This is what I received from them by email:

"Dear Mr xxxx,

The Executive Category unfortunately does not include the access to the Club InterContinental, however you could either add the supplement of £78.00 to add the access or if you would like to upgrade your room to a London Executive Type, which includes the access to the Club Lounge, this would be available for a supplement of £180.00 + VAT per night.

Please do let us know if we can be of any further assistance."

I'm not sure what stance RA has on this upgrade policy and how it would affect upgrades, I think Ambassador is just a one level upgrade.

That is the discounted rate for RAs of 60 GBP plus VAT.
We stopped staying at the IC after having a number of disappointing stays as RA (as in receiving our Virtuoso upgrade from Superior to Deluxe room, then an RA upgrade from Deluxe to Executive, rather than RA from Superior to Executive and a further Virtuoso upgrade). If they included club access for RAs would definitely consider, but with present rates, the hotel is overpriced, even for London (unless on a BRG!).

I agree the prices are insane! I have a brg booked for oct a deluxe room with breakfast priced at 695.

P.s the £78 including VAT is for Ambassadors aswell,

"Kindly be advised that the access to our Club InterContinental is included in the rate from our London Executive Category and higher, however the access can also be purchased for a discounted supplement of £78.00 per day for our Ambassador Members, if a category lower than the London Executive Category is booked."

Sorry, I was totally incorrect. I did check the room description immediately before I posted, but I misread "Club access available for a fee" as "club access is available for free" It's the only non access room that is described that way, the rest say "..available at a supplement", which contributed to my misreading of the exec.

I have a 3 night break in August, and am looking at my options. At the moment I can get classic+breakfast on a BRG (£561 a night !). 2nd night might do 50K redemption. Nice that they provide superior room on a points stay, virtually all hotels only give their lowest room category. 3rd night will be at another property (and maybe another BRG).

I'll be RA by then, this hotel is generally not bad at honouring RA upgrades, so might get king london or deluxe for the 2 nights. Might add lounge access for the 2nd night, giving us breakfast and drinks throughout the day. Looks like the discounted club access has gone up a bit, PRICE123 is saying £60+vat (£72), you have been quoted £78.

I think when I was claiming the agent did the same thing and thought the IHG rate included club against a competing rate without club - had to get him to re read it and get it approved!

No 78GBP is correct figure (As paid by me as early as February this year ) ....
it looks like someone can't add/subtract 20% to arrive at correct 65 + 13 VAT = 78

65gbp ++ 20% VAT = 78GBP

Yep - sorry. You can tell how long ago I last stayed there.. Bit embarrassing considering maths is a somewhat integral part of statistical analysis...

I remember not long ago, maybe 2 years back, I stayed in Park lane for a weekend using BOGO and the total bill was £126...

Today's rate? good luck for them. I am staying at somewhere nicer.

Yes they seem to be pushing up the rates. Good for them if they fill up the rooms at that price. I was looking at a date in October and it was well over £300. I saw the IC Westminster for half that and booked it.

Just started booking some dates for 2015 as I don't work too far ahead.

I see IC-PL has inserted a new category "London" on Classic, Superior, Deluxe room types , not that I will see those whilst maintaining RA status.

Question is I am immediately modified for this coming weekend to a
"KING LONDON EXECUTIVE ROOM "
Would that mean Lounge access is being given for 2015 ???

Whilst this could well modify again before weekend or on arrival, this is a first as a modify instead of usual either a)exec or b)studio suite (and ocassionally full suite)

Just rechecked and now on Friday, Saturday on Studio and Standard Suites show.... and for a long way out based on random date checks

Just wondering if withdrawn to fix the appearance of new (to me ) categories , or if I just missed this category appearance recently ?
Classic
Classic London
Superior
Superior London
Deluxe
Deluxe London
Exec
Exec London (Which we know from before + gives first Lounge access)
Studio Suite
One Room suite
Deluxe suite
(Signature Suites)

This is an interesting question.

I have been upgraded to King London Exec and Suites from. My original Classic room reservations (1 a redemption). Whilst the room types I was in definitely had lounge access if booked outright I have assumed that I wouldn't get lounge access and never tried.

I had an interesting very large internal facing suite on the 8th floor which I checked out of today, which was a first for that room type for me too.

The classic London rooms have appeared for some time now in the inventory and I have assumed they are a device to reduce the total rooms available for redemption. As I understand it though all "London" rooms are renovated. My favourite room type is the King London Exec with sofa which is far nicer than some of the smaller suites with more chintzy decor.

I was upgraded to king lon exec couple weeks ago on an award night and no, the lounge was not included. Was checked in by Kat in the lounge - no gold cards for that visit ;)

I remember seeing London Classic few months ago, but it may well be to do with reducing award nights redemptions.

From the descriptions, London rooms have been recently renovated. There are now London versions of multiple room categories.

Executive rooms don't, but King London Executive do, include club access, if paid for rather than upgraded into.

I do not see splitting Classic into 2-tier types Classic, London Classic to have any bearing on total award nights availability. Though it does mean an award initially books into the non-refurbed rooms.

So what happens when all are refurbed?? All rooms are then London xxxxx type so split becomes pointless and unecessary.

Award availabilty is 5% of hotels rooms, and IC-PL frequently offered Superior type on award too.

Of course it has a bearing. If you have 100 classic rooms and make 50 of them London Classic then you have only 50% of the available redemption inventory you previously had. The total number of rooms available for redemption will have halved.