New IHG Rewards Club Advisors Survey Indicates Upcoming Changes To InterContinental Ambassador Progr
Currently, IHG runs two parallel programs for InterContinental hotels and IHG group's entire properties. InterContinental Ambassador Program benefits only apply when you are staying at InterContinental hotels.
For now, InterContinental Ambassador cost 200 USD or 40,000 IHG Rewards Points and gives you the following benefits:
Complimentary Weekend Night Certificate
Guaranteed One Category Room Upgrade
Early Check-in and Late Check-out
Welcome Amenities (Gifts, Refreshments and Water)
The benefits provided by Ambassador program at many aspects overlap with IHG Rewards Club's own. From Room Upgrade to Early Check-in etc. In many ways, real values of the Ambassador Program is rather limited in comparison to what top tiers get at other hotel chains. Despite which of the two or even both of the programs you become a part of. Free breakfast and club lounge access are still never guaranteed. This has to be one of the biggest turn-off for many business travellers.
Free Breakfast and club lounge access is something gold tier members easily get at other chains like Hilton and Marriott. I have to say that things aren't exactly are turning for the better, instead, a recent survey revealed some positive changes could be happening to the InterContinental Ambassador program next year.
The survey was sent to IHG Rewards Club Advisors members, that was a program ran by IHG years ago where they sent out invitations to certain members to join. Members who choose to join can complete surveys for IHG rewards points.
For this particular survey, Advisors can receive 5000 IHG rewards points for completing it. Here's some newly proposed benefits that could be added to next year's InterContinental Ambassadors Program:
One complimentary buffet breakfast per night
Guaranteed one category upgrade
4pm late checkout
$20 Food & Beverages/mini bar credit
Annual complimentary night certificate (valid on second night of paid stay)
Platinum status
Complimentary high speed internet
Complimentary mineral water per day
Additional when achieve membership milestones
Annual pass to Club Lounge
Annual suite upgrade on paid stay
In addition to this potential benefits, the cost for joining and renewing Ambassador membership has also raised from 200 USD to 250 USD.
Points To Reflect Upon
Royal Ambassador Benefits?
If this is what Platinum/Spire Ambassadors get, what could be happening to Royal Ambassadors?
Weekend Night Free Certificate Being Replaced?
In the new survey, they've not mention anything regarding the already existing free weekend night certificate. I suppose it's being replaced with a simple second night free certificate as a "improvement", or could they both co-exist?
Platinum Status Is Included In Ambassador Program?
If it become so easy to get Platinum Status, along with such benefits as free breakfast, then not many people are going to push for anything above, though nothing is guaranteed now, so one way or another, a huge improvement.
Mini-Bar Credit To Replace Welcome Gift?
The food & beverages / mini-bar credits would in many ways be of more value to the unspecified welcome gifts, as normally we would get some pieces of chocolates and cookies in a plate, being able to order at a restaurant for 20 USD surely is a lot better than chewing on dry cookies.
So far, this is only a survey that's being leaked among frequent flyers forums, so nothing would be set in stone.
I am happy to see how many of those benefits could really be added when they choose to "improve" the current program. To many people, the most useful perks would be free breakfast and lounge access. But seeing the way they are researching and developing on this, I doubt they are going to introduce all of the aforementioned benefits altogether more likely, they would just "improve" upon current ones.
