chrism20

Having read the email and the blurb on the website I'm trying not to laugh.

It says all the same stuff about new exciting benefits coming soon after the launch. It's almost word for word to the email from when they launched Spire and other than Hertz status I don't think any additional benefits were ever launched for Spire.

I'm not convinced it will be any different this time round but hope I am proved wrong.

TheWiseOne

They won't. IHG, imo, has the least sway over hotel owners. I do actually believe that they did have some additional plans for Spire but weren't able to get enough owners to agree, which is why they were hinting that Spire was going to have more features coming then they never materialised.

From this announcement, I suspect that, at the very best Diamond, will offer something like one or a few of the following benefits:

1) Free breakfast at weekends (ala Accor Diamond)

2) Guaranteed lounge access at Crowne Plaza (rather than pretty much guaranteed but not official.)

3) F&B credit similar to that of Ambassador i.e. $25 per stay.

4) One category room upgrade (however, I think this may be brand specific i.e. not at Kimpton/IC as to get that you need to buy AMB/IC.)

Personally, none of the above would persuade me to continue to stay at IHG properties/move away from my plan to burn all my IHG points in the next 12 months and solely focus my loyalty to Hilton (outside of the US; which to be fair is where I spend virtually all my time, since I am European based.)

IHG lost me as a firm member owing to:

1) the lack of follow up to their hints on Spire
2) their move to dynamic pricing
3) their removal of into the nights/pointsbreak/accelerate which gutted their loyalty scheme strength (which was easy point/free night gains at the expense of on property benefits.)

As I said, the Spire situation told me that they didn't have enough sway over owners to create a competitive programme, whereas there changes to points earning/redeeming has equally told me that they cannot even keep owners happy with the old policies.

As a result, I suspect very weak 'new' benefits and that it will just solidify that their old strength (easy points/redemption's) is completely dead.

swag

At least for now, the Premier card will still get you platinum. They're still issuing new accounts on that one, and while IHG can change program terms al they want, changing promised benefits on new accounts without notice runs afoul of (CFPB) Federal regulations.

That doesn't mean that IHG can't devalue Platinum benefits, but that doesn't seem to be the direction here.

craigthemif

A "new vision in loyalty"??? OK, maybe they had to make a premature announcement due to a leak, but renaming Spire is hardly "a new vision" ...

And in these cost-cutting times, I can hardly imagine IHG shoving free breakfast or lounge access down the throats of franchisees. But let's see what we get...

neutralist

Not sure if it refers to this, but if you have Spire AND Ambassador, keeping the Ambassador alive will also keep the Spire level alive, without any stay or spend necessarily. You just need to pay the renewal fee for Ambassador. ( and you also get the choice benefit upon renewal which rebates 25000 points )

I got my Spire level initially via status match from Hilton.

asdfghjk

Renewing Ambassador.

js1993

But, interestingly, not a first-time Ambassador purchase.

DiverDave

It is interesting to me that the two programs that say they are most concerned with costs to property owners (Marriott and IHG) both lost big chunks of properties to Sonesta.

Or maybe this is part of the fallout from the mass exodus of SVC properties.

David

sfozrhfco

As all these new "benefits" are going to cost the hotels less than they currently do by offering next to nothing, I would expect:

1. Mandatory amenity fees to cover free cup of local water---premium filtered water where the tap water is undrinkable
2. Choice between amenity points or piece of packaged bread/pastry for breakfast
3. Choose one of 3 designs for the card key to enter your room
4. "Hand written" form letter from hotel manager welcoming you to the property

greggrant

Doesn't Ambassador just get you Platinum?

neutralist

If you do NOT have any status beforehand, then yes, buying Ambassador will get you just Platinum.

But if you ALREADY have Spire, then add Ambassador on top of it, keeping Ambassador alive will also keep Spire alive with no stay or spend requirement.

If you let your Ambassador expires and not already qualified for Spire via stay or spend, you will be kick out of the program. Or reverting to Platinum if you hold the Chase card.

Kentish Steve

In the UK the only IHG credit card provider Creation are a complete joke and a good example of how not to offer customer service. When other people talk about how weak IHG management are with owners insofar as improving member benefits with them they are also weak at managing their credit card provider who close accounts without just cause and have stopped all new applications, clearly a CC company looking to exit the UK market, where will that then leave IHG with no card presence in the UK, one more barrier to accumulating points to achieve higher levels. Unless these program changes bring real guaranteed benefits members will no doubt leave to other groups that offer real tangible value for their members loyalty..

submonte

Looks like Accor ALL now:

IHG Rewards Club
Accor ALL

Club
Classic

Silver Elite
Silver

Gold Elite
Gold

Platinum Elite
Platinum

Diamond Elite
Diamond

asdfghjk

Yeah, I've read reports recently that it didn't work for new sign up, but It did work for me a few years ago.

FlyerBeek

Can someone please remind me: do points transferred into IHG still count as elite qualifying points?

-FlyerBeek