IHG Platinum status: worthless.

Old Nov 8, 2014, 9:52 am
  #61  
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Originally Posted by Carel1
I agree, more platinum members make platinum membership less exclusive.
That's indeed another aspect to consider as well: if a hotel gets overwhelmed with Platinum members, their willingness to treat them well will be diminished.

I believe some locations will have a large number of CC-Platinums.

HTB.
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Old Nov 8, 2014, 2:38 pm
  #62  
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Originally Posted by nacho
I don't agree, those members have to stay at ihg hotels in order to get the benefits. More members doesn't mean that they are using the hotels. I don't believe that half of all ihg members are platinum, for us who are not us/uk/china based we can't get a credit card to give us plat status.
Indeed, unless Platinum members are far less likely to review hotels than Gold a non-status IHG Club members, there can't be that many Platinums, because whenever I look at IHG's online hotel reviews, which show the status of each reviewer, I have to scroll through lots and lots of reviews from non-Platinums if I'm looking for reviews which would tell me what benefits a Platinum got at that hotel.

Originally Posted by htb
I believe some locations will have a large number of CC-Platinums.
Then please show me a hotel whose IHG reviews are heavily from Platinums. (The reviews won't show who's a CC Platinum vs who's a Platinum via stays, but there can't possibly be more CC Platinums than overall Platinums, can there?)

Last edited by sdsearch; Nov 8, 2014 at 2:47 pm Reason: spelling
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Old Nov 8, 2014, 4:59 pm
  #63  
 
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I've been both Hilton Diamond & IHG Plat. My travel allows me to pick one or the other. Hilton Diamond used to be totally worth it. Not any more. So instead since their "loyalty" programs that no longer reward loyalty I split it up and earn Gold in both programs. There I get just enough value to make being Gold worth it. There is no motivating reason in either program to be at a higher level.

This is also means that I no longer recommend either to anyone. What's the point? If anyone from IHG is reading this thread... I'd love to hear a response to my question:

Why have a loyalty program that doesn't reward loyalty?
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Old Nov 8, 2014, 10:23 pm
  #64  
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Originally Posted by sdsearch
Indeed, unless Platinum members are far less likely to review hotels than Gold a non-status IHG Club members, there can't be that many Platinums, because whenever I look at IHG's online hotel reviews, which show the status of each reviewer, I have to scroll through lots and lots of reviews from non-Platinums if I'm looking for reviews which would tell me what benefits a Platinum got at that hotel.
Indeed. I expect Platinum members with 50-100 nights distributed over different chains to be much less likely to leave reviews. I just don't bother any more and have spent 80 nights in IHG hotels this year. I do send feedbacks for Best Western because they award some points.

In addition, Platinum members will probably visit the same hotels again and again. That also reduces the number of reviews.


Originally Posted by sdsearch
Then please show me a hotel whose IHG reviews are heavily from Platinums.
That's pointless (see above).

I do remember reports on FT that no upgrades were received because too many guests were Platinum. I think there was also some airport hotel who set a quota (get an upgrade every second time) because of that.

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Old Nov 9, 2014, 3:06 am
  #65  
 
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Platinum is far from worthless even if limited upgrades because one stays at HIEs where in the newer builds all rooms are identical other than being Queen or Twin Bedded. 50% bonus on points is not to sneezed at compared to hardly wortywhile gold elite percentage.
Occasional pointsbreak that fit ones plans are a stonking benefit too.

Regards upgrades in my last 300 IHG (non IC stays) over last 4 years in a)UK b)Western Europe c)other Europe d)Asia (I have no USA nights)..... I have been upgraded 100% (outside of HIE's ) all but 2x, and that includes award night upgrades, and reduced rate night upgrades such as 241's, low fixed rates like last Xmas period 30 per HI upto 125 per IC etc.

