Have you changed your hotel stay pattern due to PC devaluations?

Old Feb 11, 2013, 2:29 pm
  #16  
 
Join Date: May 2008
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I've moved a lot of stays to Hilton. The free breakfast as a gold is something that was always missing at IHG and the rooms are fairly equal in price to HIs in Europe. I've already gotten enough points in the last 4 months for a free week in the Maldives.

I've now rented apartments in my main focus cities in China so that I don't have to even stay at hotels. It's definitely a cutback in terms of earnings, but I have a suite every night. It's amazing what you can get in China for the price of a 5 night IC stay.....

2-for-1 and 35% off are still useful for me for airport stays and such.
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Old Feb 11, 2013, 3:58 pm
  #17  
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: London
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Yes, I am changing my stay pattern. And no, I am not leaving IHG/PCR just yet.

I enjoyed the earned RA status for a few years, but the programme getting a bit boring. Random promotion codes no longer exist, lost all the fun of finding 4-digit codes on FT. Double/triple points opportunities are all gone, what are they thinking about? The inconsistency among hotels is still a big problem, could easily end up with a terrible CP/HI, but still paying good money. This year's devaluation was the final push, only if last year's wasn't bad enough.

So once again I have to compare all hotel programmes by using my own criteria. Marriott came out the top, especially the life time elite status is a unique selling point comparing to IHG (SPG and Hyatt has poor coverage in the UK and the Far East).

So I guess 60% of my business will go to Marriott, and 40% remain with IHG simply because they have better coverage in the Far East - particularly in the cities that I need to travel to. Probably just enough nights to keep my RA status with IHG, will make sure I use all RA benefits for each stay, and draw particular attention on the mini bar
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Old Feb 12, 2013, 2:19 am
  #18  
 
Join Date: May 2006
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Originally Posted by TheBeerHunter
I know F&F rates are "supposed" to be non-qualifying, etc. But do RAs still get upgrades, etc. on them?
Some hotels are more stingy than others (regarding the quality of upgrades), but I have yet to see one that refuses RA benefits on a paid stay.
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Old Feb 12, 2013, 5:02 am
  #19  
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
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I don't think Marriot or SPG will work for me, IC/PCR/HH programs seem to meet my travel pattern/needs best.

I plan enough nights in 2013 to keep PCR Platinum for 2014, in the hope the new less easy Platinum re-qualification requirement will reduce PCR Platinum member count in 2014, allowing , hopefully, better and consistant PCR Platinum benefits in 2014 at HIX/HI/CP (free internet and free breakfast)
Obviously I hope to keep my RA status, if I can put in enough IC nights too.

Not sure I want 20x HH Stays in 2013 just to keep HH Gold as I think one can do a HH Gold/Plat challenge yearly as it is not a 'Status Match' limited to once in a lifetime.
As I now have HH Gold I can move some nights to Hilton and I like the Airmiles from the HH scheme

If PCR non-IC bennies remain the same for 2014 with no improvements, that is, no free internet, no free breakfast, no bennies on points stays, then I see myself taking a HH Diamond challenge and switching many nights over from Jan2014.

I believe HH points stays also get HH bennies, and count towards year nights totals, unlike PCR/IC, something I'd like PCR/IC hotels to provide, so another reason to switch more stays to HH for me.
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Old Feb 12, 2013, 6:17 am
  #20  
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Programs: HH Diamond, IHG Platinum
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Still an IHG platinum for 2013 but will be my last year after holding the status for as long as I remember. I am also Diamond at HH.

I stay about 60 business nights and 10-15 personal in chain hotels but the PC/IHG offers very little now compared to HH where I always get upgraded, free wi-fi, a free drink and double dip Avios and HH points. At IHG I seldem even get acknowledged.

So for me its Hilton, Carlson , Marriott and as a last resort IHG. Shame really but I guess they are content with the business they are getting or they would up the game.
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Old Feb 12, 2013, 11:07 am
  #21  
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
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After being Plat many years, 2013 will be my last. I have two preferred chains to cover my travel all over the world and IHG will be replaced in 2014 if not sometime this year.

I just got my first round of promo points and it appears that it's indeed true that only base point will count towards elite status. I wouldn't mind if the perks is right, but as most know, PC Plat is meaningless. There is virtually no tangible perks at most hotels. For $6000 pre-tax dollars a year, I'd expect more perks than what's being offered.

This is the worst move IHG could have made
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Old Feb 12, 2013, 8:06 pm
  #22  
JBa
 
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No, still enjoy IC hotels. Already split years ago my stays between the 3 major chains.
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Old Feb 12, 2013, 8:11 pm
  #23  
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
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The PC enchantment began to fade after I was not targeted for Crack the Case, missing out on 4 free nights will do that. Last year I cozied up to Hyatt thanks to an excellent summer miles promotion. This year looks like Marrott due to MegaBonus nights and a reasonable BRG policy. When outside of the top 100 metros, I may dwell on the doorstep of a HIX again.
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Old Feb 13, 2013, 2:22 am
  #24  
 
Join Date: May 2008
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Yes. I have moved a lot of my stays away from IHG; I don't bother to use the Amb BOGOF voucher any more, ever since that was changed a couple of years back. Then after last year's devaluation I moved away from some of my regular IC stays. Now, after this latest round of devaluations, I don't feel that it's the same loyalty program that I used to belong to any more.

