CalItalian

I registered for this promo early on. Did not complete it. It expired over Thanksgiving weekend for me. I'm barely at 30 paid nights for the entire year (by next week).

On Tuesday 12/20/2022 I bought Ambassador with 40K points. Have NEVER been Ambassador. I just don't stay at IC's. Took the chance that my Diamond Elite status would be extended until 12/31/2023 & today I see it is. My account reflected Ambassador immediately on 12/20/2022 but it took until today for it to reflect the new expiration date.

flyerfirsts

My renewal date, if its 92 days early, is 12/23, but if it's 90 days early like the IHG chat bot tells you it's 12/25, and if I can't extend it this way I need 6 nights. I can't imagine a more nerve wracking set of dates.

moolman

The ambassador deal is great on it's own so you made out. I also got diamond after 10 nights but still bought ambassador for the first time. The free weekend night plus if you do it before Jan 31, you get 20k points. The free weekend night counts towards the 2 nights needed for the 20k, it's a great deal. I don't use IC much either but might travel with her family next year and I have a crap ton of points I should use up

turnips

Coming up to the end of the year, what's everyone's verdict?

Personally, the only thing this fast track has done is convince me of how little value IHG One has and I've decided to spend less at IHG properties in the next year as a result. Not sure if I'm an outlier in this; I redirected all my spend into IHG for the last three months. I visit one city at least every second week, often weekly, and stayed at a single IHG property for all of those stays. The rest of my stays were fanned across international hotels in Asia and the US, a few of which I visited several times during the period as well. Across that, I got a grand total of one (1) room upgrade and regular arguments with front desk staff over entitlements and benefits. On several occasions published benefits such as room availability were not honoured and outright ignored when raised with the properties. I get this is such a YMMV situation, but my stays spanned several continents and the resistance to honouring the programme benefits seemed universal.

I'm generally derisive of Accor's loyalty programme but I've found individual properties there to be significantly better at acknowledging repeat guests, even if it's just a card in the room or some chocolates or a bottle of wine. Hilton has often been very generous with room upgrades at properties I frequent. It was rather surprising to get a bump to the top tier of another chains programme and have no noticeable difference to my non-status stays other than free breakfast. I'm told IHGs programme is stingy so I shouldn't expect so much - what say everyone else?

HadesNL

And again we are being reminded of the AMB-trick:
How to...
About extending Diamond status via AMB purchase/renawal
Step by step
https://milelion.com/2022/12/23/exte...al-ambassador/


And for those newly-minted Diamonds with high expectations of Diamond,
reality check and entitlement must be properly managed to avoid uncertainty & disappointment
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/34756616-post1035.html

js1993

Have you complained to IHG?

lowkeyflyer

DP:

Enrolled in Straight to Diamond yesterday (my company has an active link). The terms state 90 day period to complete 10 stay/enjoy Diamond.

However, my app and account say "Diamond Elite until 12/31/2022"

The signup hasn't been fixed :/

flyerfirsts

My Ambassador apparently doesn't expire until May 1, despite my signing up 3/25. I would need 6 ,more nights to keep my diamond without the renewal, which at $727 doesn't seem worth it for a mattress run. Anybody have any other trick for me?

Edit: apparently I have until 1/11 to make the 10 nights even though my Diamond ends 12/31/22, so I'll make it after all.

ninjalot

Not an instant diamond, I became diamond via the fast track promo in May (instant Platinum till 12/2022 + Diamond till 12/2023 after 15-nights), and I've largely had positive experiences over 40+ nights stays (even when I was platinum) in Europe, Asia and Australia mostly staying at Indigos, IC, HI and a couple of CP. IC and CP are the ones where I wasn't upgraded, but I've since gotten Amb and I'll probably just avoid CP in future. I've planned 40-70 nights next year, mostly IC, Indigos and HI. Will give it another year.

Can you share an example re: guaranteed room availability not being honored?

turnips

That's good to hear, I was thinking I was having a bad run of it
And sure, I checked in for a four night stay at an Intercontinental in Tokyo and requested an extra night as the purpose of my stay had changed. Front desk instantly rebuffed as they were full. I wasn't fully aware of the benefit so I went to my room and returned later to speak to a supervisor who said the same thing. When I mentioned the benefit I was told along the lines of "it's full so there's nothing we can do". It was my understanding given it was >72 hours until 'check in' that I could utilise the benefit then. I gave res a call and didn't get anywhere either, so I went and stayed somewhere else for the final night.
My stays have all been at Intercontinentals, and the hotel I frequent on a week/fortnightly basis is a Voco - that was the only hotel that gave me an upgrade, and coincidentally on the last of a long string of bookings (when I'd decided it was no longer worth it to stay there, and return to my old regular in that city).

ithinkurdumb

The guaranteed room is bookable through customer care, not the hotel. Asking the extend a reservation instead of making a new reservation probably confused them too. Also, there are loopholes allowing the hotel to not providing a guaranteed room, such as special events and minimum number of nights, all at the discretion of the hotel.

That being said, I've had good success using that benefit, including once in IC Tokyo and once in IC Tokyo Bay.

jiunsoh

I remember I read the instant diamond T&C in October, stated the promo will only last till 31 Dec.

Maybe you should check your program tnc.

ninjalot

Yeah, not much happening there for me either. Have you signed up for Ambassador? The weekend night cert easily offsets the subscription, $25 F&B credit and guaranteed 1-cat upgrade at ICs are handy too. The promo for 20k points for new signups with 2 nights by Jan 31st might still be on as well.

IAN-UK

I read your notes carefully, and i think this might be one time we disagree on an IHG issue!

For years IHG lagged behind Hilton (and others) in top-tier benefits (excluding RA level). Diamond status at last makes up for this, particularly with the free breakfast business (or rather - extra points, a drink, or breakfast ). This has been offered, unfailingly, at all my stays. I've always been given a decent room, sometimes a suite: staff have have always accommodated my preferences: how much of an upgrade I received, i don't really care as long as the room is quiet, clean and comfortable .... and large enough to swing at least two cats

Late check-outs are easier to negotiate than at Hilton, where even getting to 2pm can be like pulling teeth. Never been a problem either with check-in time, though ultra-early arrivals might mean a bit of a wait in the lobby; to be fair Hilton's been much the same on early arrivals.

Occasional CPs and one IC invited me to use their lounges; of course at Hilton if there's a lounge I'm in, without question.

A big, often unsung glory of Hilton's programme is that reward stays are qualifying stays, good for renewal and for 10-night bonuses. IHG has yet to bite this bullet.

i recognise the structure of the IHG system as messy, with the complex levels, choices and rewards gained on the way. In that respect Hilton is easier, just marks every 10 stays with a fistful of points.

So, by and large I'm happy with IHG Diamond as a significant improvement of the lacklustre system/level it has replaced, and a reasonable competitor to other hotel programmes.



But .....sadly i have no hope of achieving the crazily high hurdle to renew. And since I allowed my Ambassador membership to lapse, I will leave the dizzy heights of Diamond at the year end. I toyed with the idea of gambling 40K points on reinstating Ambassador status, but it doesn't seem a safe bet....

ithinkurdumb

IHG reward nights are qualifying nights for status renewal and milestone rewards as well. Just not for bonus offers (get X points for every Y nights…etc).