Montreal

Hi,

I usually stay with the Hilton (Gold) Starwood (Gold) and Marriott (Silver). This is the first time I am staying at a hotel called Intercontinental which has a loyalty program called Priority Club.

Now, I read their point earning opportunity and it says at "Intercontinental Hotels you earn 2000 points per stay but at cheaper hotels like Holiday Inn etc. you earn 10 points per USD spent." So at Intercontinental if you stay for just one night you will still get 2000 pts. and even if you stay for 100 nights you only get 2000 points. Isn't that absurd and completely irrational as opposed to SPG/Hilton/Marriott all of which are based on spending amount! My stay would be for maybe a month (already been 10 days there) so if I were at Holiday Inn on a bill of $3000 I would have got 30,000 points but with Intercontinental I will only get 2,000!.

Should I complain about this stupid system? I know there is a promotion right now for 3000 bonus nights for every 3 nights but that is immaterial because that applies to not just Intercontinental but all PC brand hotels.

The other option would be to check-out every 3-4 days and check-back in but then why should I go through this inconvenience and hassle?

Any comments/suggestions from our knowledge base would be greatly appreciated!!

Thanks.

Gustaf

This has been discussed before. And it is a big problem. I had a 7 night stay at IC Dubai last year and only got 4000 points (with Platinum bonus).
Checking out and then in again won't do any good unless you stay at another hotel for at least one night between.

I guess you could ask to speak to the hotel manager or perhaps the hotels Ambassador Club coordinator and see if anything can be done. Tell them that you will stay for a long time and how much you will spend.

Thumper

You ask for comments or advice.

You read the conditions. I'm not sure what you're looking for. I really really want a new boat but they want more money for it than I'm willing to spend. Any suggestions?

I always fly American and the guy in the office next to me always flies Delta. I get better benefits than him. He always calls Delta and argues about what I get versus him. But he can fly any airline he chooses. Any suggestions for him?

I'm going to go out on a limb here, but if the only reason you are staying at the Hotel is for frequent traveler benefits, stay somewhere else.

Patron

Montreal, Marriott owns Ritz Carlton. Did you already complain about this stupid system that you can only spend – and not earn - Marriott Rewards points at this brand? My guess is: no.

Try to see it that way: If you are staying at an IC as an Ambassador member, it’s similar if you are staying at one of “The Leading Hotels of the World” property as a Leaders Club member, your member benefits are primarily recognition and benefits during your stay and not different award possibilities after your stay.

Montreal

For suggestions what I was looking for was whether there is any wy around it. Obviously the Priority Club agent who told me over the phone that I could check-in and check-out was ill-informed!

For complaining about the "stupid system", I did as any rational person would see that the policy is irrational. Just across the street few blocks is the Holiday Inn (same brand) as the Intercontinental Toronto and there I would get 20,000 points instead of 2,000 with no difference in service. I got an email from PC that they have sent my comments to coporate office for review - at least that is a good sign.

Lastly, I took the business away to the fantastic downtown Toronto Hilton that has given me a suite becuase of my Gold status with access to Club lounge with free alcohol and breakfast. The rate is slightly higher but considering the benefits I am getting it is a better deal. Not to mention that they have a double promotion right now so I could end up with 40,000 Hilton Honors points and 1000 Aeroplan miles if I pay by VISA.

Patron

If I am looking for top end accommodation, I would not consider staying at a HI. If the HI Toronto on King offers the same service than the IC Toronto Center (eg lobby, bars, restaurants, spa, club room floors, meeting & banquet facilities) management would consider a re-branding. IMO opinion IC’s offer a range of services that not every guest needs (= value 0), therefore he does not like to pay for it.

I am glad to read that you are happy staying at Toronto’s Hilton. I am pretty sure, that the recognition you received in exchange for your HHonours Gold Status at Hiltons does not outperform the recognition Royal Ambassador member receive at IC’s.

As I indicated above, IC is not place to go for, if award redemption is very important to you. Once more: Did you already complain about this stupid system that you cannot earn Marriott Rewards points at Ritz Carlton’s?

Montreal

Patron,

No I did not complain about the Ritz Carlton vs. Marriott system as I know nothing about RC and I do not stay often at Marriott.

As for PC and Ambassador, etc. I still don't understand much and don't have the time to figure the mechanism out - one of the important things for customers these days is "ease of doing business" (that's what we are striving for big time at our company) and I find that in Hilton and Starwood. Your earning opportunity is directly proportional to your spending.

