IHG Platinum status: worthless.
 

At my last stay at the CP Tel Aviv Azrieli I was told Platinum status does not mean a thing there. No lounge access, no upgrade. This during a 35-night stay. Granted, a suite upgrade for that length of stay would be a stretch but not even an offer of a partial-stay upgrade.

At USA IHG properties, no upgrades ever. At one CP she basically said to my face that it doesn't mean much.

Why do I bother?

Really means nothing, hope after 2014, IHG's plat's amount should less than now. They will upgrade the services, like the lounge access, breakfast.....

IHG Platinum status: worthless.
 

Why would you expect Platinum to mean anything? IHG gives it away for free to anybody that gets a specific IHG branded credit card. So, basically, anybody (at least US based, not sure about their overseas credit card offerings) can buy the status for less than $100 per year.

It's a complete slap in the face for loyal members that earn it by staying 60 nights, and dilutes the benefits to the point where there is little to no value.

This very board details the CP Tel aviv as not giving squat for status. Why are you surprised?

Because after flying for 19+hrs the thought of checking FT didn't occur to me? Sheesh... :rolleyes:

Did you not get a 500-point check-in bonus? :)

That's pretty much the only Platinum benefit I can see.

It used to be that some hotels used to give free breakfast and/or free internet to Plats. Now, internet is free for all IHG Club members (of any or even no status level), and by forcing the hotels to give that 500-point check-in bonus, that made many of the hotels that used to give free breakfast to Plats not give it any more. :td:

That's all in the name of "standardization" of benefits! :td:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/inter...-benefits.html

Either IHG Plat means something or it doesn't. Length of flight to get there isn't really anyone's concern but yours. What's the hotel supposed to do, divy out upgrades based on a 6 hour vs 10 hour travel time? Hotels in Hawaii would be out of suites 10 minutes after check in started.

Research on how individual hotel's recognize status is about all any of us can do. At least the info is available here for those in the future via the search feature.

I get upgraded to suites at HIX'es that have them most of the time.

Not sure why you expected free lounge access as that is not a published benefit of platinum status. Neither is an upgrade to a suite, unless you book one room category under the suite. And even then according to the t&c's it's upon availability only and even then you may end up in a corner room or a room with better view instead of the much desired suite.

In all my years of being platinum (earned through stays, not credit card) I have only been given free lounge access a very few times, mostly as a gesture because no room was available for an upgrade. However on multiple occasions when I asked I was offered paid lounge access (even with my partner and kids) at a significantly reduced rate because of my platinum membership.

Bottom line: is platinum worthless? It depends on where you are staying, your expectations, and often also on your attitude.

That's probably because at HIX's that have suites there often are only two room catagories: standard room and suite. So if you book a standard room and there is availability chances are high that you will end up in a suite.

In properties with many different room categories, if you book the lowest (or one of the lower) room categories the upgraded room may still be a "normal" room which just is a little larger, has a bigger tv screen, a nespresso machine instead of a water cooker and, if you are extremely lucky, a bathrobe and a pair of slippers :-)

I avoid IHG hotels as much as possible now, but when I stay there most of the time I'm treated very well.

I see it as the opposite. I research which hotels will honour the benefits and stay at them. Not once been disappointed yet.

Sure - there used to be endless posts on the theme "why oh why doesn't IHG give consistent levels of benefits".

But I'm guessing the idea was the level should settle around places like the CP in Bangkok, which routinely offers room upgrade + lounge access to Plats :D:D

Unfortunately the CP Tel Aviv was the target level. Surprise!

CP Changi's always been good to me - suite every time.

Gave up on plat a few years back. The only advantage is accruing of points, other than that forget it.