Maybe my upgrade sucess is due to always being earned platinum status , and hotels see my nights stay counts, or that Europe/Asia hotel attitude and respect of eites and being happy to provide room upgrades i do not know. I know from other similar threads raised a few times per year, I am not the only IHG Platinum with a great upgrade record.

I really struggle to believe it, when Platinum IHGers say they have never been upgraded in 10's of stays.

Of my two non-upgrades one was late HI booking/arrival , it was fully booked, checkin apologised and gifted me breakfast instead, the other was award night in a full hotel and I was not an early(ontime) checkin

In Europe without free USA Platinum numbers messing the ratio of numbers of platinum elites per night at most hotels, my Platinum upgrade recognition has been 100%.

If I was in USA where a dearth of CC Platinums from free CC's boosts percentage of IHG Platinums staying each night in the hotels, I would have to lower my upgrade expectations.

I believe if any polarisation of Platinum upgrades exists, it will be USA v Rest of The World !...........................

In USA I would try to avoid the "space available upgrade" getout clause chains, thats IHG + Hilton for me, though I would only visit major cities & stay at IC's for my guaranteed Ambassador status upgrades.
If no local IC, then I would use FT and similar sites to research upgrades before booking any IHG/Hilton hotel.
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Old Nov 9, 2014, 3:48 am
  #66  
 
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I continue to find Platinum useful (lots of upgrades and extra perks) and will definitely be keeping the credit card for the $49 cert and 10% rebate. My stays and EQPs usually fall somewhere between Gold and Platinum qualification, but the card keeps that from being an issue.

A couple weeks ago when my 28th 2014 night posted I got an email from IHG offering me a "special opportunity" to re-qualify by staying 3 more nights, which happens to be what I plan to do this month. I wonder what percentage of the non credit card Platinums don't meet the published qualification criteria.
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Old Nov 9, 2014, 12:54 pm
  #67  
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Originally Posted by scubaccr
Platinum is far from worthless even if limited upgrades because one stays at HIEs where in the newer builds all rooms are identical other than being Queen or Twin Bedded. 50% bonus on points is not to sneezed at compared to hardly wortywhile gold elite percentage.
Occasional pointsbreak that fit ones plans are a stonking benefit too.

Regards upgrades in my last 300 IHG (non IC stays) over last 4 years in a)UK b)Western Europe c)other Europe d)Asia (I have no USA nights)..... I have been upgraded 100% (outside of HIE's ) all but 2x, and that includes award night upgrades, and reduced rate night upgrades such as 241's, low fixed rates like last Xmas period 30 per HI upto 125 per IC etc.

Maybe my upgrade sucess is due to always being earned platinum status , and hotels see my nights stay counts, or that Europe/Asia hotel attitude and respect of eites and being happy to provide room upgrades i do not know. I know from other similar threads raised a few times per year, I am not the only IHG Platinum with a great upgrade record.

I really struggle to believe it, when Platinum IHGers say they have never been upgraded in 10's of stays.

Of my two non-upgrades one was late HI booking/arrival , it was fully booked, checkin apologised and gifted me breakfast instead, the other was award night in a full hotel and I was not an early(ontime) checkin

In Europe without free USA Platinum numbers messing the ratio of numbers of platinum elites per night at most hotels, my Platinum upgrade recognition has been 100%.

If I was in USA where a dearth of CC Platinums from free CC's boosts percentage of IHG Platinums staying each night in the hotels, I would have to lower my upgrade expectations.

I believe if any polarisation of Platinum upgrades exists, it will be USA v Rest of The World !...........................

In USA I would try to avoid the "space available upgrade" getout clause chains, thats IHG + Hilton for me, though I would only visit major cities & stay at IC's for my guaranteed Ambassador status upgrades.
If no local IC, then I would use FT and similar sites to research upgrades before booking any IHG/Hilton hotel.
The problem with IHG beyond IC is the sheer inconsistency.

I agree that generally I get treated well but you sometimes have strange arguments about getting any upgrade that I find unsettling. I can see that a run of bad luck in the wrong properties could give a very different impression and often these properties aren't cheap (I rarely stay in HI and almost never in HIX).

