blindman

Yes

serkan

I filed an online claim for a price 20% cheaper than priorityclub.com for Bangkok Intercontinental. They did not respond although almost 48 hours passed.
I found the same cheaper rate today, and called their hotline, but the line "dropped" after 10 minutes into the call while they were checking. Called back again, and after 5 minutes of going thru the same routine with another agent, the response was "sorry, we have an issue displaying the website you mentioned, could you please call again an hour later" -- although I was able to display the very same site while still on the phone.
To record, I filed another online claim, still no answer...

this thing is becoming a joke. I don't mind paying for a hotel room that I do intend stay in, but I do mind being played foolish games. this is indeed the best best rate guarantee in the industry, but what good is that if they are playing childish games not to honour it ?

despite being an RA, and despite getting nice welcome letters like "this is your 20th stay at our hotel, so please accept our thanks to your loyalty with the upgrade to the xxx suite" I am questioning the sincerity of the program.

serkan

yes, multiple claims are allowed within 30 day-period, as long as the stays are 30-days apart.
still, holiday inn site says 7 days versus 30 days. try your luck referring to the holiday inn site..

big_mac

My claim was approved on Monday, and they 'requested' the free night from the hotel.

I am due to be checking in later today, but they have still not confirmed it or otherwise replied.
And it's just for a suburban HIX, not even a penthouse suite!

bsb21

Good luck and keep us updated!

Hopefully, they will be able to adjust the rate before you check in. Otherwise, you are most likely going to have to get a check from IHG.

SunshineMouse

Any information, if there is a customer service employee, which can read / understand the french language, or will this take more days (with the risk, that me rate will not be found)?

iahphx

Thanks. I already have some BRG reservations (original rules), and they seem to be in order: IHG has told me my rooms will be complementary. On one of them, they sent me a formal-looking confirmation that shows "house comp." But on the others, they just tell me the room will be free. I've tried to pull up the reservations online, but it says it's not available.

I'm thinking the best thing to do is -- a few weeks before my stay -- email or call the hotel to make sure my comped stay is in order. Any reason not to do this? I'm obviously trying to avoid a nasty and inconvenient surprise.

big_mac

Ok, I sent another email and this time got a confirmation reply - they say that the person dealing with it was out of the office. That sounds a bit haphazard to me.

As the hotel uses a different system, it isn't showing as free on the IHG website, but they say the hotel has confirmed. I've taken a printout, just in case!

Just out of interest, they have since lowered the price of the 'best flex', but it's still 20% higher than booking.com

Boddingtons

The Holiday Inn Istanbul Airport aren't playing ball either.

I received an email from IHG confirming that we would have to pay and ask for reimbursement upon completion of the stay.

Spoke with the hotel as to why this was the case and they muttered something along the lines of...

"We cannot give complementary night. It wasn't our fault. Maybe a problem with the website"

Seems like the Turks don't want to take part in this guarantee at all.

bsb21

Sorry to hear this!

It seems some hotels are refusing to comp, while others are simply ingoring emails.

I guess that in the case of IC Istanbul they were slow to respond, so the BRG agent told me that IHG would send a check. Several weeks later, the hotel must have actually gotten around to answering their claims and comped the room. Who knows?

kaka

to those who've already stayed: do the IC hotels honor respective upgrades from AMB and RAs?

Boddingtons

I am absolutely fuming. Just wasted 48 minutes on the phone with a complete and utter cretin.

The claim was valid. End of. And it will be once he phones the third party website when it opens to verify.

Third party website offered tax inclusive rates. The very fact that the terms and conditions stated that hotel prices were NETT and that no additional payment would be required wasn't enough.

Unbelievably, after five minutes looking through the terms and conditions, the agent came back stating he'd found a clause stating something along the lines of "you may be subject to additional taxes/fees"......wait for it, under the CAR RENTAL subheading!

Have you ever heard such a croc of sh*t in your life!!!

So my claim is on hold until the agent verifies with the third party website that the car rental terms have naff all to do with the hotel terms.

I'd fire the snatch on the spot for incompetence!

JONNYBOY

At IC Singapore - already stayed and yes, upgraded room and Club access.

At IC Pheonicia Beirut - stay coming up, have already said yes and upgraded to Suite with Club access.

In both instances stays have been longer than 1 night, so not sure what they do if you are only there for one night. I guess a comp'ed night is different from the reward night definition in the terms so standard benefits should apply?

I have a one night BRG coming up at IC Cairo end of month so will post experiences then.

kaka

this is very much my understanding too. do you mind telling where you got the IC SIN deal (PM me if you dont want to spill the beans too much.thx)

Gnopps

I know I can't book a flexible rate and compare it to an advance purchase rate on a competing website. But what if ihg does not offer an ap-rate? If the flexible rate on the ihg-website IS the cheapest, can I then compare it to a 3rd party ap-rate?

I think I know the answer, just wanted to check. Thanks for your help!