Thumper

I am one of the most loyal customers IC has had. Joined in the mid 80s and have over 70 nights this year already. (average 60 -80 a year)

Long story short, they have won, they have broken me and I am walking away from them. "Into the Nights" and more importantly the customer service responses were so dismissive it is perfectly clear they will not miss me, my revenue, nor (surprise!) my sales teams revenue.

Marriott or Sheraton seem like the two most similar programs.
For those who 50+ nights a year is the norm, who do you use?

Years ago my second group was Hyatts. Thye got a bit pricey, but that is not as much a concern.

Recommendations? I don't imagine I should have trouble getting anyone to match my status.

graeylin

I shall eagerly watch this thread for advice.

I am a far less frequent traveler than you, but good advice is good advice. Since IHG doesn't want my money, I want to know who does.

darthbimmer

Which program is best for a person leaving IHG depends on what you value about the IHG program:

1. Large number of properties, with presence in smaller markets
2. Broad range of brand offerings (HIX, CWS, SBS, HI, CP, IC)
3. Consistent, solid quality at limited-service properties (HIX, SBS)
4. High-end properties (IC)
5. Points-earning promotions
6. Meaningful top-tier elite status

If #1 is important, your only real alternatives are Marriott and Hilton. Item #2 also argues for those MR and HH, though Hyatt is becoming more of a competitor with its Hyatt Place brand. #3 is any of the above plus Choice Hotels on the lower end. For #4, scratch Choice but add Starwood. For item #5 I'm not sure... I think IHG beats all the others in that regard. Though SPG gives good value for credit card spend. And the HH credit cards are churnable. For #6... well, if getting meaningful benefits for top-tier status was important you wouldn't be wasting time earning IHG Plat.

MCOSWAFlyer

Good summary by darthbimmer of what is important. For me I used to me 75% IHG, but not any more. Now only about 10%. The main go-to is now Hilton. #1 above - large number in many smaller markets. I find that really only IHG and HH have properties in some smaller markets I need (Newberry SC last week).

Hilton has treated me much better. Not perfect, specifically HIX breakfast better than HI breakfast.

NJUPINTHEAIR

Thumper -

I'm basically a Marriott guy and what Darth says is correct. However, I think you will be disappointed by the points earning promotions of Marriott with their multipliers, etc., unless you really travel and stay a great deal at their hotels, because otherwise, their credit card is 5x at Marriott and 1 point elsewhere.

I think that you should investigate HHonors. It had gutted its aspirational properties by making them nonsensical in points per night, but it is most like IHG in range of properties and coverage of area.

It has a wide range of credit cards and I'm no longer conversant in all of them, but at least some give multiples of points on Non-Hilton spend and more if it is a Hilton spend. Also, many of their promotions are geared to double points and some you can actually stack. Further, they also do award FF miles on paid stays in addition to points.

I like Marriott but I think that you will find that HHonors is more like IHG than is Marriott. However, Marriott is relatively stable if boring but it is predictable and that is not a bad thing when it comes to business trips. However, they above all the chains, have been in the vanguard of multiplying their brands -- with new additions to Autograph collection -- they are the trailblazer in that regard -- AC hotels -- a minimalist C/Y style, Moxy -- which is supposed to cater to millennials, etc.

You also might look at Club Carlson -- upwards of 20 points per dollar and then good bonuses with their credit cards -- but not very good coverage here in the USA.

Don't know about Choice or Wyndham and SPG does not have the distribution nor the points earning of IHG or HHonors.

Hyatt is a good program, but its distribution may also not be to your needs.

Finally, SPG is not very point rich nor has a wide distribution, but if you can make Platinum -- and your nights says that you can -- they do seem to treat their
Platinum members very well. IMHO -- they reward those who actually continually put their butts in their beds, more than the other chains -- who have one form or another various shortcuts or challenges that sometimes folk like me can bootstrap my way to elite status -- I find that it is much harder to do this with SPG.

Let us know what you decide.

nacho

HH's massive devaluation does put them into a less attractive programme.

