IHG Hotels that recognise status

[oz_mark]

June Updates:

HI Sydney Airport
Upgrade: Yes
Free drink: Yes

HI Melbourne Airport
Upgrade: Yes
Free Drink: Yes

 

[QF WP]

Well, unfortunately I didn't get an upgrade at the HI Surfers Paradise - checked on the drive from BNE with Dave Noble who confirmed no Suite availability.

Not offered drink vouchers however found out the next night when I checked with the Duty manager, Amy Kent, that they don't participate in that PC benefit. Instead got two 2for1 drink vouchers.

Also, she advised that they are linked directly to the Holidex (I think that was the term she used) computer system so no need to issue a 1K point voucher (as I'd printed out the relevant page from the website to collect it). Says it will be credited automatically along with the other stay credits.

Well I hope our upgrade experience on 23 to 25 June is like yours markis10 - staying there having booked the Winter Feast Package with Deluxe Room. Hoping for Suite as well (as it's a Mrs LW birthday weekend away).

Plus it'll help towards Plat re-qualification: with the bonus 1K for on-line booking, credit towards other ongoing bonuses and then the base points.

 

[QF WP]

PC Hotels that recognise status

Part of an email response to one of our members (not me) from HI Potts Point management (Duty Manager):

We are lucky enough to have many Platinum members such as yourself stay with us and as such the upgrade that we offer to our Platinum members is to a Harbour View/Superior Room due to a small number of suites in this hotel. The Queen suite that you see on the website is very limited with only 2 non-smoking, and very often these are booked. The configuration of our standard queen rooms and Harbour view rooms are exactly the same as you mentioned with the only difference being the view – if you choose to book a standard room in the future then we would be upgrading you to a Harbour View room subject to availability. On some occasions we are fully booked in our Harbour View rooms and cannot offer an upgrade but we do our best to accommodate our Platinum members benefits at all times

All other benefits offered to PC Platinum members are offered including the drink voucher, however we are currently waiting for more of these to arrive so please accept my apologies for this. If you do not receive one upon check-in at your next stay, please feel free to ask for me personally and I can arrange a drink for you. I am however confident that the delay in this will not be much longer.

A bit poor - particularly the drink voucher. They should have instituted a procedure that a chit (with GM signature or Duty Manager) be given to checking-in Plat members so that they retain the integrity of the Platinum membership benefits

 

[QF WP]

PC Hotels that recognise status

Where: Crowne Plaza Darling Harbour
When: Tuesday 11 July
Upgrade to Suite: Yes
Welcome present: Yes (bottle of white wine, boxed in CP livery)
Free drink voucher: Yes

Where: Holiday Inn on Spencer
When: Thursday 13 July
Upgrade to Suite: Yes
Welcome present: Yes (chocolates in room and Welcome Card from GM)
Free drink voucher: Yes

 

[oz_mark]

Where: Crowne Plaza Darling Harbour
When: Tuesday 11 July
Upgrade to Suite: Yes
Welcome present: Yes (bottle of white wine, boxed in CP livery)
Free drink voucher: Yes

Is this welcome present a new thing? I have never got a bottle of wine (or any welcome present) at CP DH.

 

[QF WP]

Might be - I'll be back there again early next month so will see if it's ongoing promotion or just for a period of time. Seems that it might have been hotel specific marketing, as the boxing was printed with CP DH's address details...

 

[markis10]

Where: Crowne Plaza GC
When: 18th July
Booked: Gold King Room
Received: Gold King Room (Newly renovated - very suite like)

Comments: Mini Bar is lacking, other than that it was a very nice room, used the PP rate of $130, good value compared to HI GC which has a few floors out with renovations!

 

[oz_mark]

Where: Holiday Inn Burswood
Upgrade: Yes (to suite)
Welcome present: No
Free drink voucher: Yes (x2)

Where: Crowne Plaza Melbourne
Upgrade: Yes (to executive floor)
Welcome present: Yes - chocolates
Free drink voucher: Yes (x1)

 

[oz_mark]

Where: Crowne Plaza Melbourne
Upgrade: Yes (to executive floor), and offered a suite for another $50
Welcome present: No
Free drink voucher: Yes (x1)

 

[QF WP]

Updating my stays

Where: Holiday Inn Sydney Airport
When: Tednesday 2 August
Upgrade to Suite: No (Received booked room)
Welcome present: Yes (2 x Crown Lager, chocolates)
Free drink voucher: Yes

Where: Crowne Plaza Darling Harbour
When: Thursday 3 August
Upgrade to Suite: Yes
Welcome present: Yes (Bottle of white wine packaged in CP box, chocolates in room and Welcome Card from GM)
Free drink voucher: Yes


