steamboat

Go for Marriott thet are better hotels.

Europeman

I have been a RA for several years, staying 50+ nights a year in Intercontinentals (very seldom HI or CP), and must have 500+ nights at Intercontinental going back the last few years. This year I will have 50 nights, 45 of which are at Intercontinentals, always in high-priced rooms, so I must have spent something upwards of US$20,000 at Intercontinental this year. I got the infamous "we cannot renew your RA membership" letter a few weeks ago, and, after raising this with the Ambassador service, just got a further rejection from them; I have asked that this be escalated to a supervisor. I have to say that this is making me think seriously of switching my business to Starwood next year, for the following reasons:

1) The Ambassador program is just getting worse and worse. I remember when there were three levels, with clearly-defined threshholds (10, 30, and 50 nights) and benefits, and you always knew what you had to do to qualify for them. Now you are at the mercy of nebulous criteria set by IHC that are never made clear.
2) I hate the fact that I am made to feel like I am begging for favors.
3) From the various postings on the forum, it seems like the criteria for RA become more stringent each year, as if they don't really want RAs beyond a handful of people.

Of course, IHC can choose to make me a RA or not, I have no right to be one. But at the same time, I have the right to move my business if I feel that it is not valued. Last year I had a fewer nights than I do this year, and yet last year I was given the status. Especially in these economic times, I don't understand why IHC can't go the extra mile for their best customers.

I have enjoyed staying at IHC properties over the years, and am grateful for the benefits I have gotten as a RA, but feel that now is the time to move on to another program where I know where I stand.

So, farewell Intercontinental, it has been good, but I have the sense that you are more interested in squeezing every last cent from the program, rather than valuing your best customers.

est-gratuite

Welcome to Flyertalk !

It's somewhat a shame that your very first post announces your intention to leave the Ambassador program...but hopefuly you'll find more than enough info on the other forums to fast track yourself to the equivalent status with SPG, Marriott, Hilton, etc.

nicolas75

Different stories, different perspectives...

Priority Clubber Lang

If IHC can't help you, try calling IHG.

Smart Shopper

This is not what I observe.

To avoid any further frustration: *wood does a status match with Marriott's, Hilton's, and Hyatt's highest elite levels, but not with PC Platinum or ICA Royal Ambassador.

Hotel Status Match Master Thread

The Mileage Millionaire

It is absolutley STUPID of Starwood that it won't match to RA, even if someone has a masive number of nights.

Dave Noble

Hmm.. But you are begging for favours. IHG has determined that you have not met their critteria for offering you another year's membership and now you are asking them to give it to you regardless

Dave

KathyWdrf

Well, good luck with finding greener pastures elsewhere. Perhaps you can trade places with someone who's in the process of leaving (or threatening to leave) another program!

IC6A

You are not the only one. Believe in me. More people left IHG top tier than you can imagine due to the complicated and hiden RA qualify method. They reduced their IHG stays dramatically after they disqualified.

powerplantop

I also recieved the letter this year. I had a big gap of time with only a few hotel nights so I just missed the new cutoff. But at the same time I did not feel like chasing it. With the program changes and some hotels simply not upgrading it was no longer worth it to me.

For the remaining RA"s perhaps it will be a better program. But the Ambassador program is no longer for me.

I will still use priority club hotels but I am done with IC hotels.

Internaut

I buy it for the free weekend night certificate. Other than that though, it's a bit sad to have to pay for benefits with ICHG when Hilton in particular reliably (or at least far more reliably) give them for staying enough nights..... But that's always been a problem with ICHG.... There's too many hotels in the group that either give no benefits or avoid giving benefits unless you ask (thinking Priority Club Platinum rather than Ambassador with that comment).

IAN-UK

puzzled How do you know this?

IC6A

I have several friends who were RA. Since two years ago, one by one, disqualified. Only me still kept going...

pauleeepaul

+1. $100 for AMB is the smartest travel money I spend all year.

But I too am a deposed RA who isn't keen on playing the game to get it back. I think the program benefits are novel and attractive, but the opaqueness of the qualification requirements and relatively small footprint of ICs, particularly where I travel, weigh against it for me.