catharsis

I wasn't actually planning to book this hotel as there is an IC in the same city, but after looking to the CP Adelaide recently I noticed that there was no award availability in that hotel, for the off-peak dates I was considering.

This piqued my interest so I decided to do an award search for the hotel - only to discover that there was no award availability there for any night to the end of booking availability.

I cannot remember the precise details of the IHG program but I thought hotels were not allowed to do this? - surely the IC Thalasso would have done this long ago if it were allowed?

Can anyone remind me about the IC policies in this area, and if the hotel is in breach does anyone have suggestions as to how I might bring this to the attention of someone who can get the issue resolved?

whiskerxx

I have 3 reward nights booked for February

craigthemif

The flexible-date calendar that supposedly shows award availability often doesn't work properly.

That said, IHG have a no blackout date policy, which is entirely different from a "if there's a standard room it's yours with points". How that works I don't really know - a hotel could get away with only a couple of award rooms per night, as long as something is available daily (and somebody else might already have grabbed). Or, they might only release award rooms when occupancy is almost full (so that the hotel gets maximum compensation)

jcoinctravel

Will the IHG agent be able to see the hotel available in their system? How can it be booked? The online system does not allow a booking and does not show availability.

Thanks

markis10

Off peak does not mean the hotel has not sold its reward rooms, or is not busy. FWIW Plenty of reward nights over Christmas. If rooms are not bookable, they are not available.

The CP is often sold out or far dearer than the IC in Adelaide, not sure why apart from being a much newer property. The Ibis across the road from the CP is often under $100 and much better value by comparison.

Dave Noble

I just pcked 2 date ranges at randon (04/11 - 11/11and 18-25 Nov ) and the Crowne Plaza Adelaide was available for both date rangess at 35,000 points per night. Seems plenty of availability in november at least

scubaccr

IHG corporate has contracts with all franchises and they have to make 5% of rooms available for points/awards, no black days for awards so are available eg New years eve etc. However if hotel is only 80rooms that is 4 rooms/night and if 79rooms only 3rooms/night

Of course nothing to stop hotels releasing more, and quite a few bigger hotels with 300+ rooms will release awards 1-5days before checkin if already at 95% occupancy triggering IHG payment of Average daly rate instead of the usual token fee

TravelinSperry

Is this still happening? For example, the Hotel Indigo in Barcelona is showing no award availability at all in 2018. I can't believe they've released their 5% award room allocation and it's all scooped up on every single night. I'd imagine this hotel is simply not releasing any rooms (at least according to the calendar). Is this allowed?

EDIT: after seeing another thread it turns out it's the award calendar that is wonky - i.e., doesn't work. One needs to search every day, by day individually and then nights show. Annoying as heck, but at least they are offering award nights.

archstenton

Did you put in for 2 people or 4 people for your search?

What I've noticed specifically at IHG properties near me, Monterey and SF is a crackdown on two bed rooms. Nearly impossible to get, yet put in 2 guests and a single bed room is available for pts or Chase Free night. Before it was pretty easy to get a two bed room

Dadofsix

Jon Maiman

I have noticed it as well for both city and resort locations. Suburban and rural locations seem to have better general availability for two bed rooms (and in general). I guess that isn't surprising. The difficulty in getting two bed rooms for award stays is my single biggest complaint with the IHG Rewards Program followed by the steep point inflation the last couple of years. For my family travel, rooms with two beds are table stakes. Two queen bed rooms are our preference; however, we can make two double bed rooms work for shorter stays (pronounced mom and dad are cramped). Teenage daughter on a rollaway bed doesn't work well even when it is available. The lack of upgrades or other tangible on property benefits (versus Marriott my primary program) doesn't bother me. Off SoapBox....

--Jon

taylorcpa

Dadofsix

You might run into trouble with that approach if only 2-person room types are available. One option you could try is to book a Reward Night for 2 adults as a "Standard Room" type, if that option is available. Then see if the room type gets modified to a 4-person room sometime before check-in (preferably before the cancellation deadline).

When booking, it says "Room assigned at check-in" but I think sometimes the room type gets assigned long before check-in.

This option worked for me recently at a Holiday Inn Express. A few days after I made the reservation, it was modified to a Two Queens room type (with capacity of 4 people) by the hotel or by IHG (not sure which) and so I was covered as I was also bringing 4 people total. I did view the reservation shortly before the cancel deadline again just to make sure that it didn't get modified again to a One King room type -- had that been done, I would've had to revisit my approach (possibly canceling and staying somewhere else) but thankfully it didn't come to that.