If anyone has the time....
 

It would be great to find out what the Priority Club cheapest rate in the following hotels is (to compare with AMB BOGO, ADV, BFR, My corporate rate and F&F ! in deciding whether PP is worth it for me :-) )

1. IC Shanghai (Puxi, if available, pudong if not) for 6 August 2011 and 8 August 2011

2. IC Hangzhou for 7 August 2011

3. IC Beijing Beichen or Financial Street (or both) for 9 & 10 August 2011

4. IC Chengdu for 12 August 2011

5. IC HK for 13 & 14 August 2011

6. IC Guangzhou for 15 August 2011

7. CP Queenstown, NZ for 20 August 2011

8. IC Wellington for 25 August 2011

(lots of info being asked for here - apologies - if there is any way for me to find this out on my own please feel free to point me towards it (I have just read all 33 pages of this thread so I feel I've done *some* groundwork))

You can use the priority privilege rate codes through the IHG website and check the rates for these hotels directly through that. I used to have them but i somehow lost them when i moved offices. Maybe someone else would have them to provide to you, it would be the fastest way for you to check the rates yourself.

I think it is safe to assume 10% off BF for hotels outside of Australia, NZ or Fiji. No dining discounts available. If you have a corporate rate I assume it would be better than 10% off BF so probably no use in China or HK. F&F would definitely be better than anything PP could offer there.

Within Australia, NZ and Fiji you can get BOGO on BF rate as well as 25% of BF and 10% of AP or BF. You also get dining discounts. So I would do the maths on your NZ stays to see if you'll recoup your outlay.

I wouldn't think PP is good value unless you have a reasonable number of nights in Australia, NZ or Fiji. At least in those hotels you can use the dining discount and room credit vouchers to get the full value from your membership.

Furhter to my previous post I have tracked down the codes. If you use the link in the List of IHG Rate Codes thread and use the IDPBG, IDPMC and IDP14 (only have those three and not the best flex one) you can check the rates yourself.

Thanks for the info
 

Many thanks for that.^^ Much appreciated.

As a part explanation, there is a mention up thread of the 'unpublished benefit' of 20% off BFR and Advance purchase rates in China even for members of PP from other countries. Unfortunately there is no further information or confirmation so it was tricky to verify this 'rumor'. It would appear from my research using the codes you supplied that this was incorrect as only 10% off the adv purchase rate can be gained using the code IDP14 and a valid PP card..

For info the following rates are for IC B3ijing Bei*hen in a number of ways of booking for a particular date (6 August 2011, as it happens)

IDP14 Priority Priv Adv Pur CNY 882
Classic Advance Purchase CNY 980
IDMPC PP 'Certificate rate' CNY 1050
Corporate (flexible) CNY 1197
Best Flexible CNY1400
AMB BOGO rate CNY650 (CNY1300 2 nights)
(IDPBG PP Bogo was unavailable - unsurprisingly)

Thus it would seem that the IDP14 rate provides 10% off the adv purchase rate available in China, the certificate rate is better (albeit only slightly) than the corporate rate available to me , and that there does not appear to be any 20% off advance purchase rate for hotels in China available to non-Chinese PP members.

It would also appear that a fairly low proportion of hotels in China seem to be taking part (e.g. I was unable to price rooms at the Shanghai Puxi using any of the PP rates - when examining the PPC china website it is not on the particpating list) - there are only 8 cities participating and only a tiny fraction of all of the IHG group properties in China.

Are there any Chinese PP members on here who might be able to shed any further light? - I know this is the Priority Privilege Australia thread - but it appears to be the de-facto thread for all things PP.

Many thanks for the feedback - I think I am coming to the same conclusion although the 'possible' 20% off AP rates in China might have tipped it for me.

On another note though - I believe from my look at the T&C's of the program that Aus/NZ members may get the dining discount elsewhere.
Does that not mean that you get the same dining benefits in a given country as PP members from that country?

I was busy sitting in my office being strategic when my cellphone rings.

