Dec 10, 2018, 4:07 pm
Last edit by: FlyerTalker688786
Ambassador programme will change on 1st February 2019. This will start with Royal Ambassador's benefits. Then, all other Ambassador will have new benefits from 1st March 2019.
For Royal Ambassadors, the new benefits starts from 1st FEB 2019 will be:
For all other Ambassadors, the new benefit starts on 1st MARCH 2019:
• One complimentary breakfast every night you stay
• 15% discount on restaurants and bars
AMBASSADOR BENEFIT GURANTEE work as bellow:
For Royal Ambassadors, the new benefits starts from 1st FEB 2019 will be:
- EARLY CHECK-IN from 10AM (instead of 8AM)
- ONE COMPLIMENTARY BREAKFAST FOR EVERY NIGHT YOU STAY [
CONFIRMED AS IN GREATER CHINA REGION ONLY,On 1st March, it seems IHG quietly made a U-turn again, now this benefit only APPLIES TO IC HOTELS IN MAINLAND CHINA ONLY, Hong Kong IC hotels are excluded on the last minute U-turn.] - UP TO TWO COMPLIMENTARY FULL BREAKFASTS PER DAY IF THERE IS NO CLUB LOUNGE
- UPTO 50USD/200RMB/400HKD MINIBAR CREDIT PER DAY (200USD/800RMB/1600HKD PER STAY MAX)
- WAIVED DESTINATION/AMENITY FEES
- COMPLIMENTARY WEEKEND NIGHT CERTIFICATE WITH E-DELIVERY
- AMBASSADOR BENEFIT GUARANTEE (See below)
- [Officially Added Benefits] FREE NIGHTS AT AN IHG PROPERTY (capped at 70K points value)
- [Officially Added Benefits] HERTZ GOLD PLUS REWARDS PRESIDENTS' CIRCLE MEMBERSHIP
For all other Ambassadors, the new benefit starts on 1st MARCH 2019:
- GUARANTEED PLATINUM ELITE STATUS IN IHG REWARDS CLUB
- ONE COMPLIMENTARY BREAKFAST FOR EVERY NIGHT YOU STAY <== Only for Greater China Stays !
- COMPLIMENTARY WEEKEND NIGHT CERTIFICATE WITH E-DELIVERY
- WELCOME FRUIT PLATTER (instead of welcome fruits and gifts) <== Only for Greater China Stays !
- AMBASSADOR BENEFIT GUARANTEE
• One complimentary breakfast every night you stay
• 15% discount on restaurants and bars
AMBASSADOR BENEFIT GURANTEE work as bellow:
- Guaranteed Room Upgrade: Member must be given a food and beverage or Spa credit up to USD50, or 10,000 IHG Rewards Club points per stay, applies to InterContinental Ambassador and Royal Ambassador only;
- 16:00 (4p.m.) Late Check-out: Member must be given a food and beverage or Spa credit up to USD50, or 10,000 IHG Rewards Club points per stay, applies to InterContinental Ambassador and Royal Ambassador only;
- New Club InterContinental Lounge Access or alternative Club experience: Member must be given a food and beverage or Spa credit of USD100 per night, not exceeding the Club InterContinental upgrade supplement value, applies to Royal Ambassador only.
Changes to Ambassador from 1st March 2019 (now confirmed)
Dec 12, 2018, 7:14 am
#61
Suspended
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 4,477
For PA/SA one breakfast is a little bit dingy but acceptable IMO.
Dec 12, 2018, 7:16 am
#62
Suspended
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 4,477
It is not touched by the material I saw. As the material is focused on the NEW benefit. My guess is that two level is no longer guaranteed, instead, RA will be guaranteed for Club or $100+TWO breakfasts daily credit in hotels without Club Lounge. Again that is my guess. If true it could be a bad thing for current RAs.
Dec 12, 2018, 7:43 am
#63
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: UK
Programs: IHG
Posts: 1,316
So, an RA booking a property with a lounge, can arrive without any kind of guarantee of room upgrade, or confirmation as to whether they will be granted access to the lounge. I don't think this can be spun as a good thing. Unless you're Theresa May.
Dec 12, 2018, 8:45 am
#64
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Europe
Programs: Hilton Honors, Marriott Bonvoy, Accor, Hyatt, (Former IHG Ambassador)
Posts: 1,388
Dec 12, 2018, 8:51 am
#65
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Europe
Programs: Hilton Honors, Marriott Bonvoy, Accor, Hyatt, (Former IHG Ambassador)
Posts: 1,388
If this is all you've got to go on as your "source", then this whole thread needs to be marked as "speculative" and "rumored".
