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)
Jan 4, 2019, 4:08 pm
#212
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Danville, CA, USA;
Programs: UA 1MM, WN CP, Marriott LT Plat, Hilton Gold, IC Plat
Posts: 15,721
Question: Do you receive A/RA benefit on Chase free night stays, or are they treated as award stays (i.e. no benefits)?
In practice this is not the case as the term "upgrade" is rather vaguely defined. In some hotels it simply means a room on a higher floor, or something slightly better than the ROH basement room. If in fact this meant a suite on every visit (like the old SPG Plat program) then yes, you would be correct. But in practice I get "upgraded" almost every time I check in at almost every chain, status notwithstanding. The only exception was the horrid Hilton Aberdeen Treetops where everyone is treated like dirt regardless of status.
Rubbish pay a paltry usd200, and the free upgrade on a 4night stay gets you that cost back. Remember the IC hotels sees none of that usd200 you pay for your Ambassador Status.
Any other benefit on more nights per year you are quids in
No other chain allows you to buy 12months of upgrades.
Any other benefit on more nights per year you are quids in
No other chain allows you to buy 12months of upgrades.
Jan 4, 2019, 8:46 pm
#214
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: London
Programs: Hilton, IHG - BA, GA, LH, QR, SV, TK
Posts: 17,008
To be honest, I really don't know what it means - I'm guessing the limit is a room that would cost 70K points. Not many of those around ..... currently
So would there need to be reward night availability?
Might be easier, less fussy and more realistic to credit accounts with 70K points to spend as one wishes.
But this is IHG
Jan 4, 2019, 8:59 pm
#215
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: In the air
Programs: Occasional RTW club
Posts: 6,924
To be honest, I really don't know what it means - I'm guessing the limit is a room that would cost 70K points. Not many of those around ..... currently
So would there need to be reward night availability?
Might be easier, less fussy and more realistic to credit accounts with 70K points to spend as one wishes.
But this is IHG
So would there need to be reward night availability?
Might be easier, less fussy and more realistic to credit accounts with 70K points to spend as one wishes.
But this is IHG
Jan 4, 2019, 9:49 pm
#217
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: In the air
Programs: Occasional RTW club
Posts: 6,924
I bet you a deval is coming sometime after the new benefits announcement. Maybe April/May timeframe.
Jan 4, 2019, 11:01 pm
#218
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: London
Programs: Hilton, IHG - BA, GA, LH, QR, SV, TK
Posts: 17,008
seems to be a nonsense manufactured benefit. Be sure we'll be the ones to pay for it as redemption rates get inflated.
wouldn't it be simpler, more transparent, more useful, just to credit accounts with points to book the rooms we want?
Jan 4, 2019, 11:55 pm
#219
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: In the air
Programs: Occasional RTW club
Posts: 6,924
Well no, because there will be some people who just use it on a nearby property out of convenience, and not for the whole 70K amount.
Jan 5, 2019, 2:30 am
#221
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: Hong Kong
Programs: IHG RA, IHG IC, HH DM, MPC GM
Posts: 64
free night up to 70,000pts is a big plus. I frequent the Intercontinental Hong Kong and the night there costs 70,000pts. Most Intercontinentals cost 35,000-50,000pts so basically it means you will be able to redeem that free night at almost any Intercontinental unless one starts to charge 80,000pts per night. Are there any properties around that cost over 70,000pts for the standard room?
Jan 5, 2019, 2:59 am
#222
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
Yeah it's explicitly limiting it to "70,000 points" that's scaring the bejesus out of me. It reads to me that a new category will be introduced and more hotels will move into it, making them ineligible for this reward. Otherwise why would they put this? And more, why would they put it this year? If they had no plans to devalue this year, they could've just made us feel good for a few months by saying "at ANY property except Alliance and Military" - but noooooo, they have to mention 70K.
I bet you a deval is coming sometime after the new benefits announcement. Maybe April/May timeframe.
I bet you a deval is coming sometime after the new benefits announcement. Maybe April/May timeframe.
But I recall that Regent Hotels are being integrated and some of those are a step up from InterContinental hotels, so they may introduce a higher redemption level. And perhaps Bora Bora and a few will go into that. But at 70K, Willard and Times Square and others are overpriced.
Jan 5, 2019, 3:39 am
#223
Suspended
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 4,477
free night up to 70,000pts is a big plus. I frequent the Intercontinental Hong Kong and the night there costs 70,000pts. Most Intercontinentals cost 35,000-50,000pts so basically it means you will be able to redeem that free night at almost any Intercontinental unless one starts to charge 80,000pts per night. Are there any properties around that cost over 70,000pts for the standard room?
But again that is my personal speculation (just like the three level of point breaks, the leak of this document ...etc...). Please take it as a pinch of salt.
Jan 5, 2019, 4:18 am
#224
Join Date: Jan 2017
Posts: 123
Yeah it's explicitly limiting it to "70,000 points" that's scaring the bejesus out of me. It reads to me that a new category will be introduced and more hotels will move into it, making them ineligible for this reward. Otherwise why would they put this? And more, why would they put it this year? If they had no plans to devalue this year, they could've just made us feel good for a few months by saying "at ANY property except Alliance and Military" - but noooooo, they have to mention 70K.
I bet you a deval is coming sometime after the new benefits announcement. Maybe April/May timeframe.
I bet you a deval is coming sometime after the new benefits announcement. Maybe April/May timeframe.
Jan 6, 2019, 9:37 am
#225
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: London
Programs: Hilton, IHG - BA, GA, LH, QR, SV, TK
Posts: 17,008
I'd be happy is IHG handed out, say, 50,000 extra points to RA's to spend as they will. OK, the Bora Bora die hards will miss out, but the rest of us could eek out a couple of Holiday Inn, HIX stays or splurge on an IC.