JetAway

Frequent guests seem to have so many hassles with this hotel. I had considered staying here on my next Sydney trip in May (using a "current BOGO) but after reading about all of the problems that seem to pop up I'm hesitant. I read that I can't use BOGO for club level here. Is that correct? However, I rely heavily on hotel executive clubs for just about everything--wifi, food & drinks--so how does the club stack up against other hotel clubs in the city? Is it worth forgoing BOGO?

Note from Modeator:
Older post prior to this post could be found in the archive thread of this property:

IC Sydney Archive Thread

Thank you
FLYGVA

InterContinental Sydney

Hello

Apologies for delay in responding to you, just returned from annual leave.

The 2nd room for your parents, best to book them a club room.

With kind regards Kim.

InterContinental Sydney

Hi

Sorry for the delay in responding but I have been on annual leave.

When staying on a reward night, no complimentary mini bar privileges apply. all information with regards to what is included and not included is in the terms and conditions and also available on the website.

The complimentary mini bar only applies when paying for accommodation.

Best regards Kim

tinkybelle

From the email I received what exactly does one get as ambassador or RA?
Other than the. Privilege of using my points for a free night
I am seeing exactly
Zilch

777 global mile hound

Welcome Back Kim and Happy New Year to you all Down Under!

I doubt my post will be warmly received however some things need to be said

What a great in house company policy for award redemption
Be sure to deny the very benefits of your top tier customers who stay loyal by staying in InterContinental Hotels/IHG. Just think your best customers can be stripped of their benefits and treated like a third party opaque customer even though they book through IHG direct booking channels.
Who thinks this stuff up?Revenue managers/ownership?
Really brilliant I must say.

What else can Priority Club /Ambassador guests look forward to when redeeming?
• The denial of their elite upgrade by availability benefit
• Revoked complimentary beverages/mini bar?
• In room movie denied too?
• No complimentary club access
• Loss of citizenship and passport?
Does the hotel remove soap, shampoo,blankets and towels from the room too before guest arrival?

In my decades in a wide variety of programs the in house policy of the InterContinental continues to deeply disappoint & still surprises me.Australia is my favorite country in the world and typically a great one to do business in.
The people are wonderful and most of the time exceptionally fair.
IMO IHG /InterContinental Sydney continues to set new lows in the travel industry with program tier in house recognition/benefits revenue or award. I find the policy personally offensive. Delighted that most other global Intercontinental properties respect loyalty both on revenue and reward unconditionally.

Each and every guest will have to decide what's in their best interest with what brands & programs to stay loyal too.
I urge all travelers to review competing programs and brands worldwide.
There are vastly superior recognition and treatment from most of the InterContinentals comepetitors outside of Australia where hotels conider their best customers worthy of hospitality.

Here is a recent Ambassador redemption stay at the InterContinental Sydney and his fate
He too apparently is not worthy
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserR...l#CHECK_RATES_

Dave Noble

There is no denial of benefits; the benefits are being given in accordance with the scheme

It is clearly stated in the benefits that the free minibar does not apply to award stays

It seems that the IC in Sydney is, these days, doing a good job at ensuring that entitled benefits are being given

MXM135

I believe that the criticisms are a little harsh. IHG and Priority Club are responsible for the Terms and Conditions for Intercontinental properties. These T&Cs are published and known to all members.

The individual hotels did not write these T&Cs and it is IHG and Priority Club that severely limited the Ambassador and Royal Ambassador benefits when staying on Reward Nights. It appears that the only thing that is provided by the hotel for these nights is a fruit basket/plate, welcome letter, welcome gift (if they still provide one), bottled water (replenished daily) and late check-out.

Although many IC properties do provide additional benefits and amenities for reward night stays and are not reimbursed for these added expenses, there should not be an expectation that all IC hotels be required to do so.

I am always pleasantly surprised when properties provide more than the minimum, but I do not expect more than what IHG has promised in writing.

