Do you ever see online that you're upgraded but then you lose the upgrade??
 

I often check my reservations on the IHG app or website a few days before check in and see that I've gotten a free upgrade. Great.

But the last two stays, the website has shown an upgrade several days before check in, but then when I look at the website again on the day of check in, I've lost the upgrade.

I know upgrades are according to availability and are within the hotel's discretion, but it seems like a bad business practice to me to tell a Spire/Ambassador member "you've been upgraded" and then change your mind and tell him at check in that there is no upgrade.

Is there any way to protect oneself from the "disappearing upgrade"?

I've had it a few times

Yup, happens more often than one would expect. Especially if the upgrade is more generous than required, especially at ICs in my case where for AMB a one category upgrade is guaranteed (outside of special suites). I have been upgraded two, three categories a few days prior to check in just to receive exactly what I need to get at a minimum upon check-in. YMMV.

It happens, but on the other hand it can go the other way as well every once in a while.

Yes - don't look for them & you'd never know what you could have got. When you check in, you'll either get what you booked, or a nice surprise. I stopped checking in advance for this very reason.

Much more likely that guests reservation is first upgraded , especially if booking Intercontinental Brand 1-2 cat well up front 4 -7 days out if Amb/RA, and then further upgraded on arrival day morning, or at checkin (or sometmes CP especially a club room upgrade for me as RA/Spire), Rare to get > +1cat at HI/Indigo brands which i rarely stay at, and alasEuropean HIE's don't have anythhing but basic rooms of either King / Twin type , though get cirner room, or sofa bed on those in UK/NL etc

This extra checkin upgrade more than balances out my odd dissapointment with lesser upgrades, which to be honest are very rare, and i usually assume guest in planned room has extended their stay at last minute.

And no pre-checkin neither protects your advised upgrade or prevents further upgrade at checkin in my experirience

ps:- My lat two diussapointments, both in 2019 were 1 at MR and another at HH, none at IHG/IC hotels, though i get more advance upgrades shoewing with both MR/HH excuding my IC brand nights

You lost me at IHG. ((Shivers)). Lol
 

I (a Spire) had this happen at one the CP's in London Dec 2018. My first time at that hotel and my first time in London. Was on the train from Manchester early evening, arriving to the hotel around 9:00-9:30pm. Checked the app to make sure res was still there. Noticed I was upgraded to a crazy suite. The room pictures show the room has a staircase in it. This was on points even. Was excited to get an awesome room my first time in what has now become my favorite city. Get to the hotel all excited and at check in I'm told I have some sort of standard room. I didn't look at the app before I walked in the door.

"I thought I was upgraded to a suite?"
"Well, we don't have any upgrades right now."
"I saw it in the app a couple hours ago when I was on the train. Said Executive Suite or something."
"...............how did you know what room type we put you in?"

The apparently didn't know that guests can see the exact rooms they put you in on the app. I think they realized that they disappointed someone. I'm guessing because I was getting there relatively late, another guest probably asked for an upgrade and they switched rooms.
I didn't complain. It is a great hotel and have stayed there again (and will be again later this year).

The hotels "position" the guest in the upgrades. At times the room changes from a standard room to a deluxe room to a suite and back to a standard room. And yes timing is a factor as a late arrival can result in either a room upgrade or a room downgrade.