In the space of a couple of years, IHG/Priority Club have managed to turn me from someone who would rarely even consider staying in a non-IHG hotel (since the days of six-continent club) into someone that feels virtually no loyalty at all to the IHG chain!

Well done bean-counters at IHG; another "life-long" customer lost!
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Old Feb 13, 2013, 5:46 am
  #25  
 
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This thread has told me about the base points only counting. I have been plat for over 10 years and have now cancelled all IHG reservations. I will also burn the 500k points I have and be done with this company. Any IHG reps take note of this thread.
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Old Feb 13, 2013, 7:10 am
  #26  
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Originally Posted by stevie
This thread has told me about the base points only counting. I have been plat for over 10 years and have now cancelled all IHG reservations. I will also burn the 500k points I have and be done with this company. Any IHG reps take note of this thread.
It must have taken extraordinary patience to remain a Platinum member for 10 years. Apart from stays at a few HI's, I've found the returns, the recognition, generally dismal - especially in the UK.

I've been fortunate enough to retain RA over far too many years, and I'm not overly interested in points. I'm happy with my treatment at IC hotels, so keeping the RA status is my only real concern in the programme.

Though, as I recently got Hilton Gold thrust upon me, I might try some of their hotels in places where the HI offer is un-rewarding

It just emphasises, I suppose, that different patterns of usage create different expectations, different perspectives.
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Old Feb 13, 2013, 12:19 pm
  #27  
 
Join Date: May 2012
Programs: PCR Plat
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Yes. I probably average around 15 paid stays per year on businesss and have been Platinum for around 3 of the past 6 years....mainly due to promotions and credit card points. Now that these don't count towards status, combined with the increase in points required for reward nights in good locations, it doesn't make sense anymore. I'll see out this year with Platinum status and then move on to Premier Inns and laterooms.com bookings. Won't bother with another hotel loyalty scheme as PC was the only one that worked considering my relatively low hotel stay frequency.
I know IHG won't miss my 15 paid nights, but I think there are a large number of business and leisure customers who chose IHG hotels because it was the only loyalty scheme that rewarded them for a relatively low stay frequency. I hope they have done their sums properly and know what they are doing....
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Old Feb 13, 2013, 12:30 pm
  #28  
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: UK
Programs: IHG Plat; CC Gold
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The impression I get, and to be honest, the impression I have always got, is that the corporate head office does not really give a d***, they have cheap poor quality call centres, and have knocked the loyalty program 3 times in the last 13 months.

I think IHG will just see this as a side effect and argue that they cannot keep everyone happy, and are willing to loose some loyalty, believing they will make it up elsewhere and make savings with reduced liabilities to the loyalty program.

The hotels themselves are much better and the ones we go to regularly appear to value loyalty, they will continue to get our business, but I have just booked a bunch of stays, and out of 7 that would have gone to IHG, now only 2 have gone there.
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Old Feb 13, 2013, 1:06 pm
  #29  
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Warsaw, Poland
Programs: M&M Gold, PC Platinum, HH Diamond
Posts: 16
Have I changed my pattern? Definitely yes!

I have moved all of my stays (100+ nights a year) to HH. I used to split my stays quite evenly between PC and HH, but now it is over.

Not qualifying for the "Crack the case" was the first crack in my loyalty. Maximising the point gain using multiple promotions is now gone. The last advantage of PC, the possibility to redeem points cheaply in expensive cities is also gone now.

I am happy I was able to spend nearly all my points before IHG inflated the redemption rates this year. I will watch the PointBreaks to spend the remaining ones.

I hold Platinum status for four years now but I will not bother to renew it this year. I will only come back to PC if they offer a Sweet Dillema - type promotion, but even then only for its duration.

Last edited by tomic; Feb 13, 2013 at 1:12 pm
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Old Feb 13, 2013, 1:22 pm
  #30  
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Programs: AA Gold (4 life), Delta Platinum, Starwood Gold, IC RA
Posts: 146
IC Prague

I booked the IC Prague at 40,000 points before the devaluation. Fortunately, the hotel is now only 35,000 points per night. Cancelled and rebooked. Saved 15,000 points for the 3 nights.

However, given that all other chains (Hilton, Marriott, Starwood) have been devaluating their points I won't change. Priorityclub is still the easiest of the bunch to earn bonus points on. 50,000 points for a free night at Le Grand in paris is much easier to attain than 30,000 starwood points for the "W" in Paris.
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