The IC Sydney is not denying anyone a guaranteed benefit or amenity but meeting its obligations to all PCR members by following the T&Cs.

mxm135

777 global mile hound

Good point!
Agree that they are following written terms & Conditions in the program @:-)
From what I have observed they are one of the few regions globally with IC to do so.
Fair is in the eyes of the beholder.
Many hoteliers exceed their written terms and conditions
IC as a brand globally has clearly demonstrated that on revenue or award has typcially demonstrated such.
I am grateful that other IC properties do not honor such rules of enforcement in an outdated out of touch policy.
The IHG folks hear from their membership base throughout the year about such complaints not limited to the InterContinental brand with regard to recognition in the IHG family of hotels. Yet no update or modifiction to the program
Worse select hotels to choose to fully enforce even when an upgrade is available.

I do disagree that these are added expenses. Program schemes/loyalty programs are built to absorb costs in the revenue rates to subsidize the redemption costs in which hoteliers still get paid on.
Positive brand experience is what builds loyalty.
At the end of the day if a customer feels this is a fair policy regardless its your choice to stay or not stay as the guest.
It's of my personal opinion IC Sydney and Ambassador/Priority Club should improve on the policy..............

Now I have little to gain being a happy camper with the Park Hyatt Sydney and the Westin Sydney on my once maybe twice a year visits.These are programs and hotels that personally exceed all written expectations from my past 15 years of experience.
This is about fairness to IHGs Ambassador customers today and going forward
While clearly looking at competing programs and hoteliers who could do the same as IC Sydney but thankfully don't Down Under or elsewhere for that matter.

Dave Noble

Both Perth and Melbourne are very good at ensuring that the required benefits are provided , which also means that benefits such as minibar are not provided on award stays

This attitude to me is very poor; rather than just being happy if somewhere exceeds, just complaining when a property provides only what is expected

Flying Lawyer

If you kept your eyes open in your decades in a wide variety of programs you will certainly have noticed that IHG offers by far the cheapest award rooms. My regular ratio is four to five paid one night stays give me one free night in Sydney. No other programme I am a member of offers this ratio. You can't have everything.

777 global mile hound

This is where everything is subjective.
I don't personally believe a top tier member deserves the view of the alley or dumpster just because they are on an award night and the program and or hotel allows or endorses that.That is meeting expectation?
What I cannot share is the proprietary information about IHG and its customers
or I would do so to futher demonstrate my point.

I'll assume you are based in this region Dave Noble?
My own personal experience is that there are 2 things I count on if staying in IC Australian properties.
Eliminated elite benefits on reward nights and off topic a 3% oops yes (1.5%) credit card surcharge which like a cancer has spread to other non IHG properties.

Yes IHG/PC runs a good program and brings good value.
I am not a propopent of how the IC Sydney select other IHG honor properties cutomer loyalty.
At the end of the day the IC is lucky to have their customers/defenders who feel positive about their redemption recognition.

None the less I admire the folks from the IC Sydney to participate in this forum
despite some members criticism right or wrong in the court of public opinion
Cheers

Dave Noble

That should be meeting your expectation. To me, a persons expectation should be that they will receive their entitled benefits; some places may choose to offer more but that shouldn't be the expectation at all


I can generally count on getting a good upgrade on paid stays and often getting a suite at HI/CPs. I can also expect to get a suite or a club room on a paid stay at ICs

When staying on a reward stay, then can expect to get the benefits of an award stay with possibility that some places will upgrade ( e.g. I have found the HI in CNS to upgrade to an ocean view ) but do not expect it

There is a 1.5% (not 3%) credit card surcharge which can be avoided by paying with eftpos or cash and probably is reasonably reflective the cost of cc processing

chreydeln

Thanks for the information on RA upgrade.
What is the view of the upgraded club room, city? bridge, or harbour?

javacodeguy

Is this legal in Australia? I know it's against most merchant agreements in the US to add a surcharge for the pleasure of using your credit card. I doubt Visa/MC/Amex would allow something like that in another country unless the local law specifically allows it.

Jaimito Cartero

Seems legal there. I wasn't charged it here, but it was mentioned in the paperwork.