Where: Crowne Plaza Surfers Paradise
When: Friday 1 September
Upgrade: Not to Suite, but into Gold Tower
Welcome present: Yes (fruit platter)
Free drink voucher: Yes

Where: Holiday Inn on Spencer
When: Wed 22 November to Sat 25 Nov (3 nights)
Upgrade to Suite: Yes
Welcome present: Yes (chocolates in room and Welcome Card from GM, along with invite to Plat Drinks & Canapes with F&B Manager & Concierge)
Free drink voucher: Yes

Where: Crowne Plaza Surfers Paradise
When: Friday 26 to Sunday 28 January (2 nights)
Upgrade to Suite: No (Not expected as Reward stay, full hotel)
Welcome present: Yes (chocolates & card from GM)
Free drink voucher: Yes

 

[oz_mark]

Crowne Plaza Mutiara Kuala Lumpur

Upgrade: Yes (nice room but not a suite)
Welcome Present: Yes - Fruit, chocolates, welcome card)
Free Drink: No

 

[QF WP]

Further development from post #23. Same (Platinum) member stayed at HI Potts Point again recently. His email to management from his room on the night of his stay:

From: Platinum Member
Sent: Thursday, February 15, 2007 10:39 PM
To: HI Potts Point Managment
Subject: RE: Recognition of status

Good evening (Managers Name),

Once again I have chosen to stay at your hotel, (room 209) and once again I have been disappointed with the service provided.

As you may be able to see from my PC account, I have been staying in IC hotels worldwide, and the HI Potts Point has been the only one which has provided absolutely NO benefits for being a Plat member.

I can refer you to the HI Flinders Lane, which without fail, has given me significant recognition, from suites to little things like a phone call from management asking how I am enjoying my stay.

Similarly the Crown Plaza in Melbourne has also been very welcoming, as has the Adelaide HI.

Even a CP in rural America not only gave me a full suite, but I was offered a free dinner and drinks by the manager.

I am afraid that now bitten 3 times, I will no longer be making the HI Potts Point available to my staff, nor will I be making any further bookings.

To which he received the following response.



From: HI Potts Point Management
Sent: Monday, 19 February 2007 12:29 PM
To: Platinum member
Subject: RE: Recognition of status

Dear Platinum Member


Obviously I am extremely disappointed to hear of your most recent experience – I would love to speak with you and note your mobile number on the bottom but thought perhaps you could advise me of a time that might best suit you for a conversation as I appreciate that you will be very busy.

We are currently implementing a new programme whereby all Platinum and Gold Priority Club members are checked in prior to their arrival so that there is further recognition of their status and the arrival process is quick and seemless. As mentioned though, I would prefer to talk with you about the service experiences here and the type of recognition that you feel should be given. Obviously we do not want to lose the business of any clients but in particular such regular and loyal guests such as yourself.

I hope to hear from you soon.
Kind Regards
(HI Potts Point Management)

Well, that's nice - finally a recognition program for Elite guests, an auto check-in benefit. Nice move. So, Platinum members' reply was:

From: Platinum member
Sent: Monday, 19 February 2007 2:51 PM
To: HI Potts Point Mananement
Subject: RE: Recognition of status

Hi (Manager name),

The HI Potts Point is a hotel in which I enjoy staying, due to its location and reasonable pricing, the issue I have is mainly due to the difference in status recognition I receive when compared to other HI's and Crowne Plazas.

The check in staff at PP HI seem somewhat bemused when I show my Plat card... I am fairly sure that they place no credence to the fact that the average holder spends 50+ nights staying with the IC group, this contrasts somewhat dramatically with how Hilton or Sheraton treats their high value guests.

The arrival at check in is usually painless in that I show my credit card and am handed a key, I don't expect to bypass any lines nor to receive gushing praise. What I do value highly is that some recognition of the fact that I am a regular customer, maybe not of that particular hotel, but of the greater chain. As I am traveling for business, it is things like a bottle of water or an apple in the room when I arrive that helps.

Some of the other things that are valued not just by me, but by my colleagues, are having the check in staff ask if I need to know where the business center is, or do I need internet access sorted out for me. An upgrade is nice, no doubt, but I don't expect it.

It is the same when I check in at Qantas or pick up a car from Hertz and receive one. Not expected but a very nice little bonus for which I am grateful.

The upgrades at PP HI are generally to a harbour view room, which is nice, but to be honest, if an upgrade is to be given, why not offer a room with a bigger desk or a nice couch. I am in Sydney for business, not for the view.

The knowledge of staff is also very important to me. I asked at the front desk for a nearby drycleaner as I had missed the daily laundry run with yourselves. The three people at the desk didn't know of any in the area, so at 9am, I am wandering around Kings Cross. I spent 40 mins looking for one, only to find one directly across the road in the new Coles shopping area. This is valuable time to me.