I'm glad you're sharing this information with us chongcao, but we need to keep things in perspective here.
None of this is in any way official, confirmed and is still subject to change, postponement, or not happen at all.
Last edited by est-gratuite; Dec 12, 2018 at 8:57 am
Dec 12, 2018, 9:19 am
#66
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Singapore
Programs: SIA Solitaire PPS, IHG Royal Amb, Hyatt Globalist, Bonvoy Gold, Hilton Hhonor Gold
Posts: 2,207
I just made a booking for a stay at IC over the Christmas weekend. Based on the email confirmation of the room booking, it is interesting to see that they have extended the current RA status till end of Jan 2019. My previous reservations booked in mid of this year showed expiry at 31 Dec 2018.
Dec 12, 2018, 9:43 am
#67
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 1999
Location: Seat 1A, Juice pretty much everywhere, Mucci des Coins Exotiques
Posts: 34,339
So how many AMB's on one-night stays will give a nod and a wink to the front desk to refuse them an upgrade and late checkout so they can splurge in the bar with a $100 credit?
Then again, one of the big problems with a global blanket policy is that $100 has a dramatically different value in different cities around the world. London versus Nairobi versus Bucharest versus ....
It wasn't that long ago that the Pound was 2-1 versus the dollar.
I have some more serious opinions about this, but I'll shut up for now. Let's see what shakes out, and more importantly how individual IC's treat their regular guests.
Then again, one of the big problems with a global blanket policy is that $100 has a dramatically different value in different cities around the world. London versus Nairobi versus Bucharest versus ....
It wasn't that long ago that the Pound was 2-1 versus the dollar.
I have some more serious opinions about this, but I'll shut up for now. Let's see what shakes out, and more importantly how individual IC's treat their regular guests.
Dec 12, 2018, 10:08 am
#68
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 398
As just a regular ambassador, I'm mostly happy with just the breakfast addition, if true. I'm a Hilton diamond too, and the single biggest thing keeping me out of more ic stays is breakfast.
always travel with 2 of us, so 2 free breakfasts each day makes a huge difference.
I do think it would be ridiculous for IC to only allow 1 free breakfast compared to 2 that hilton and marriott offer. But I suppose it's at least something.
beggars can't be choosers with IHG.
always travel with 2 of us, so 2 free breakfasts each day makes a huge difference.
I do think it would be ridiculous for IC to only allow 1 free breakfast compared to 2 that hilton and marriott offer. But I suppose it's at least something.
beggars can't be choosers with IHG.
Dec 12, 2018, 10:32 am
#69
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2005
Location: TLV/LHR
Programs: BA GGL, IHG Diamond Elite Amb, HH Diamond, Avis PC, Hertz PC, Sixt Platinum
Posts: 12,948
This is what I'm worrying about. Busiest hotels like IC NY TS or IC London PL, they're already trying not to give any more benefits unless stated explicitly in the T&C. And if they simply deny access to the club lounge and offer $100 or less credit which is significantly less value than club
Dec 12, 2018, 10:35 am
#70
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2005
Location: TLV/LHR
Programs: BA GGL, IHG Diamond Elite Amb, HH Diamond, Avis PC, Hertz PC, Sixt Platinum
Posts: 12,948
Same here. breakfast for 2 as at Hilton would be nice, but then for my business stays at least, breakfast for one will suffice.
Dec 12, 2018, 11:09 am
#71
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Long Beach, CA
Programs: AA PLTPRO, HH Diamond, IHG Plat, Marriott Plat, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 3,559
1. IHG Ambassador - this is a PAID program, not earned on stays/point/loyalty/etc. GUARANTEED upgrade and 4pm late check-out are advertised benefits as inducements to get people to PAY to join.
2. Other hotel programs still work off of, "as available" on upgrades, late check-out, etc.
It's fine that IHG is now changing the terms and conditions of their program to remove the guarantee and substitute a formal compensation in the event a benefit is not delivered. However, don't conflate the original design of the program with other loyalty programs that don't require payment to join.
Dec 12, 2018, 11:35 am
#72
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Princeton, NJ; Lviv Ukraine
Programs: UA 3.6MM, AF/KL Lifetime Plat, BA Gold, AA 1MM, IC Spire RA, Kimpton IC, Marriott Plat, et alia
Posts: 2,732
Overall I think a positive. I hate the ICs which don't have Club Lounges (you know who you are, Willard, LA Century City, Chicago, NY Times Square, Toronto Yorkville, Amstel, Porto, Estoril, Paris-Marceau, Geneva, Tokyo Strings, Beirut Vendome, etc.). They had the "Club Experience" at a handful as a test, but those went away (they have been giving me free breakfast though at Porto and Estoril since then). The $100 credit + 2 breakfasts makes up for it ... you can have a decent bar bill and a light meal.
