submonte

Not agreed.

4 of 5 times I get the best floors and rooms including large suites at HIX, HI and ICs.

Last week and this week: HI Hamburg, HIX Frankfurt Messe, HI Düsseldorf Hafen, HI Essen City Centre (no upgrade), HI Brno, IC Vienna (now).

Greetings from IC Vienna Club floor.

scubaccr

First year of Spire was a pig for IHG. Far too many Spires due to incorrect 60k EQP CC signups, so Spire bennies not persued by IHG with their franchices in 2015 and thus also 2016 as Spire earned in 2015 is valid next calendar year of 2016

I could accept above, but now that EQP flood is fixed, i had expected worthwhile bennies from Spire status to commence 2017 which never happened.

Trouble is also some hotels that gave good Platinum recognition, then stopped that, and instead give only to lower number of Spires , downgrading value of Platinum which is not IHGs intent

Points Scrounger

The promise of Spire equivalent to other chain top-tier benefits to come is becoming an awful lot like Lucy and the football these days.

1flyer

The amount of irrational decisionmaking ITT is just staggering. It's absolutely nothing new that IHG rewards club is a points-focused, not a recognition-focused program. It's been like that for years, and IHG hasn't given any indication that things are about to change. So how can people be continually disappointed?

If you want recognition as opposed to free nights, you're in the wrong place... Is that so hard to understand?

chrism20

Unfortunately nothing will change until you can stop getting Spire with approximately 12x1 night stays at around £50 each. Yes the 5k rates are now more difficult to find but with 3k ones readily available you are probably looking at around 20 nights at around £60 instead.

The reality is it will probably take another new level to fix this or someone with balls to go into IHGRC and completely rewrite the top two tiers. Whatever possessed them to think that they could make platinum easier to attain with no change to benefits whilst introducing a whole new level and expecting the hotels to deliver on it is beyond me.

IAN-UK

I had to Google that. It's an apt and entertaining metaphor - so thanks for enriching my cultural environment

IAN-UK

Clearly I've missed something - what's this all about?

My "natural" travel easily triggers a Spire renewal, so I've not paid much attention to the alternative roads to stardom in the programme.

chrism20

Keefy-boy

For most the act of creating a new, harder to attain top tier was taken as an indication of change.

1flyer

That was in 2015, three years and four months ago.

chrism20

Steph58

Looking at it purely as a vacation traveler . . . The main reason I make an attempt to reach Spire each year is for the Kimpton recognition--room upgrades. For those who are able or have a desire to stay at Kimpton. Also Holiday Inn Resort properties have come through with some good room upgrades (1 bedroom suites with kitchens). Infrequent vacations outside the U.S. have yielded some nice Crowne Plaza upgrades. Also the 100% bonus points on stays is important to me, as well.

submonte

I am member (located in Germany and Austria) since 2007 ("Priority Club"), Platinum before and Spire since 2015, and mainly a business traveller, using points for holiday stays. The room upgrades for Spire members are up to some categories in HIs including their largest suites on best floors, and to the best rooms on the best floors at HIXs. To enhance the stay experience on paid or reward stays at ICs I do recommend to pay one time a year the small AMB membership fee. CPs grant eventually lounge access for Spire members.

Breakfast is not complementary (HIX provides breakfast for any guest), which was a no-go for me in the past. But I see it relaxed meanwhile, I pay for breakfast resp. book the discounted breakfast rates.

Points earning is most generous for Spire members plus promotions allows you to earn even more. Redemption rates are yet relatively reasonable even for luxury hotels compared to Marriott and Hilton.

Comparing with other programs it has to be considered also that practically one gets IHG rooms at reasonable rates of 100 to 200 Euros per night during times of high occupancy (which seem to be normal during the past months) in metropolitan areas in Germany where there are many HI and HIX (Frankfurt, Düsseldorf, Cologne, Hamburg etc.). I was searching for Marriott/SPG and Hilton hotels which during the same period of time were practically unavailable for stays or available for 300-500 Euros per night including limited service brands like Moxy or Hampton (I must admit Marriott and Hilton do have more upscale and premium branded hotels). That might not be everywhere the case. In Vienna, Austria, you find only two IHG hotels (IC and HI), it is easier to find an available Marriott hotel (they have 12 there) and with a reasonable rate.

To renew Spire with 12 stays or nights is theory, but using bonus points packages allow you to reach Spire in 20-30 stays (nights) which is comparable to Hilton Honors Gold/Diamond. You can reduce the number of stays/nights further by spending more money.

I am undecided meanwhile how IHG should handle the Rewards Club program and Spire in future. Actually I am not that dissatisfied that I would insist in a change. If a change to more benefits like comp. breakfast would mean stricter rules like less eligible bonus points packages I would go with it. What I really miss are more premium properties like new or upgraded Holiday Inns or Crowne Plazas, the announced "Voco" branded collection not in five years after announcement but now, more or renovated InterContinentals, "Regent" branded luxury hotels like in Berlin now, and integrated in the program now, and not some years after like Kimpton.

Points Scrounger

​​​​There is the fact that Spire is not exempt from the $25 fee at Kimptons, and they seem to be in no hurry to have Kimpton incidentals earn IHG point credit.

IAN-UK

Some do, but most don't.