If I can offer one other suggestion, it is to go and have a look at a couple of the following websites. They are a very good example of what customers think not just about your chain but of other chains. They are a very good indicator of what your customers are wanting from a stay.....

Aust Frequent Flyer

Flyertalk


I really do like your hotel, but with the choice of Sydney hotels, (even other IC chain hotels), who are willing to get my business, makes it very difficult for me to justify staying there.

I am very happy to discuss these issues with you, but would prefer to do it after hours (5pm-7pm).

Regards
Platinum Member

 

[NM]

Crowne Plaza Mutiara Kuala Lumpur

Upgrade: Yes (nice room but not a suite)
Welcome Present: Yes - Fruit, chocolates, welcome card)
Free Drink: No

Hi oz_mark. How did you find this property overall? I usually stay at the KL Hilton, but the CP location is good for me and I am not going to be able to renew my Hilton Diamond to might as well keep my PC membership ticking along. So I am looking for an alternate property for KL stays.

 

[oz_mark]

Hi oz_mark. How did you find this property overall? I usually stay at the KL Hilton, but the CP location is good for me and I am not going to be able to renew my Hilton Diamond to might as well keep my PC membership ticking along. So I am looking for an alternate property for KL stays.

Certainly better located that the Hilton (at least for where I was going to be). As I understand it, the CP was a Hilton prior to being the Mutiara. Overall, I would put it a notch aboe the CP's in Australia

I enjoyed my stay there. Check-in was friendly and efficient, room was large (albeit an odd shape) and comfortable, Gym was good (Clark Hatch). I would certainly have no hesitation staying there again.

Downside - I didn't really like their 'rainforest' showerheads I have heard that service can be a bit 'iffy' at times, but I never had any issues.

 

[markis10]

I can refer you to the HI Flinders Lane, which without fail, has given me significant recognition, from suites to little things like a phone call from management asking how I am enjoying my stay.

Had my first stay at HI Flinders Lane last week, and very happy with the treatment, upgraded to corner suite and welcome drinks.

Also stayed at HI Sydney Airport - same as normal - just a drink voucher - oh and they now sell wine in small and large servings, and guess which servings the vouchers are for........

 

[NM]

Certainly better located that the Hilton (at least for where I was going to be). As I understand it, the CP was a Hilton prior to being the Mutiara. Overall, I would put it a notch aboe the CP's in Australia

I enjoyed my stay there. Check-in was friendly and efficient, room was large (albeit an odd shape) and comfortable, Gym was good (Clark Hatch). I would certainly have no hesitation staying there again.

Great. Thanks for your views. The Hilton is great for access to/from the airport, with checkin at KL Sentral. And its located on both the Putra Line and Monorail. So although you can get to most places that way, it still means using the train or monorail. The CP looks to be walking distance to my most common place or business and to Bukit Bintang area.

Downside - I didn't really like their 'rainforest' showerheads I have heard that service can be a bit 'iffy' at times, but I never had any issues.

The Hilton also has them. I quite like them myself.

 

[oz_mark]

Great. Thanks for your views. The Hilton is great for access to/from the airport, with checkin at KL Sentral. And its located on both the Putra Line and Monorail. So although you can get to most places that way, it still means using the train or monorail. The CP looks to be walking distance to my most common place or business and to Bukit Bintang area.

The Hilton also has them. I quite like them myself.

There's a monorail station pretty much straight out front, and Bukit Bintang, Twin Towers etc are all within walking range.

 

[oz_mark]

Had my first stay at HI Flinders Lane last week, and very happy with the treatment, upgraded to corner suite and welcome drinks.

I knew if I stayed enough times at HI Flinders Lane, an upgrade would be had, and finally I got one (yay). And if I knew I was gonna get a corner suite each time, I would not go to the CP (Actually, I go to whichever one comes up cheapest!)

 

[markis10]

Where: Holiday Inn Burswood
Upgrade: No - full both nights
Welcome Drinks: Yes - but after 9.30 their bar only serves Coffee????? Must be a perth thing!
Welcome Gift: A Car (there was a valet parking ticket under my door when I first entered, needless to say I dropped it back at reception explaining that my car was not valet parked as it was 4000Km away.


Apart from the quirks (Bar that does not do alcohol etc), this is a very nice property, at $130 a night for PP members with advance bookings (not special coupons) it was good value as well.

 

[oz_mark]

Apart from the quirks (Bar that does not do alcohol etc), this is a very nice property, at $130 a night for PP members with advance bookings (not special coupons) it was good value as well.

As a general question, what is your experience at getting PC points when booking using the PP Adv Rate and the certificates. I seem to get into having to make claims, arguing that the 30% rule does not apply in Aust etc etc