I generally travel solo so adding a real breakfast instead of the reduced breakfast many Clubs offer is also a plus.
Going from unlimited liquids to $50/night and $200/stay minibar credit will usually be a plus; nice to be able to get some snacks and not just liquids. On the other hand, there have been a few times where I certainly exceeded the $50/night with a bottle of champagne, etc. And for a one-week stay, the $200 limit can easily be hit.
The guarantees are a good step forward.
And waiving the ridiculous "resort fees" which give you benefits that you either don't need (free local phone calls, really? Like you can't call free from your cellphone?) or already get (free Wi-Fi) removes a big sore point.
All in all, not entirely disappointed, and if this extends to Kimptons and Regents, it will be a definite plus. Even more so would be if the RA requalification includes stays at Kimptons and Regents; I'll definitely step up my stays in those hotels, especially in cities without ICs.
Dec 12, 2018, 12:59 pm
#74
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: UK
Programs: IHG
Posts: 1,316
We can only hope.
Overall I think a positive. I hate the ICs which don't have Club Lounges (you know who you are, Willard, LA Century City, Chicago, NY Times Square, Toronto Yorkville, Amstel, Porto, Estoril, Paris-Marceau, Geneva, Tokyo Strings, Beirut Vendome, etc.). They had the "Club Experience" at a handful as a test, but those went away (they have been giving me free breakfast though at Porto and Estoril since then). The $100 credit + 2 breakfasts makes up for it ... you can have a decent bar bill and a light meal.
I generally travel solo so adding a real breakfast instead of the reduced breakfast many Clubs offer is also a plus.
Going from unlimited liquids to $50/night and $200/stay minibar credit will usually be a plus; nice to be able to get some snacks and not just liquids. On the other hand, there have been a few times where I certainly exceeded the $50/night with a bottle of champagne, etc. And for a one-week stay, the $200 limit can easily be hit.
The guarantees are a good step forward.
And waiving the ridiculous "resort fees" which give you benefits that you either don't need (free local phone calls, really? Like you can't call free from your cellphone?) or already get (free Wi-Fi) removes a big sore point.
All in all, not entirely disappointed, and if this extends to Kimptons and Regents, it will be a definite plus. Even more so would be if the RA requalification includes stays at Kimptons and Regents; I'll definitely step up my stays in those hotels, especially in cities without ICs.
Overall I think a positive. I hate the ICs which don't have Club Lounges (you know who you are, Willard, LA Century City, Chicago, NY Times Square, Toronto Yorkville, Amstel, Porto, Estoril, Paris-Marceau, Geneva, Tokyo Strings, Beirut Vendome, etc.). They had the "Club Experience" at a handful as a test, but those went away (they have been giving me free breakfast though at Porto and Estoril since then). The $100 credit + 2 breakfasts makes up for it ... you can have a decent bar bill and a light meal.
I generally travel solo so adding a real breakfast instead of the reduced breakfast many Clubs offer is also a plus.
Going from unlimited liquids to $50/night and $200/stay minibar credit will usually be a plus; nice to be able to get some snacks and not just liquids. On the other hand, there have been a few times where I certainly exceeded the $50/night with a bottle of champagne, etc. And for a one-week stay, the $200 limit can easily be hit.
The guarantees are a good step forward.
And waiving the ridiculous "resort fees" which give you benefits that you either don't need (free local phone calls, really? Like you can't call free from your cellphone?) or already get (free Wi-Fi) removes a big sore point.
All in all, not entirely disappointed, and if this extends to Kimptons and Regents, it will be a definite plus. Even more so would be if the RA requalification includes stays at Kimptons and Regents; I'll definitely step up my stays in those hotels, especially in cities without ICs.
Dec 12, 2018, 1:12 pm
#75
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: HEL
Programs: AY, SK, TK
Posts: 7,595
I just wonder about the ”punishments”. These will vecome a cat-and-mouse play. Properties trying to fake you an upgrade with artificial room categories and ee as smart customer responding with same weapon: calling the front desk at 11am about late checkout ”in case” they are under pressure and willing to trade off for 10000 points and then checking out 11am without even intention to stay until 4pm. Or such - we are smart to find ways arent we?