Welcome Bonus only for Spire?
Jul 27, 2017, 9:09 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Austin
Programs: AA EXP, Hyatt Glob, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Titanium, UA *S, BA Fanboy
Posts: 414
Welcome Bonus only for Spire?
I stayed at the Candlewood Suites in Nederland TX last week (very luxurious), and my welcome bonus points didn't post. I'm IHG Plat.
I called today and was told that "Starting 15 July, 250 bonus points on check-in are only paid to Spire Elite members."
I haven't been able to confirm this anywhere else on the internet. Is this property just going rogue? Wasn't I entitled to 500 points on check-in?
I called today and was told that "Starting 15 July, 250 bonus points on check-in are only paid to Spire Elite members."
I haven't been able to confirm this anywhere else on the internet. Is this property just going rogue? Wasn't I entitled to 500 points on check-in?
Jul 27, 2017, 1:09 pm
#2
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: WAW
Programs: A3(*G), Marriott Platinum, Hilton Diamond, IHG Diamond Ambassador
Posts: 2,534
Did you ask the agent whether this supposed new policy was applicable to Europe alone?
As a Plat elite you should have received points - the difficulty is that the points received for the welcome amenity depend not just on status but on brand and also on region.
I've never stayed at a CS in the EU but in the US I'd expect 500 for that. For HIX you get 300 in the EU but 500 in the US, so although CS in Europe might be less I don't see anywhere that says it should be zero.
The other issue with welcome points is that they're not referenced in the top level T&Cs that are publicly available - probably due to the regional/brand variations. However, IHG's own internal training documentation (not too hard to find on google though I won't post it up here) states that every elite member (Gold, Plat, Spire) should be offered some kind of welcome amenity according to region and brand but with an important caveat ('in some regions').
So the best practice is simply to compare the points that posted for a given brand/region combo with what you had in earlier stays (assuming status is unchanged). Maybe the IHG lurker can offer insight into whether this new policy is genuine or just plucked out of thin air by the rep you spoke to?
As a Plat elite you should have received points - the difficulty is that the points received for the welcome amenity depend not just on status but on brand and also on region.
I've never stayed at a CS in the EU but in the US I'd expect 500 for that. For HIX you get 300 in the EU but 500 in the US, so although CS in Europe might be less I don't see anywhere that says it should be zero.
The other issue with welcome points is that they're not referenced in the top level T&Cs that are publicly available - probably due to the regional/brand variations. However, IHG's own internal training documentation (not too hard to find on google though I won't post it up here) states that every elite member (Gold, Plat, Spire) should be offered some kind of welcome amenity according to region and brand but with an important caveat ('in some regions').
So the best practice is simply to compare the points that posted for a given brand/region combo with what you had in earlier stays (assuming status is unchanged). Maybe the IHG lurker can offer insight into whether this new policy is genuine or just plucked out of thin air by the rep you spoke to?
Jul 27, 2017, 5:45 pm
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: home = LAX
Posts: 25,933
I just got 500 welcome bonus points today for a one-night reward stay last night (checkout this morning) at a StayBridge in California. I stayed there last week (also after July 15) also on a one-night reward stay and also got 500 welcome bonus points then. And I'm only Plat (and only through the IHG Chase credit card).
Jul 27, 2017, 5:49 pm
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: home = LAX
Posts: 25,933
It's
Jul 28, 2017, 3:43 am
#7
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Netherlands
Programs: SQ S, IHG Diamond/Amb, Accor S
Posts: 703
We have a town here that is called "America". It does not have an IHG hotel, but if it would, and I had written about my stay in the HIX in America, wouldn't you be confused???
Last edited by DuMaInSin; Jul 28, 2017 at 3:59 am
Jul 28, 2017, 5:12 am
#8
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: WAW
Programs: A3(*G), Marriott Platinum, Hilton Diamond, IHG Diamond Ambassador
Posts: 2,534
Jul 28, 2017, 9:44 am
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Austin
Programs: AA EXP, Hyatt Glob, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Titanium, UA *S, BA Fanboy
Posts: 414
Sorry for the confusion, the property was indeed located in the city of Nederland, located in the state of Texas. It's outside of Port Arthur (not that this piece of information really helps anybody).
I don't recall what was said to me at check-in, but my follow-up phone call to the front desk yesterday yielded this information. From what you guys are saying, it appears the property has unilaterally changed their policy, so I'll get in touch with IHG to see if I can recover the points.
I don't recall what was said to me at check-in, but my follow-up phone call to the front desk yesterday yielded this information. From what you guys are saying, it appears the property has unilaterally changed their policy, so I'll get in touch with IHG to see if I can recover the points.