IHG® Dining Rewards program replacing Priority Privilege from 1st July 2014

[Deleted member 29185]

I can use the Free night for ANY IHG Hotel on any night, including the one I want which is $ 1,400. If it happens I will be very happy.

Now that's good news.

 

[markis10]

Now that's good news.

Its also not true.

 

[ALH]

I discovered that it only covers a basic room, but that's still ok by me as I can actually stay in the hotel on the night that I want. The basic room wasn't available to me on-line, but I was able to book it by phone. I'm guessing I get an automatic room upgrade as a Platinum anyway?!?

 

[markis10]

. I'm guessing I get an automatic room upgrade as a Platinum anyway?!?

Depends on the hotel.

 

[ALH]

I'm happy whatever happens. Queenstown on New Years Eve

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Hopes raised.......hopes dashed! qué será será

 

[thatsthatmattressman]

Great!

As you know the vouchers are loaded against the card and there is no way to see this.

Recommend after you get the welcome kit (it took mine over 4 weeks to deliver) to call them and verify they have a record that 2 vouchers are loaded against your card - they can see this in their system though you and I can't.

Now, bring back the BOGO's!

 

[ALH]

I'm just happy I can party on and walk back to the hotel

 

[thatsthatmattressman]

Agreed. This should always be the 'priority' and a 'privilege' ... not a 'reward'

Party on!

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Agreed. This should always be the 'priority' and a 'privilege' ... not a 'reward'

Party on!

Sorry, that's utter rubbish!
The reward is what we buy! There's no privilege, it's a commercial transaction. If we buy, we expect the offering. Not the top room as mentioned, but IHG will honour their undertaking or be trading outside the law. None of this " you should feel privileged drivel".....

 

[thatsthatmattressman]

Ha ..I was playing.riffing on the whole Priority Privilege marketing slop.. A little ironic laugh at exactly what you are speaking of..all good mate.

 

[basso]

Thank you very much for that info. I just phoned and arranged Membership, so I now have Platinum Ambassador. It was $ 279.00 AUD. I wasn't able to use the $ 20 off, so the lovely lady on the phone gave me an extra $ 50 Dining and Beverage Voucher.

Was it $279 just by ringing up? I got an offer for $40 off and that came to, you guessed it, $279!

 

[basso]

I discovered that it only covers a basic room, but that's still ok by me as I can actually stay in the hotel on the night that I want. The basic room wasn't available to me on-line, but I was able to book it by phone. I'm guessing I get an automatic room upgrade as a Platinum anyway?!?

I was under the impression that the 'free-night' was basically just taken from award room inventory. Mostly it is the basic room, unless you find a glitch in the matrix.

 

[ALH]

Was it $279 just by ringing up? I got an offer for $40 off and that came to, you guessed it, $279!

Yes. I called the number on thatsthatmattressman's "$ 20 off" ad, and was quoted $ 279.

 

[baggyred]

Still haven't got my card - however I did have a question regarding the pre-loaded credit/discount and how it impacts the into the night promo.

I joined the Dining Rewards program purely for the free night in London next year which will pay for itself. I'm also told I only need 1 night stay a year at an IHG hotel to maintain platinum.

My into the nights program i need an additional $59 spend on F&B to get my 2 free nights. If I host a dinner for say $200 - use my 25% card and get it down to $150 and then use my $50 charge card and send the rest back to the room ($100) - is this going to work to qualify?

 

[thatsthatmattressman]

I believe it will.

Just ensure that your invoice clearly shows that you paid for F and B. There may not even be anything on the invoice that shows a reference to the discount but irregardless I would give you a pass on this.

When you say only need 1 night to maintain Plat. - > what is meant by this? i.e. how are you able to skirt the normal requirements?

Still haven't got my card - however I did have a question regarding the pre-loaded credit/discount and how it impacts the into the night promo.

I joined the Dining Rewards program purely for the free night in London next year which will pay for itself. I'm also told I only need 1 night stay a year at an IHG hotel to maintain platinum.

My into the nights program i need an additional $59 spend on F&B to get my 2 free nights. If I host a dinner for say $200 - use my 25% card and get it down to $150 and then use my $50 charge card and send the rest back to the room ($100) - is this going to work to qualify?

 

[baggyred]

I believe it will.

Just ensure that your invoice clearly shows that you paid for F and B. There may not even be anything on the invoice that shows a reference to the discount but irregardless I would give you a pass on this.

When you say only need 1 night to maintain Plat. - > what is meant by this? i.e. how are you able to skirt the normal requirements?

I was gold elite before joining dining rewards - which obviously bumped me up to platinum.

The guy on the phone said going forward I only needed one qualifying stay per year to maintain that platinum level - assuming I stay with dining rewards.

I found it odd and had already committed to buying before he mentioned it. Hopefully it is true, though by the looks of it - there is no real benefit for the places I stay for Platinum. Upgrades don't seem to be issued.

 

[markis10]

I was gold elite before joining dining rewards - which obviously bumped me up to platinum.

The guy on the phone said going forward I only needed one qualifying stay per year to maintain that platinum level - assuming I stay with dining rewards.

I found it odd and had already committed to buying before he mentioned it. Hopefully it is true, though by the looks of it - there is no real benefit for the places I stay for Platinum. Upgrades don't seem to be issued.

Ask when you checkin, sometimes that works.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Ask when you checkin, sometimes that works.

Given the ease that anybody can now gain the top tier IHG (non IC) level of Platinum, I wonder if that experience will be relevant for long? Haven't they now placed a figure on the worth of a platinum guest? What was it? $200-$300? Whereas a HH Diamond guest is probably a minimum of about US$4500 and possibly up to US$12000. One can see why HH Diamond is so much better value for the recipient.

 

[markis10]

Given the ease that anybody can now gain the top tier IHG (non IC) level of Platinum, I wonder if that experience will be relevant for long? Haven't they now placed a figure on the worth of a platinum guest? What was it? $200-$300? Whereas a HH Diamond guest is probably a minimum of about US$4500 and possibly up to US$12000. One can see why HH Diamond is so much better value for the recipient.

How so given the dining prog is a one level bump.