Hipplewm

The new part about not getting club access....

If your room upgrade is to a "Club" room and your original room didn't have club access, do you still get club access, or just the room?

daruda

I just renewed my ambassador yesterday.

I expected it to be until 02/2018, but seems to be until 01/2018.
Welcome mail says 02/2018, online account says 01/2018.

What should be the correct end month?

moe8555

I actually had the exact opposite. Upgraded a few days ago and the welcome message said through 2/2018. Online it says through 3/2018

Lenflyer64

Only the room, if there is much of a difference. The club has been called out as -not- a benefit of (non Royal) Ambassador. And I have seen they stick to that.

If I can, I just book the club room and get the upgrade from there. When the club room is too high of a level/price, I pick the nicest room I can justify (with a decent upgrade one level after) and then consider paying the upsell for club. I find the club price is too often more than the difference between the room rate with club and the one just below it though. Which is why I book club if I can.

If you have time, you can also email the hotel and ask them the club upsell price and that can help in your decision process. Often you can find that info here as someone else has already inquired. Just search for the hotel thread.

collectpoints

Does the single rate for double occupancy benefit apply when booking 1 double queen room for 3 people? Would I enter on the booking form 2 guests even if there will be 3 of us staying (i.e. I pay for 2 people and the additional guest surcharge for the 3rd person is waived)? I'm thinking about staying at the IC Wellington, which quotes a 75 NZD 3rd guest fee when booking through their website, so if this would indeed be waived, then enrolling in the Amb. programme would make good sense...

And regarding the guaranteed upgrade, does this also include suites? For example, if I book a 2 bed deluxe room at the IC Wellington (which seems to be the only room category below a suite that can accommodate 3 adults) would I then get a guaranteed upgrade to a suite or does the hotel have a way of wriggling out of this?

submonte

I had a stay at Le Grand, triple occupancy, club room. I entered 3 people, the 3rd guest was not included in the rate shown, but an additional fee mentioned in the rate description (for the extra bed) which appeared also in the confirmation text as far as I remember.

Checking also non club rooms, the basic rate was the same for 1, 2 or 3 persons per room, but a certain room size was necessary to be able to book for 3, from superiour on. Standard rooms here were only for max. 2 persons so they did not appear on the list when entering 3 people.

Upgrade was to a deluxe or larger club room. I never got an upgrade to a suite as Amb except a studio room at IC Vienna. Never heart that a suite upgrade is guaranteed to Ambassadors.

ninjalad

I have always had upgrades to suites if that is the next category of room. The exception is for signature/named suites for are not in the upgrade inventory. Sometimes a hotel will offer these but that tends to be for regular guests

Lewis Watson

What'a best way to complain? I just had my first stay as an ambassador. I got no upgrade- if anything based on the ifo on hotels website might have been a down grade. No fruit in the room. Only thing I got was drinks voucher which I would have got for being an ordinary platinum anyway.

Mauibaby2008

- to the hotel directly.

what property was it? Was it a cash or reward night?

Lewis Watson

IC Dublin cash booking

Carel1

Did you complain during your stay?

Steph58

I have the same question. My Ambassador expires end of April. But I have quite a few reward nights booked end of March/early April. I will renew Amb early paying the $200 if it means getting the extra 10% points back on my upcoming stays.

I did call & ask the rep. She told me the 10% would be effective when I "enroll"; I kept correcting her (4-5) times that I'm not enrolling I'm renewing. Needless to say I'm wary of her answer. I also asked do the rewards nights have to actually be booked after the "re-enrollment" to be eligible for 10% back, and she said yes. (I had read somewhere here booking has to be after re-enrollment.) So I will need to cancel & rebook some award nights after I renew.

emofeng

Hi all,

Just learning about this AMB program now. I'm planning a stay at the IC Hong Kong, Singapore and possibly Sydney. Anyone have experience in this properties with AMB status? Hoping for a Harbour view at the IC HK...not sure how feasible that is.

Bowgie

I've stayed at the IC HK (and also the IC Grand Stanford in Hong Kong) and the Sydney IC as a Plat Amb.

At the ICHK, I got the fruit basket and a minor room upgrade (not harbor view). In fact, plain old AMB status will not get you a Harbor view room from multiple FT reports.

At the Sydney IC, I got a minor room upgrade, fruit, and a bottle of the hotel-brand red wine.

Both hotels are very popular, and don't need to hand out freebies over and above the bare minimum required by the terms of the Amb program. When in HK, I actually prefer the IC Grand Stanford over the ICHK because of the high-rise construction surrounding the hotel. That and the fact that there's some sport bars across the street from the Grand Stanford. ICHK is over-rated IMHO.

Steph58

Decided to renew my Ambassador membership online, clicked on the $200 option. Up pops a message about service issues and to call. When I call, the rep tells me your cc didn't go through. Strange no clue why that would be, but I gave her another card and all is good. After I hung, up went to my email and see the confirmation of membership renewal from IHG. However, right below that is a message from my (first) cc company that a fraud alert has my card on hold. What triggered it--a $20,000 charge from IHG Ambassador Renewals!!!! Thank you cc company--have never in my life charged anything near that amount. It's not like we type in $200 and accidently added a few more 0's. You click on the little circle.

So my suggestion for renewals, call IHG--don't do it online.