DoubleJ

OK, according to Ambassador CS the Conde Nast offer appears to have been a good deal, and I would agree--three nights (in a club floor room) for the price of two, and two dinner vouchers worth 60+ Euros tossed in--but this in itself would not be reason to restrict Club lounge access. Without seeing the actual wording of the Conde Nast offer, it's difficult to give any conclusive comments, but if the Conde Nast offer did not specifically state that the dinner vouchers would be given in lieu of Club lounge access, or did not specifically state Club lounge access would be denied, it seems pretty unfair to say, and in hindsight, what basically comes out to "Hey look mlpinto, why are you complaining? You got a good deal."

Now to Ambassador CS's credit, they haven't given up trying to find a mutually agreeable resolution.

pointsofinterest

As far as I'm aware, this Web page is all that exists explaining this offer...

http://www.legrand.intercontinental.com/traveller

Not sure what actually appeared in the print ad.

DoubleJ

Thanks for the link pointsofinterest.

From this site:

From the blurb on this site, one would assume that the "enhanced accommodation and amenities" offered by the Club floor included lounge access. Furthermore, by using the reservation link provided, one of the room choices offered is "Club IC Room". Clicking on the room description yields:

I think there is no question that, if an IC Club Room was reserved under this offer, that Club lounge access should be given.

Imperial Special

There are two points here.

1. The Conde Nast offer does not refer to any particular type of room. Buy two - get a third night free plus 'dinner' at the Cafe de la Paix, apparently to the value of EUR62.

2. It is apparent that the denial of Club access to ML Pinto was wrong. The statement by Le Grand that the Conde Nast offer only applied to 'a superior room' is plainly nonsense since why else would they have accepted a booking for a Club IC Room and the additional revenue that went with that.

That being said, there is a bureaucratic impulse not to admit mistakes and thus they may stonewall until they are pressed harder.

Dino2020

this is just Legrand up to its usual stunts, poor management and staff training issues, I had a battle with them for a few months I never gave in and got what I wanted, my advice stick with it keep sending emails to every one, till you think you got what you deserve. I got given a load of points by Ambassador services to consider the matter closed and some gifts off the Legrand

Dino

mlpinto

Hi

Thanks for the research and support guys - as Dino2020 says I'll keep plugging away at them until I get something satisfactory. I can see this taking a while though...

Cheers

Marcel

Snoopyo

IC Le Grand with its old buildings have rooms of varying sizes. On the club floor as other floors there are regular/classic, deluxe room and jr. suites, etc. The equivalent room on the club floor are higher since it comes with club access for 2 people...

I had great service at IC Le Grand and all are nice with Marta in particular with excellent service (Iris ? too).

trekkie

Hi all,

I can fully appreciate the situation that the op has experienced. Some time back, i wrote about the Intercontinental Sydney, Intercontinental Singapore as well as some USA Intercontinentals doing exactly the same thing that LeGrand has just done to the op.

The marketing and terms and conditions of Ambassador Membership clearly state that whenever someone pays for a room irregardless of the category, the member would get a one category upgrade , upgrade to a superior room.

Whenever, anyone exercise this right, we usually get snubbed by the IC people who will claim that suites are not in the superior room category and it is claimed that the term category refers to cetorgy. Its very fishy and doggy. So even if you are booked in a room category one level below the suite, you won't get the suite even if its clearly written down. They just won't recognise it. It seems the only way is to sue the property in question and get your money back and compensation.

It is perhaps the only language that the property staff will understand. In fact, im sure someone will sue as all these upgrades and lounge access do have a monetary value in Ic's own definition. They charge for lounge access. In properties when the difference in categories is only the view or higher floor, you get slapped with additional charges for being put on higher floor. I have been there, done that before.

I have also been to US intercontinentals and the Sydney Intercontinental and have not had my Ambassador Status recognised. In fact, the moment the front desk is notified that you are an Ambassador, you are in fact treated more rudely and given a worse category room. In some instances, i had my room bedding configuration changed without even the courtesy of the person informing me and she did it in front of me.

The Intercontinental Group , honestly speaking, is more interested in collecting revenue rather than deliver what you pay for. Their website is perhaps the only one out of the major chains that i know of that insist on a night pre-pay on most if not all of their rates.

Customer service doesnt exist in most of their staff and they seem pretty arrogant and proud of being rude. Im sure a lot of Starwood, Hilton and Hyatt properties are better than more of IC properties.

As i have mentioned before, FAIR WARNING to all those who wish to Join Ambassador Programme. The benefits are usually not given and the cert is in some instances "not really" used to obtain a standard room that a revenue room would be.

I have notified my local fair trading authority and the local government. It's just a matter of waiting to see how much the errant properties will end up paying in fines and so on... for false advertsing and fraud.

Rest Assured, something is definately wrong somewhere.

Trekkie

maclover

Dear Trekkie,
I disagree at all with you.
I'm a 27yo guy, and I held Ambassador from 6 months. So far I visited 4 differents properties:

Washington: booked a standard room (prepaid, lowest rate on website) and got a very nice 2 rooms jr suite.

