IHG Hotels that recognise status

[docjames]

Any insights into the Intercontinental Seoul COEX?

 

[sqrt()]

Hotel Indigo Austin Downtown - University
When: June 21-24
Status: Diamond
Rate: WSJ Corporate
Per Night: 183.14 USD (average rate)
Bathrobes: No
TP: 2-ply

Booked: 1 King Bed Standard City View
Received: 1 King Bed Suite City View

There is no longer a Kimpton or IC in Austin - so IHG loyalists have little choice but HI/HIE, and this property in downtown. Even so, you should pick somewhere else.

Early check in at ~11am, and was upgraded to suite on request. Property isn't located in a particularly "nice" area, rather on Dirty 6th between I35 and Congress Ave. Lots of music venues and bars around and the area gets loud Thu/Fri/Sat evenings. East 6th is an easy walk under the interstate and you can get to west downtown quickly as well. Airport is ~15 minutes.

AC was very weak and Austin was 35+ degrees when we were there. We requested maintenance once but did not ask to change rooms as it was not unbearable - in retrospect we should have.

Breakfast was very underwhelming - mainly similar variations on home style potatoes, sausage, American cheese, etc. The 'french toast' was particularly bad - just a pan-fried cream/jam sandwich. Diamond breakfast is 1 a la carte item + 1 specialty drink/unlimited black coffee, soda, etc. No gratuity included (server brings a $0 bill with tip line). No buffet.

We toured an apartment above the Thompson Austin (Hyatt), and that looked pretty great in terms of amenities and dining options (definitely runs $100 or so more pn). Hotel Van Zandt (old Kimpton) could be another option.

At least the ice machine worked...

 

[Kerrodt]

Does the Diamond benefit of free daily breakfast apply if you book Reward Nights and pay with points and not cash?

 

[jakeseven7]

Has anyone had any luck booking the Ambassador comp weekend night at the Intercon Syd?
Struggling to find dates they have it available....

 

[kerfuffle]

Does the Diamond benefit of free daily breakfast apply if you book Reward Nights and pay with points and not cash?

Yes; I was offered breakfast when I did a Rewards Night points stay at IC Sydney in April (however I did not take them up on it as I had an early flight)

Has anyone had any luck booking the Ambassador comp weekend night at the Intercon Syd?
Struggling to find dates they have it available....

Have you tried checking in on a Saturday? I heard it won't work if you attempt it for a Friday

 

[TheRealTMA]

Has anyone had any luck booking the Ambassador comp weekend night at the Intercon Syd?
Struggling to find dates they have it available....

Have never been able to find availability for ambassador on weekend at Sydney IC. Forced to just book member rates.

 

[jakeseven7]

Have you tried checking in on a Saturday? I heard it won't work if you attempt it for a Friday

I actually called IHG. They said no comp weekend nights for rest of year….! Said it was the hotels fault for not making the nights available and I should complain to them…. Super unhelpful.

I will try the Sat night trick (but hardly want to stay a Sunday…)

 

[bits]

I actually called IHG. They said no comp weekend nights for rest of year….! Said it was the hotels fault for not making the nights available and I should complain to them…. Super unhelpful.

Long standing issue with Intercontinental Sydney, they're just being tightwads about it. Ambassador free weekend night - Sydney Intercontinental

 

[Pushka]

Upgrade received at Bali Intercontinental today, advised by email.

 

[exceladdict]

Does the Diamond benefit of free daily breakfast apply if you book Reward Nights and pay with points and not cash

In my experience yes at IC Syd and CP Hobart

 

[soliloguy]

Hotel: HIX Southbank Melbourne
When: June 2023
Status: Diamond Ambassador
Booked: Standard Room
Received: 1 King Standard High Floor

- Arrived at midnight or 1am - no welcome amenity offered until I asked and reconfirmed the lack of welcome amenity - appeared to rethink things and got 1 drink voucher.
- Went up to a room that was inadequately cleaned; had to go down to get rooms changed - service recovery was a room swap to the same class (no garden view which would be one class up) and another drink voucher

Hotel: Crowne Plaza Hobart
When: June 2023
Status: Diamond Ambassador
Booked: Standard Double
Received: 1 Club Double

- First time I've had lounge access in a hotel in a long while, especially nice given this was not required as per IHG policy.
- Room was clean, nice and comfortable - very pleased with the hard product.
- Drinks & canapes 5-7pm daily - wouldn't really go out of the way for them. Just some Red Rock Deli chips and Cadbury chocolates on offer outside of those hours, alongside T2 tea. Forgettable. Good music in the lounge though!

