Thumper

I'm going to believe our IHC lurker.

The reliability demonstrated is in complete lockstep with the reliability of the entire IHC organization.

I will admit though that I am a bit sad that he used up his July post so early in the month.
Now we will have to wait until August for the next question to be answered.

mitpat474

same here was pretty shocking you get free club at PL.. think i have gotten it once last year but that was probably as I know club staff

whiskerxx

Atacama40

Hi Mitpat, no my point was that I rarely get lounge at PL. mind you I'm far from a regular, maybe couple stops a year, and they rarely cough it up. I'd say my rough number at 1 in 3 is about right.

Mind as I say I'm no regular and to be honest far from a fan of PL. I know a lot of you are and respect that but I've never found it that special and insanely priced. Each to own I guess....my IC top 5 probably wouldn't reflect other peoples but it certainly wouldn't see Park Lane in it. And no, I don't know anyone of any merit there....is always a leg up if you do of course.

Atacama40

Thanks again Land of Miles. All good advice. Morbid curiosity on my part but just what was the problem with the lounge? PL doesn't blow my skirt up much either and never a place I'd insist on but just curious what made you shudder?

pleitao

Based on the level of information we are receiving, which is none, I'm guessing that the next post on August will read something like this:

"Hi, everyone. We're still on track to launch this year and very excited about the new benefits to IHG Rewards Club. July was posted briefly (3 months) on our website FAQ in error and has been corrected. Stay tuned for more details soon (next 6 months)."

Atacama40

...yeah but look how many of us are looking, reading. posting, anticipating tier names, benefits etc.

I think there is a name for this type of stretch out in marketing terms. One of you will know it. It's like the release of a new MS or Sony console.....everyone is outraged at the delays and compromises but they still queue at PC world or Amazon to buy it. We are gluttons for it!

I doubt many of us will stop the look, read post thing even if Christmas didn't arrive 1st July....I have this vision of many of us looking like the kid who got a book token instead of a PS4 Call of Duty bundle on July 1st

rumbataz

If you're a frequent stayer at IHG properties and you have already reached the new level, then you have good reason to feel aggrieved. You're missing out on the benefits of the new level already.

Some of us would have changed our plans to get to the new level to reap the new rewards from 01 July.

stimpy

As I said a couple times in this thread, there might be more negatives than positives with the new program. Maybe we will be glad that they delayed it. In fact a hotel employee hinted that to me recently.

Atacama40

Granted and agreed. Is misleading and disappointing on that basis and in another field (say a missed flight to meet a year's tier renewal etc) I'd also be frustrated. Better to miss by a mile than a flight/stay. No doubt.

And yes my slightly frivolous marketing observations aside, if you spent your hard earned to hit something that you thought might bring benefit then that's misleading at best. Given that take, I share your view.

I would still doubt it will stop us looking and that there maybe a net marketing gain. poor marketing maybe. From my chair I didn't bother looking at IHG points/levels and all that stuff for quite a while until the rumble of a new tier and the mental glitter that it bought....in my case for slightly childish reasons.

But if I'd responded to the marketing (and I have in past IHG promotions) then I'd be hacked off as well. Point.

pleitao

In my humble opinion, I don't agree with you.
On Sony PSP, you know the technical descriptions, you saw demos and you expect a more reality game adjust to your most likely new TV specifications. You have real expectation based on proper information, you may get disappointed if they didn't took benefit of the used hardware but still you had information.

In this case I think the marketing was very good until June 30, they generate a fuzz about it, they didn't give many information allowing you to reading, posting, anticipating tier names, benefits, card colours, etc.
Some people actually change part of their habits to reach the level earlier and benefit at least the 100% points and status.
From this they had an amazing poll of ideas and market demands/opinions and wishes.

Starting yesterday the market is quite bad.
So what if they fail on the delivery, sh** happens.
All they had to do was to come clean, apologise and let people know, maybe grant 100% points starting on July 1 for those who reached the tier.
If that happens the discussion will continue mostly focussing on the new benefits.

By removing the day from the communication and not telling to anybody until July, they look incompetent and seems that they are not acting in good faith, even if it was an honest mistake (which personally I don't believe) they should notify it.

Now the discussion shifted to a bad publicity, is about their incompetence, they lack on information, people that believe they are losing promised benefits since July 1.
In some cases they losing the customers that went out of their way in the last months.

Land-of-Miles

Last stay, May Kay cosmetics convention. Just horrible, I still have flashbacks and will never pay for lounge access or a lounge inclusive room again, when I get a great room 90% of the time anyway.

Atacama40

Not sure you've ever bought a games console ..... the false dawn of promises and missed deliveries and content is a entire genre and web site (let alone thread) of its own. And then there's MS Win 9.5....XP, 7, 8 ...... and various middle Europe ERP packages ... you get the point...slipped deliveries, totally absent content, withdrawal of support, totally false marketing drivel... and lets be honest out and out lies. And I should know, I've purchased hundreds of thousands of these things and still make the same mistake every second year...emperors new clothes (opps gives up part of the day job)

Comment was a little tongue in cheek by the way. Yes no-one should be negatively impacted, especially when they are spending their own cash and yes we should live in an honorable world were companies do as they say and say as they do. But hands up.....who works for one of those?.....yeah there's a guy at the back there I can see who does....maybe

So I know what we should expect but I just suspect deep down, no-one will really modify their behavior that much and leave in droves to Hilton or SPG or whoever else....we will all do what we all do and smart for a while, do a few Jumeriah Sirus or Westin nights and then jump on the back of the next points offer that benefits us....whoever it's from. It's the nature of human beings...most human beings. My VLA order for 120,000 Win 10 licences is in the post

It doesn't mean IHG did a great thing by the way. I too mod'ed my stay pattern even though I was way over target anyway but to be honest I don't pay my own bill...the monolith I work for does. I do certainly feel it for the guy who picks up his own tab who was let down by the poor expectation setting.

Atacama40

.... made me shudder as well. I feel your pain

chrism20

I can remember reading that when you posted it in the PL thread, I think I'd have flipped tbh. I certainly would have refused to pay for the pleasure.