Paris LeGrand: booked a standard room under the Departyres promotion and ended up in the junior suite with club access and all

Rome: booked a standard room (on a special rate like 120€), got a junior suite on the 7th floor with a nice view on Villa Borghese)

Geneva: booked a standard room under the pay one stay 2 promo and got upgraded to a nice deluxe room lake view.

In the past I stayed many times at IC with my parents (my father was a SCC) and always remember more than good stays.

The problem imho is that reading FT we always would like to get MORE )
Eheh... I remember Stimpy said he got a full suite at Rome IC, even if he booked a standard room.

I just got a jr suite... do I have to complain? Not at all! I was just more lucky than me And you know with these upgrade things you have to be lucky, but mainly you have to be polite with the agent checking you in.

I will continue to visit and enjoy IC hotels.
Sometime problems may occur, but that's because we don't live in a perfect wirld )

Cheers maclover

Internaut

If the break at this hotel was booked through Intercontinental in the UK then this sounds like a simple trading standards issue. Similar laws exist throughout Europe. The issue is simple:

i) A Club Intercontinental room was booked.
ii) Intercontinental are very clear on what one of these rooms is and what perks it comes with (including access to the Club Intercontinental lounge).
iii) Access to the Club Intercontinental lounge was denied (for whatever reason).

The correct compensation is a refund of the cost down to the level of a similar room not on the Club Intercontinental floor (plus costs should IC group choose to be stupid enough to fight).

Anyone fancy a palm tree?

Regards
I

trekkie

Hi MaClover and all,

Im not sure if i made my point clear across.

What i was intending to say is that in the USA and Asia, most of Ic hotels do not honour(or rather do not fully) Ambassador Status. A lot of the hotels that Maclover listed is based in the UK where the HQ of IC Ambassador customer services centre and the Intercontinental group is based. To go back in history, the franchise agreement of the Ic group of hotels in the past has been such that it is easy to obtain a franchise if you ahve the capital and the staff and of course a property. Many of these properties have generally been individually managed. That is until Loyalthy programmes came along.

Unlike other loyalthy programmes, the Ambassador programme is a paid programme that is specific on the benefits that is being offered and in fact, most if not all is not subject to discretion or the individual property that a member stays at.The one category upgrade is specifically stated clearly in the terms and conditions and the suite denial is not in the t & c at all. In fact, the terms and conditions further state that any changes made to the programme must be published on the Priority Club website. I.E, if you are booked into a room one category below the suite, you are supposed to get the suite, no matter whether the individual property management likes it or not. For Royal Ambassadors, even if you are booked at the lowest available rate, you are supposed to be upgraded to a suite at time of booking. ( in some cases, it is more than 1 category upgrade)

Being a paid programme, as a member you are not only paying for the weekend certificate but you are also paying for all the benefits that are spelt out specifically in the terms and conditions. This is not like SPG or HHonor or Hyatt Passport where a lot of the benefits are subject to hotel property discretion and is not really paid for upfront.

I have generally been nice to the phone reservation people and hotel staff. Im sure most of us are too. But when we arent even offered or recognised for what we paid for, what are we suppose to think? The legal consideration is there but is not honoured. So if i am not getting what i have paid for, what am i paying USD100.00 to USD150.00 for????

Thw worse part is, when people like myself ask the front desk nicely " I am an Ambassador Member, do you think you can kindly recognise the benefits?" or something to that extent, i am made to feel like i am insulting the staff or that i should be grateful that i am staying at that property.

A fellow flyertalker mentioned that i sound like an abused spouse who continue to use IC hotels. I am only trying to recover what i paid for. Isn't that what a reasonable would do? I hope im not talking to aliens but certainly, that has to make some sense.

thanks

tristan727

Hi Trekkie,
Whether you say it nicely or not, it comes across to me as being quite confrontational every time you check-in - all IC hotels I've been to do understand, & deal with everyday the basic benefits of Ambassador, & therefore don't really need to be reminded of them at check-in. I would never say anything like that at all, I just say, if they haven't mentioned it yet & they've handed me the keys 'oh, it is by the way an upgraded room is it? fantastic, many thanks', & that's it - my $100 I paid for Ambassador didn't go to the hotel , or it's owner likely - so it's their loss, along with the x points I'll get & all the other perks, like the fresh fruit, chocolates etc. that I only enquire on if not arrived within say 5 hours, rather than asking at check-in. My philosophy is to be polite & humble to them, as that's the way I expect them to be with me & if they don't then I could get angry.

What I don't understand, is if you are so angry bout it, you're obviously an IC regular, so why not apply, or qualify as an RA, as then they'd definetly give you ample recognition?

mlpinto

Hi

I'm pleased to say that today I got an email from Ambassador Customer Services to say that they will be arranging for a refund in the difference of room costs. I have to say they have been very helpful in sorting this out - far more so then the hotel themselves.

Thanks for the help and advice, guys.

Cheers

Marcel