ginmqi

Sounds good!

Awesome, thanks for the confirmation.

Definitely a great deal and so will book very soon (just waiting for my Chase IHG card to arrive so I can charge it to that card.

Thanks to both of you for the advice/insight/comments! Appreciate it and looking forward to the trip. ^

I'll definitely report back. I'll probably also buy into ambassador also as I think the value is definitely there given the benefits. The late checkout will be very useful when we depart HCMC at about 5-6pm on our flight back out

MikeFromTokyo

uastarflyer

uastarflyer

Ilove2fly

Thanks for answering this question. I guess this IC does not provide breakfast to AMB. Too bad.

loyaltylobby88

Currently staying at Intercontinental Saigon and have to say they only fulfill the bare minimum for Ambassador benefits. Am a Spire Ambassador that had booked the Cyber Sales with Breakfast rate. Upgrade to club access is $60 per night, but I’ve been upgraded from the Deluxe Twin Room (base room) to the Club Intercontinental Twin Room (without club access of course). Benefit of the room? Upsized bathroom amenities (like bigger shampoo bottles) WOW! That’s really it. Don’t bother paying for the club access bcos their happy hour is really lame. Only 4-5 small food items (all cold) and salad. And your usual alcohol. That’s all. Was really packed when I visited the lounge (to decide whether to buy the access) and was rlly disappointed at the club offering. If you have club access, you get 25% off your laundry, 2 pressed clothes per stay and 2 hour meeting room per day.

MikeFromTokyo

The club team at this hotel is really lovely. They are very energetic, young hospitality professionals who are very good at personalizing the guest experience. If you need efficiency and business services, they will make sure everything you need is taken care of. If you are traveling for leisure, they will provide in depth advice and recommendations as locals themselves to help guests have an authentic cultural experience in Vietnam.

Regarding the comments about the club F&B, I find it to be very nice. I think the hotel management has made a good decision by not giving away club access liberally, as that would result in an overcrowded club lounge. The evening canapés and afternoon tea sets are of high quality, but rightly are not intended to suffice for a meal. Furthermore, I think that the upsell of approximately $60 for access is reasonable and in line with competition.

During times when occupancy is lower, this hotel offers prepaid club room rates that are very good value. As long as travel plans are set, the prepaid club room rate works out to be less expensive than paying for a standard room plus club upsell.

craz

Its well known that at ICs for any decent benefit you need to be a RA (Royal Ambassador or at east Ambassador) being a IHG Spire will get you what being a Hilton Diamond will at the same hotel, OK you will get something but not very much. Spire Ambassador is NOT being an IC Ambassador

MikeFromTokyo

Yes, a Spire Ambassador is an Ambassador level, the highest published level below the “invitation only” RA.

I think you are conflating Spire Ambassador with IHG Spire status without Ambassador. I would not know anything about that, as I have never stayed at IC without ambassador. Anyone willing to pay $200 can immediately become a Platinum Ambassador. Considering that’s all it takes to have status with IHG, I think the benefits are actually quite impressive.

craz

thx for correcting me, yea I thought IHG Spire and Spire Amb was one and the same, and that there were 2 levels to IC , that being Amb and RA, didnt know they refer to Amb as Spire Amb, so when the other poster mentioned they were Spire Amb I thought they meant IHG Spire

Me just a lowly IHG Plat that works for me as I dont stay at ICs enough to warrant either of their levels and since its usually a 1 nighter no big loss

MikeFromTokyo

You may still want to have Ambassador status if you stay at IC even occasionally. If you can make good use of it, the weekend night certificate basically offsets the membership fee, making it effectively free. Additionally, there are benefits like the small F&B credit per stay, garment pressing, and one category upgrades that do actually result in savings even on short stays.

Yes, Ambassador is a separate component of IHG status, hence one is concurrently Platinum and Ambassador, Spire and Ambassador, or Spire and Royal Ambassador. Gold Ambassador no longer exists, as all Ambassadors are automatically upgraded to Platinum status.

craz

thx, looked into it a few yrs ago and still have the same conclusion, for me its a no-go. I stay maybe once or twice a yr at a IC and usually being Plat has gotten me a nice upgrade in the room, be it high floor, preferred view or larger room. But Im not talking about the main citys, with the exception of the ICHK where although not Harbour View it was a very large room each time, Id think by now its a view of the new building that was going up, but Im there 2 nights max so I can live with it. Now if I was on someones dime and spending m,any nights at all ICs that would be a totally different story

Im happy IC has this in place so that it can properly take care of those who matter most to the bottom line and think Marriott should have kept its Ritz separate as well

SkyTeam777

Any recent stays here? Wondering if they have the Byredo toiletries yet or still Agraria? Is the club lounge still on 19? Is it the same solid quality as before?

Unterwegs

I was there around 4 month ago. Don't remember the toiletries, but the club lounge was like before. Offererings more or less the same, possible a bit lesser quality/taste.

Red259

I'm wondering what my chances of receiving an upgrade with club access would be at this property. I have plat status and was thinking about booking a corner room via that IHG program travel agents use.