If IHG would finally provide free breakfast, internet and club access when staying in an IC to an Ambassador I would come back as a Plat. Amb but otherwise no motivation for me.

No really big loss for them though as I only gave IHG 40 or so nights a year.

the_commish3

Same here, I don't really see it as a big negative. It seems like IHG is being penalized for being less generous as opposed to a worse program than their comp. I'm still earning a ton of points and people here have been griping for years about IHG needing to make Platinum a True status. I earned Platinum Staus in February last year, that's crazy. I've been able to book some IC hotels for less points and it's still to earn points. I've stayed at more Starwood, Hyatt and Marriott hotels this year but that has more to do with Conferences and Location and none have wowed me in regards to their point program with the exception do Marriott. I'm still Loyal to IHG