IHG Diamond Elite Status: First Impression + Questions

Lninjalot on 12/10/2022 - 19:43

A few months ago I signed up for this deal and have now completed 15-nights of stays and reached Diamond Elite status (Woo! I think?). I was tossing up between IHG and Hilton, but I couldn't get status matched to gold with Hilton, as I tried using my ASR Platinum status from a previous deal + a recent stay, but got rejected. So IHG was the only real choice. I've been on a minor career break and have been traveling a bit for work as well, so this worked out for me without too much extra effort.

So far, Platinum Elite has been underwhelming. Out of 5 stays, I got 1-category upgrades twice (to a slightly larger room). The points welcome amenity is a paltry 500-600 points (worth bout USD2.5-4.8), regardless of how long you stay. 2pm late checkout was pretty consistent. I've had two stays since I moved up to Diamond Elite. The first stay was at the InterContinental Kuala Lumpur, where I booked a club room (which comes with lounge access). They didn't seem super familiar with the rewards benefits and my diamond status was apparently not reflected in their system. I wasn't offered any welcome bonus, but I asked later and chose points (yet to come through). Wasn't upgraded, but I'm not sure if that's because I was in a club room (it was the cheapest club room). My second stay was Hotel Indigo in Phuket, where I got a 2-category upgrade to a suite (just awesome). I also chose free breakfast as my welcome amenity (I did have to remind them, but they were familiar when I mentioned it). 7-days of buffet breakfast for free was a great perk.

How's it been for anyone else who got this deal? Or if you were already Diamond Elite, how do you get the most out of it? E.g., do you ask to be upgraded? I read somewhere that IHG has instructed hotels that Diamond Elite members should always be upgraded to suites (where available) and that they will be tracking this. Assuming KL was an anomaly, this might be true, but I don't have many data points.

PS: One unexpected bonus was the milestone awards (including choices like confirmable suite upgrades for up to 5-nights or 1 year of lounge access) every 10-20 nights you stay

Travel

Related Stores

InterContinental Hotel Group
InterContinental Hotel Group

Comments

  • Biggiewu on 12/10/2022 - 21:16
    +2

    I landed Platinum Elite status and at a recent stay at Crowne Plaza Canberra, was surprisingly offered 2 complementary adult breakfasts per room. I had booked two rooms under my name for our party of 4 adults and 2 kids… also had a 1 category upgrade from base room for one of the rooms (sold out night) when I asked. This is a stated benefit but I also prompt politely alongside small talk.

    I also asked about welcome drink and was advised the options were comp brekkie, welcome drink or IHG points. Check in staff suggested brekkie normally the better deal. I agreed.

    Don’t think free brekkie is typically offered for Platinum Elite as I was advised by Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley. Have an upcoming stay at InterContinental Melbourne and will try my luck with brekkie and upgrade.

    • ninjalot on 13/10/2022 - 21:31
      +1

      Oh yeah, free brekkie is supposed to be a Diamond benefit, not a bad deal. But I'll be sure bring up upgrade availability politely if I haven't been upgraded, good to know. At least two of the times I was upgraded, it happened before arrival and my reservation online was updated.

  • TheMindsetTraveller on 12/10/2022 - 22:45
    +2

    I hold various hotel statuses and some in excess of 10 years.

    My favorite chain for status is Marriott. I am a current Titanium Elite (stayed 75 nights this year) and hold Lifetime Platinum Status (earnt by 10 years Platinum & 600 nights)(which I think is the best value). I held this status in the pre-Marriott days when I was under the Starwood program. Benefits include free breakfast, lounge access, suite upgrades where available, and guaranteed 4 pm check out at hotels excluding conventions and resorts. The best place to stay is in Asia where hotels are more proactive in upgrading to suites for example. I have had some amazing upgrades worldwide!

    I have held Hilton Diamond Status for about 6 years now, I am not a fan of their property portfolio except for Conrad and Waldorf Astoria properties. Free breakfast, and lounge access, but rarely was upgraded to a suite and we have to "fight" for late checkouts, where often 1 pm checkout is asking too much. Stay at a hotel in the Marriott portfolio and a 4 pm check-outs are given within blinking.

    Now, I signed up for this IHG Platinum / Diamond fast-track promo earlier in the year as well. I usually stay enough to maintain IHG Gold status but these benefits are useless, and so is Platinum. Diamond gets free breakfast and every other benefit is subject to availability …. however there is the odd property that is aspirational like the IC Thalasso Bora Bora, IC Danang, IC Amsterdam, and the new IC Maldives. I went to the IC Hayman Island this year and was upgraded from a garden view to an ocean view, and that was a nice upgrade. And previously, as Gold, upgrade at the IC Thalasso Bora Bora from their entry level overwater villas to Diamond Otenamu view - helped that I was a return guests. I will be visiting the Voco Hunter Valley, which is a lovely property - and much nicer than the mass tourism hotels like Crowne Plaza. We'll see what happens.

    The best benefit, from my many hotels stays, apart from the listed benefits —— is being able to arrive prior to check-in and the hotel doing its best to get me a room. A titanium/platinum/diamond/high-status guest will be treated more favourably than a random person who has booked on booking.com for example.

    • ninjalot on 13/10/2022 - 21:42

      Marriot sounds awesome, thanks for sharing! I guess they have a smaller portfolio and fewer affordable options?

      Voco Hunter Valley looks great. I really like the Hotel Indigo brand, never had a bad stay (tried them in Phuket, Singapore, Berlin and Hong Kong).

      I wonder how this will impact those upgrades, an extra 100k Diamond members for the rest of the year lol

      • TheMindsetTraveller on 13/10/2022 - 23:46
        +1

        It will not matter much. Firstly, most of the benefits are "subject to availability" so theoretically and practically, could receive no benefit.

        Hotels already know their guest stay profiles, the hotel brand they frequent most, and usually their spend or lifetime value (to the brand). So an instant Diamond is a zero-stay / $0.00 LTV guest, and will likely be last on any upgrade list. If you were a repeat guest at the IC Sydney for example, and stay in their entry level rooms - I would guess that guest is likely to get an upgrade before a first-stay Diamond who has zero stay history.

        Anyone who needs to rely on instant/fast-track status usually does not stay enough nights now or moving forward anyway, however, the odd person who "tests" this status will likely continue their journey and that's what the hotel program is hoping for.

        • ninjalot on 14/10/2022 - 02:07

          Great info, anecdotal evidence of that with Hotel Indigo Phuket giving me a suite, as I've stayed a bit.

          Yeah I think that's me re: continuing the journey. I'm at 30 nights this calendar year (started in July), should be 40 by the end so I can get the annual lounge membership. I think I'll hit 70 next year. I've got 20 nights in Japan planned in March and there are some digital nomad visas coming so I'm thinking about remote work while moving around.

        • ninjalot on 14/10/2022 - 02:09

          Btw, would you get Ambassador if you already have Diamond? I can see a deal for 200 USD or 40k points, but you get 20k back if you make a stay by the end of the year

  • elgrande on 12/10/2022 - 23:39

    I'm still on platinum elite, although made use of the room upgrade which was great.

    • ninjalot on 13/10/2022 - 21:42

      Where did you stay?

    • Hackney on 22/10/2022 - 17:59

      I have had a couple of room upgrades(Platinum elite tier) all @ Intercontinental hotels.Have been with the IHG program for a very long time.Have always found them good to deal with.

Login or Join to leave a comment
Login Join