I wish IHG would sort out the problem once and for all by ditching Plat for credit card spend and giving those of us who earn it through circa 100 nights of stays more consistent and reliable benefits.
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Old Nov 11, 2014, 12:35 am
  #68  
 
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IHG Platinum status: worthless.

I have travelled throughout Asia (Australia, China, HK, SGP, Thailand, MLY, South Korea, Japan, Philippines, Egypt, Turkey, Israel, Russia, India) & have stayed 100-200 nights annually in IHG hotels for the past 10 years & except for the BKK Crowne Plaza which always upgrades me the same as it did when it was previously the Pan Pacific & Indigo in HK I almost never have been upgraded elsewhere in those 10 years. Earlier this year I travelled for 30 days across the USA & got a bottle of water or 500 points at most IHG hotels. Recently I've been acknowledged as platinum at most hotels. But, I agree that the rewards for IHG platinum are next to worthless.
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Old Nov 11, 2014, 12:43 am
  #69  
 
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Strange, I was upgraded pretty much all the time when I was just a Platinum and not Amb/RA. I was travelling mostly in ME, Asia and North America.
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Old Nov 11, 2014, 1:25 am
  #70  
 
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Don't know, but it saved me a load of money in London.
With price of booze in England having that club access saved me a bunch
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Old Nov 12, 2014, 6:22 am
  #71  
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Originally Posted by gaia
I have stayed 100-200 nights annually in IHG hotels for the past 10 years
No upgrade anywhere!?

And you are not RA!?
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Old Nov 12, 2014, 1:40 pm
  #72  
 
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I kind of wonder if the handful of people complaining are staying on corporate contract discount rates that waive elite benefits. Try booking a few stays on public rates or even booking some award nights.
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Old Nov 12, 2014, 7:23 pm
  #73  
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Originally Posted by nicolas75
No upgrade anywhere!?

And you are not RA!?
I'm not the person you were replying to, but I've certainly stayed 100++ nights with IHG over the last dozen years, but only one of those nights was at an IC (on points, in Rome at the Spanish Steps) Mostly they were HIs, HIXs, Candlewood, Staybridge, and I think CP even only once or twice.

The distribution of brands depends where you stay. Stay in the center of a lot of big cities, and you'll find a lot of ICs and CPs. But stay in the suburbs, or in smaller cities/towns, and you're hardly ever find an IC, rarely find a CP, but you'll find tons of HIs and HIXs (and in the USA often Candlewood and/or Staybridge too).

But I thought RA was for IC only??? So what good would RA be for someone who mostly stays in suburbs or smaller cities/towns?

And btw upgrades are either rarer or less obvious (just a nicer side of the building or such, rather than an obviously superior room) at Candlewood and Staybridge and at many HI and HIX (that are low on suites) than at CP and IC (and those HIs or HIXs that have lots of suites). So the same brand distribution could account for different upgrade experiences.

In my case, there's an HIX I stayed at a bunch of times which only has 3 suites in the whole hotel. So they did upgrade me occasionally, but on only on a tiny fraction of stays.

Last edited by sdsearch; Nov 12, 2014 at 7:29 pm
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Old Nov 12, 2014, 7:37 pm
  #74  
 
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Why do you guys think Intercontinental has a separate elite membership program distinct from all other IHG hotels?

The only reason I am keeping my IHG credit card is the free night each year ($49 for a night at Intercontinental is a good value)....
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Old Nov 12, 2014, 10:44 pm
  #75  
 
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Originally Posted by uclacolumbiaunc
Why do you guys think Intercontinental has a separate elite membership program distinct from all other IHG hotels?

The only reason I am keeping my IHG credit card is the free night each year ($49 for a night at Intercontinental is a good value)....
You can PAY to become an Ambassador which has value, but only at IC's

http://www.ihg.com/intercontinental/.../en/ambassador
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