a pleasant surprise that CP Geneva gives lounge access to Spire members and a room upgrade

fabulous value IMO as you get Happy Hour drinks + snacks and a continental breakfast

Nestle coffee maker in room and fabulous sauna on floor 7

CP Monterrey Centro gave lounge access to me and two others who were staying in my room and a separate room. I'm IHG Platinum. The lounge had breakfast from 6-10, a noon tea service and evening appetizers and drinks. It was very pleasant actually.

Crowne Plaza in Plymouth, England, has a club lounge that is open on Friday and the weekends. Open bar including two beers; two reds, a rose, and a white; Pepsi, Diet Pepsi and some other non-alcoholic drinks. The only snacks were a dessert plus nuts and cookies. Breakfast served at the weekend in both the restaurant and the lounge. Breakfast doesn't start until 7 a.m., which kind of sucks.

As an IHG platinum, I was given access after I was upgraded to the an executive room on club lounge floor.

at least you were upgraded and given Lounge access, which is nowadays happening very seldom, even the lounge offering sucks

I would be a little disappointed that there was no evening food as advertised, but the wide-open bar of soda pop, wine and beer made up for it. The weekend breakfast, albeit cold and continental, is just fine if you don't want the restaurant.

But yes, I agree about the lack of access. It's one reason why I no longer stay at IHG. I used to do about 25-30 nights per year. Now, I do 2-3 nights per year, maximum. I have no use for Holiday Inn properties, Crowne Plaza is like Sheraton in that it is too inconsistent, and Intercontinental is overrated. Plus, the IHG program is useless.

fully agreed!
I have to force myself this year to spend at least one night in a IHG hotel so that my >1 million points do not expire...

Anyone stayed at CP Vientiane as IHG Platinum? Do they offer complimentary Club access?

What about CP properties in India, any experience?

Hotel: Manchester City Centre Crowne Plaza
Location: Manchester
IHG status(s): Spire
Paid / award night: Award
Breakfast in restaurant: n/a
Upgrade to club floor: Granted
Club lounge access: Granted
Club lounge services / quality: Wine was pleasant, plate of canapes offered were a bit on the small side. Continental breakfast in the lounge was pretty decent.
Other comments: Upgraded on check-in to club room on the 8th floor - rooms & corridor appear to have been recently renovated - modern furnishings & decent TV. Would be happy to stay again.

great to get upgraded and lounge access on a award. I never got anything when staying on an award!

in Europe recently I have had wildly different experiences with various CP properties on both ends of the continuum

the CP in Barcelona is awesome, they serve champagne in the club lounge and offer quite decent food, the CP in Geneva also has a club lounge that is a great value. The CP in Bratislava gets honourable mention.

The CP in Zurich is simply not a nice hotel and elites get almost zero recgnition but there is little competition in the hotel business there.

The CP Milan offers better rooms than Zurich but you will also get NOTHING as Spire or RA, this is a property that I will avoid 100% in future. CP in Venice, more of the same, NOTHING.

With new RA qualification requirements, I took the Hilton Diamond challenge and glad I did as their properties are a better value IMO in Milan + Bangkok than IHG in general.

Was it actually real champagne or Spanish sparkling wine?

i can not remember having ever seen real champagne in a CP lounge served for free
most have just rather cheap white and red wine

there is only one Champagne and it is French

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Location...Catalonia.html

maybe Delta is serving Ukrainian champanski on their MD 90 flights?