 

[eric2011]

Hotel: Hotel X, Fortitude Valley, Brisbane
When: July 2023 mid week
Status: Diamond Elite, Ambassador (means nothing unless at IC)
Booked: 1 King Standard $290
Received: 1 King bed Junior suite (valued @ $678) approx 5 levels of upgrade

Numerous mentions of status and how pleased they were for me to visit them again, offered choice of breakfast, points or drinks. Said i'll take the drinks but was told only 1 drink now days even though the room was booked for 2 people, 2 bottles of water. Got to the room and only 1 chocolate on the bed
Overall nice room

 

[docjames]

IHG Diamond Ambassador
Intercontinental COEX Seoul
July 2023
Welcome amenity 600pts; W20,000 to spend in house (other than in room dining)
Late checkout as requested (4pm)
? No room upgrade provided (? Temple view rather than city view - either way, underwhelming).
Booked with breakfast, the breakfast buffet has to the biggest with widest selection I’ve ever seen. Also, diamond members offered individually cooked sashimi steak or fish. Weird for breakfast, but delicious!

Would stay again at right price. Rooms starting to age (especially bathroom). But otherwise decent.

Note there is another (“Grand”) Intercontinental nearby - as I discovered when the taxi dropped me at the wrong one, it it was a sub 10min walk through the underground shopping mall between them. The mall is huge and has an in-house library!

 

[doctorstrangelove]

Hotel: Intercontinental Dhaka
When: June
Status: Diamond + Ambassador
Rate: IHGR Advance
Booked: 1 King Club Lounge Access
Received: 1 Bedroom Suite
Amenity Offered: No choice - automatically informed it was breakfast. Didn't complain. Huge all you can eat buffet. Still also credited with 600 amenity points.

Meh. Another Intercontinental. Luxurious but bland and boring. Food was excellent at breakfast and I paid for the dinner buffet one evening. At full price it would have been extortionate (86 AUD without including drinks!) but I received 30% off the bill because of my status AND I could apply my IHG Ambassador dining credit after the 30% deduction, bringing it down to a more wallet friendly 30AUD.

First time using an Intercontinental Club Lounge. I went in on three occasions during my stay and on two of them I was the only guest. A few nibbles food wise - lots of variety but of little substance and made a poor substituion for a main meal. A nice place to unwind though, of which I did a lot of as the weather was far too poor to venture outside!

 

[im.daniel]

Hotel: Crowne Plaza ADL
When: July 2023
Status: Diamond Ambassador
Booked: Standard King
Received: Junior Suite

Noticed 1 day prior to check in on app that I had been upgraded to a premium room (whatever that means).

At check in, the nice lady said that we now have a junior suite. Really impressed with this hotel. Great location, nice enough gym and all staff interactions have been really pleasant. I feel vindicated for having picked the CP over IC, and will continue to do so now in ADL.

 

[kerfuffle]

Another double hotel post!

Hotel: Kimpton Margot Sydney
When: June 30-July 1
Status: Diamond Ambassador
Rate: Member Exclusive non-refundable at $274/night
Booked: 1 King Premium
Received: 1 King Premium with Living Area
Amenity Offered: Breakfast, drink with snack or 600 points. Took the drink with snack which you could redeem for a glass of house wine and either prawn toast, sashimi and a third option I forgot (receipt said value of $9 for both). Using the Kimpton Secret Password 'no shade' got you two cups of hot chocolate.

Hot water died hotel-wide sometime after 8:45 p.m. when I went downstairs to redeem my drink and snack. I must have sounded very annoyed or something when asking when the hot water would be back as the front desk manager e-mailed me to apologise for the lack of hot water. It got fixed and was able to enjoy my nice hot shower (I REALLY needed to wash my hair) before heading to the airport.

Also participated in their social hour which was cool. Got a ton of restaurant recommendations which came in handy because they were from the same city I was heading to ...

Hotel: Hotel Indigo Brisbane City Centre
When: July 1-2
Status: Diamond Ambassador
Rate: Westpac Partner Rate at $224/night
Booked: 1 Queen Bed Standard
Received: 1 King Bed Standard High Floor
Amenity Offered: Breakfast, drink or 600 points. Opted for the breakfast. Also received a little welcome platter with a macaron and a wee bit of berries, with a handwritten note.