My suggestion is to put IHG into a secondary chain, find a programme such as Hyatt, SPG or Marriott as the preferred programme. IHG has a lot more properties than Marriott - especially in smaller cities (such as places where the national parks are), and more importantly they have a much better coverage in China.

I had to use IHG because that's the only foreign chain hotel in Xuzhou.

Thumper

Some incredible advice, I am greatly appreciative.

I am intrigued by the lifetime/cumulative status that was pointed out to me at SPG. It would be tacky to post the link here. Life time AA PLT and a lifetime PLT with a hotel chain sounds very attractive as I count down the last years of work.

I don't think I would leave IC completely, and I'll finish this year with over 20rollover nights.

Again, thank you all for good insight.

sdsearch

Marriott also has a lifetime status program. Go to the Marriott forum and search the forum on "lifetime elite" and you'll find it immediately.

SPG lifetime status is based on years in that status and total lifetime nights.

Marriott lifetime status is based on a combination total lifetime nights and total lifetime points, but no need for a particular of years (theoretically you could earn lifetime status at top elite level while in the process being only mid elite level annually at Marriott, but at SPG you have to top elite for enough years to be top elite lifetime).

At present (though there's no guarantee this will hold forever), Marriott's middle level (Gold) compares well in benefits to SPG's top level (Platinum). So don't compare based on name alone!

whimike

SPG is the program I choose. It has excellent elite benefits at the Platinum level and a good enough selection of hotels worldwide. Where it falls short with properties in smaller locales, IHG backs me up with its broad network.

Between IHG and SPG I have an excellent selection of both inexpensive hotels and higher-quality options.

hhoope01

I agree with most everything you said, but I will note that their award point "costs" are much less as well. So not being "point rich" is a bit of a misnomer. I love being able to grab an award room for 3K points at a UT (Vols) or a Texas A&M game (instead of paying $200 plus per night.)

I also did this for a number of years as well and it worked very well for me. (Note I'm staying more at Hiltons for the moment due to the locations I am traveling to.)

And finally, LT status is definitely something to think about, long term. I've got my Marriott LT Plat status and am only a few nights away from SPG LT Gold status. (I'm still quite a few years away from LT Plat status with SPG as that takes 10 years of Plat status.) Just knowing that no matter where I stay this year or how many nights I earn, I will always have Plat status with Marriott is very comforting.

One final point concerning SPG, they have now segregated Plat status into various "levels". At 25 stays or 50 nights, you get the entry level Plat status, then at 75 nights you get the 2nd level and at 100 nights you the 3rd level. So if you decide to look into SPG at all, I'd strongly suggest heading over to the SPG forum and reading about the benefits of that program and the difference between the various "Plat" levels.

joey1963

I would love to switch from IHG to a.n.other rewards program, especially with the totally shambolic INTO THE NIGHTS fiasco......however as bad as the IHG promos are in terms of admin & updating, etc.....I cannot find a better alternative hotel rewards program for the geographical areas I tend to stay in hotels

My alternative is to book hotels via cashback sites for circa 10% cashback. When I can't find any at circa 10% cashback I book IHG. As long as I stay enough to retain IHG platinum membership this plan works for me.

graeylin

I am headed to Marriott. They have hotels nearly everywhere I travel that IHG does, so...

I'll spend more money to stay somewhere that appreciates my business.

Wickersley

This is my method when I can't find a suitable hotel (Marriott in my case) & book into IHG or Hilton

10% cash back, plus 10% effective rebate when booking via hotels.com - makes this a winner for me

joey1963

Hotels.com without doubt IMHO the best value for UK as its effectively circa 20% rebate, but I can't use due to vast majority of my stays being for business. I always need a UK VAT tax receipt. My understanding is Hotels.com does not issue VAT tax receipts.

MSPeconomist

Wrong on the different levels of SPG Plat. The first level, aka PlatMinus, requires 25 stays. The second and third levels, called Plat50 and Plat75 here, require 50 and 75 night's respectively. Finally, with 100 nights, you get an Ambassador.

SPG is starting to make their promos targeted. This means that even elites are often offered absolutely nothing, as during the last promo and the new one where some but certainly not all people got email invites yesterday.