The caller introduces herself as calling from the Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza and Intercontinental Hotels and tells me that she has been given my number as a VIP customer (the phrase VIP must have been used more than 50 times during this call). She then enquires how my recent stays have been (though with no specifics about where I have stayed or when). As a Platinum who stays in their hotels a lot I thought they must have stepped up service or something (HA).

Apparently as a VIP customer, who is very important to IHG, I have been selected to be a member of their VIP program. It comes with 50 % off dining, 25 % off "the lowest available rate" and 2 free nights.

Eventually she lets slip the phrase "Priority Privilege" and I think, well they are giving me free Priority Privilege for a year, how nice. But no, actually this is just a sales call:NZ$295 for the first year including GST. Must act now, as soon as I hang up the phone, this offer ends - only available by invitation, this is an exclusive program, with exclusive benefits. Another word used regularly, you see.

So naturally I google Priority Privilege. It says it is A$289. So I ask, what's the price again - $289 is it? This rattles my caller, who realises I know she is full of ****. She diggs a larger hole for herself saying, that's our internet price. Then a pause. And "But we don't offer all the benefits online", then another pause. And that old VIP chestnut comes out again.

I must say the hard sell is one of the best I have ever heard, but the script seems to contain a number of quantifiable instances of misrepresentation and deceit. Very poor showing from IHG.

I will not be staying in one of their hotels again in the near future.

priority privilege isn't run by ihg
 

The PP program has it's limitations but I wouldn't blame the ichg for the hard sells. It's a separate company which appears to have the right to sell the program.

It doesn't reflect well on ichg but I wouldn't blame them for any misrepresentations from the operator.

Pity, if you ignored the hype and had a close look at the benefits you would be saving some considerable coin on rates while still having stays that are eligible for credit, those BOGO no cert required specials have saved me far more the the sub price for PP.

Do you not see the inherent contradiction in what you are saying - where does the right to sell come from - IHG!I don't know what rates you have been paying to stay at their hotels then, quite frankly.

If you can get better than 50% of BFR then you are doing well, I average around $70 a night in Australia for HIs and CPs and $140-$160 for ICs and since putting all my business their way usually get a suite/best room and/or club access at all properties, some of my IC stays I have consumed more from the minibar in $$$ than my room rate! It helps that the business I send their way is considerable, I spend every second night in a hotel on average and currently have 100 nights this year which is why I get good rooms, but the rates I book are not based on any corporate commitment.

[QUOTE=ntddevsys;16482897]Do you not see the inherent contradiction in what you are saying - where does the right to sell come from - IHG!QUOTE]

For sure, IHG has some responsibility for the behaviour of the firm selling the program. But I would distinguish between service at a hotel, benefits of a program and the conduct of a telephone operator selling the hotel's reward program.

I wouldn't stop staying in good hotels, and using a program that provided reasonable benefits, merely because of the conduct of a telephone agent employed a third party. Of course, you may have a different opinion.

I used to be in the Marriott Gold Card program. They have polite phone operators who don't make dubious claims about the benefits when asking you to renew. On the other hand, I found the hotels to be poor quality and decided I didn't want to stay there again. As I result I did not renew membership.

Interesting Dining benefit in the June Newsletter for the IC Adelaide:

1997 Penfolds Grange Exclusive Offer

Enjoy 50% off the price of a bottle of 1997 Penfolds Grange when you dine in Shiki during the month of June.

Offer valid to Priority Privilege members until 31st June 2011. Discount applies to the RRP of $770.00.

Although if you live in the central west of NSW you might be better off going to the Quality Inn in Dubbo for dinner :)

http://www.qualityinndubbo.com.au/Re...20%28LB%29.pdf

Why, its $335 at the IC versus $425 @ Dubbo :p

In case you are wondering, the same company runs similar programs for Hilton, Le Meridien, Starwood, Ritz, Shangri-La, Mandarin Oriental, Husa, Orbis, Raffles and Swissotel. I take it you will be avoiding these chains as well given the same telemarketers work on their behalf :D.