This hotel doesn't seem to have the greatest reputation in this thread, but I had no problems staying here (first time staying at a Hotel Indigo). Very funky. I'd stay here again if it was cheaper than the nearby voco (which has better views of the river).

Edit: just as a data point with VPS' stay earlier as shown below this post, no hot water issues on my end at this hotel and no issues with a 2 p.m. checkout either.

 

[jakeseven7]

Long standing issue with Intercontinental Sydney

Just an update on this, I wrote to the GM of IC Sydney on IHG's advice.... (I was bored on a long flight home!).

They were apparently 'unaware' of the issue (yeah right) and are looking into it (sure thing... but you never know).

So if anyone else wants to raise this with the IC Syd - I just emailed reception and asked them to foward my email to the GM.

You never know, if enough people complain, its the only way things get fixed....

 

[VPS]

Hotel: Hotel Indigo Brisbane City Centre
When: June 22-25
Status: Diamond Elite
Rate: IHG special
Booked: 1 Queen Bed Standard
Received: 1 King Bed Standard High Floor
Amenity Offered: Breakfast included and I think it was a drink or 600 points. Opted for the drink . Also received a little welcome platter with a a very odd tasting very sweet cake with berries with a handwritten note.
Late checkout - I was offered 2pm which I accepted. I confirmed on the morning of checkout and yes that's fine - came back at 1pm and key wouldn't work.

An interesting stay.

Very bright and bubbly staff when checking in.

First morning - no hot water - had a very quick cold shower and then about 20 minutes later hot water. Mentioned it staff on the way to breakfast - oh yes we had a problem but it's sorted now
That evening - no hot water - have a glass of wine and go to bed
Second morning - no hot water - rang reception - 25 minutes later - it's sorted and sorry we'll give you $50 F&B credit or some points - no I want a free night. They said there weren't authorised to do that. Duty manager rang me later - we can give 30% discount over whole stay which I accepted.

Breakfast was good. I had the same young girl for three mornings and she remembered my preferences. Tables could have done with a bit of wipe.

I found the bed very hard but they put an extra quilt under the sheet on request

In the end I wrote a long email to one of the assistant managers with a list of the good and the bad (a dirty flannel behind the door in the shower, taking my towels when I had hung them to reuse).

I received a very detailed response which I was happy with.

The next day I got a phone call from the GM thanking me for my feedback and giving me his personal mobile and email and saying if I came back to let him know he would look after me.

Overall I did enjoy the stay and one of the criteria I have is that there will always be issues but it's how they handle them that counts.

 

[VPS]

I also meant to mention there were a lot of USB ports and plugs all easily accessible.



Breakfast

 

[Ryan Bingham]

Hotel: Hotel Indigo Brisbane City Centre
When: June 22-25
Status: Diamond Elite
Rate: IHG special
Booked: 1 Queen Bed Standard
Received: 1 King Bed Standard High Floor
Amenity Offered: Breakfast included and I think it was a drink or 600 points. Opted for the drink . Also received a little welcome platter with a a very odd tasting very sweet cake with berries with a handwritten note.
Late checkout - I was offered 2pm which I accepted. I confirmed on the morning of checkout and yes that's fine - came back at 1pm and key wouldn't work.

An interesting stay.

Very bright and bubbly staff when checking in.

First morning - no hot water - had a very quick cold shower and then about 20 minutes later hot water. Mentioned it staff on the way to breakfast - oh yes we had a problem but it's sorted now
That evening - no hot water - have a glass of wine and go to bed
Second morning - no hot water - rang reception - 25 minutes later - it's sorted and sorry we'll give you $50 F&B credit or some points - no I want a free night. They said there weren't authorised to do that. Duty manager rang me later - we can give 30% discount over whole stay which I accepted.

Great check-in experience too, but I had exactly the same problem with inconsistent water temperature when I was there in Oct. I was told there was no problem, then the problem had been fixed, then I could change rooms ("Same floor?" "Er, yes" "So different system for each room?" "Erm, no... what about a different floor?" "Can you *guarantee* that I won't have the same problem?" "You need to speak to the manager") and after the problem happened again on the 2nd day I had the whole stay comped after I incentivised him to seek an agreeable solution.

Had the same issue w the key.

Guess not a lot has changed in 9 months.