And oh did I mention that this IC Toronto, I have stayed a few times in the past used to be called Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza. It is exactly the same hotel with very minor changes (some refurbishment of rooms that was due anyways). So what's in a name - a rose by any other name would smell as sweet...

Motion122

An added note...not all rates for IC will qualify for points, as I found out myself recently. Even rates booked at PC's website, it wasn't the 21 day advance rate or internet only rate either! I shouldn't have to guess which rate will qualify me for stay credit and/or points. HHonors and Starwood will giv me points and stay credit on any rate booked on their website. Easy to do business with, HHonors and Starwood for sure!

Shareholder

Can you please explain which rates booked on the PC website are ineligible? I have never experienced this and have booked just about every rate going.

As for the basic issue at hand, it is unfair I suppose, but I still maintain that the majority of those staying at ICs have little or no interest in accumulating points. Just like those staying at Four Seasons, Ritz Carlton or St.Regis/Luxury Collection hotels. At a certain end of the market, points programs are irrelevent, and the majority of regular users of these high end chains are no likely to even be members.

When the SCC first announced its tie-up with PC, and offered the merged accounts, their take-up was very low, and I suspect that until the final stage of this merging in the past few months, less than half of long time SCC members were also PC members.

For high spenders, IC expects they will be members of the Ambassador program -- in the past SCC -- and gain various stay-related benefits by virtue of their spend.

Points accumulation at ICs has also been restricted because of this high spend potential, since the average room rate at an IC is likely to be two or three times that of a high end HI or average CP. A four night stay at $400 to $500 a night would yield 20K in base points and another 10K in bonus points. That's half way to Platinum status. Hardly fair to ordinary members who have to stay three or four times as many nights to get that number of points, and thus earn the top tier status. [Remember, SPG only acknowledges stays/nights for status, not overall earnings/spend. Hilton has only just introduced spend in addition to stays/nights. Not sure about other programs, but I believe Marriott doesn't even give points for stays at it's high end Ritz Carlton properties.]

So there are many ways of looking at this matter, and I suspect the current approach has been taken as a middle ground to preserve the integrity of the PC program, which came along well after IC was established.

AAlton

Most are already aware of this fact. This example serves to support Patron's comments, that if the Holiday Inn Toronto King offered the same service as the Inter-Continental Toronto Center then it would be rebranded. Clearly the former Crowne Plaza Convention Centre met this standard and was rebranded! If one chooses their stay simply based on a points system for awards, then Inter-Continental is simply the wrong choice. No comparable brand offers any sort of reward program so I don't see how one loses out with Inter-Continental. If one choose their stay based on amenties enjoyed during a stay which improve with brand loyalty then there is a powerful case for the Inter-Continental Ambassador program, but clearly this is not the case here.

theowest

Hi FT's,

I only get 2000 Points for an 8 night stay at the IC Toronto Centre. Is ths right? I thought, i will get 2000 points for every night = 16.000 Points.
Is this ok? Thanks for your help.

theowest

maclover

Yes it is. You get 2000 points per stay, either a one night or one month one.
A bit odd, but.. that's it!
If you're looking for a point-run you should stay at CP, where you earn 10 point for every $ spent.
If you stay at IC for a week at an average 200$ rate you get 2000points 1$=1point.
If you stay at a CP for 120$ you get 8400points-

Spend less, earn more!

Regards
maclover

100,000miler

As a Platinum member, I agree it is not fair for those of us who stay longer than one night at an IC. I will be staying 7 nights soon at an IC in Asia and I have been reconsidering my options as a result. I will move to a Starwoods hotel as a result or another chain where I have status.

IT is just not a good deal with IC for longer stays.

dannyr

Ring the manager of the hotel and ask him if he'll offer you the same rate, and special service if you "check out" each morning and "check in" each afternoon. Ask him if you can "check out" without moving your belongings.

Basically have 8 consecutive stays in the same hotel in the same room without having to move anything.

Brendan

Sorry, Dannyr, but the T&Cs clearly say that consecutive nights count as one stay regardless of the number of check-outs/-ins. Of course, if the computer doesn't catch it ...

It could work if >=2 persons are sharing the room & the sympathetic mgr. rotates the names & FF airlines/#s each day.