IHG adds 70 Iberostar hotels to the group

Good news for IHG fans and IHG One members as they increase the number of hotels in the group by nearly 3%.

InterContinental Hotels Group  and Iberostar Hotels & Resorts (Iberostar) have announced a long‑term agreement for resort and all-inclusive hotels. Iberostar will retain 100% ownership, preserving its autonomy and values. Up to 70 hotels (24.3k rooms) will be added to IHG’s system under the Iberostar Beachfront Resorts brand, which will become the 18^th brand for IHG.

The first properties set to join the IHG system this December will give IHG guests increased choice in many popular locations including Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Brazil and the Canary Islands (Spain). Further properties in Spain and other popular resort destinations in Southern Europe and North Africa are anticipated to join IHG’s system over the course of 2023 and 2024.

IHG guests will be able to look forward to stays in hotels ranging from family friendly premium offerings to adult-only luxury, in resort destinations, including: Iberostar Grand Paraiso (Riviera Maya, Mexico); Iberostar Selection Hacienda Dominicus (Bayahibe, Dominican Republic); Iberostar Grand Rose Hall (Montego Bay, Jamaica); and Iberostar Selection Anthelia (Tenerife, Spain).

These add to IHG’s existing 260 resort properties that span brands including Six Senses, Regent, InterContinental, Kimpton, Hotel Indigo, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Club Vacations. IHG has fewer than 20 resort properties in the countries where the Iberostar Beachfront Resorts properties are located. The agreement therefore significantly increases and broadens IHG’s resort footprint.

The Iberostar Beachfront Resorts brand will be included in a new Exclusive Partners category in IHG’s brand portfolio, which will sit alongside its Suites, Essentials, Premium and Luxury & Lifestyle categories.

The first rooms are expected to come into IHG’s system in December this year, with these representing approximately half of the total rooms that are due to be added to IHG. 

The 70 properties are all beachfront resorts. They exclude Iberostar’s other operations, such as its smaller portfolio of urban hotels, and also exclude Iberostar’s interests in Cuba. 

Six further Iberostar Beachfront Resorts properties, representing ~3k rooms, are also expected to be added to IHG’s future hotels. 

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This was my second trip to Malta. On my previous trip I had stayed at the Westin Dragonara which has recently had a new wing of very swanky ocean front suites added that I will soon be covering. I also stayed at the Hyatt Regency as well which is one of the best value for money luxury hotels with a great central location. 

This time I decided to try the Intercontinental Hotel Malta as on paper it seemed like everything you could want – great central location, its own sandy beach area and two pools including a roof top infinity pool.

Booking

I had booked through our partners GTC which gives you:

• Guaranteed late check-out
• $100 hotel amenity
• Complimentary breakfast for 2

You also can earn points and status nights with your IHG One account. I paid £689 for 2 nights with the third night free, but this promotion has now ended. It was particularly expensive that week due to the conference but I think at £230 a night for a club room it’s not bad with the offer.  However, the extra credit can make a big difference on a short stay if you are likely to spend that anyway. 

I got my IHG Platinum membership through this status challenge as my previous membership had lapsed through Covid. The challenge is open until 31 July 22 so there is still time to join. 

You could also consider whether joining the Ambassador program is cost-effective if you are staying at a weekend as that gives you a free night when you stay one paid night at a weekend and also gives you Platinum membership as well as the Ambassador program benefits.

Location

If you want to be central to everything, then the Intercontinental is probably one of the best-located hotels. However, it is not as quiet as staying at the Westin or the Hyatt due to all the surrounding bars that you can hear faintly at night. It’s around a 20-minute taxi ride from the airport to St Juliens which costs €20. 

Check-in

I arrived at around 9pm and had to wait a bit for a receptionist which was surprising. However, there was a big conference on while I was there and people were checking in for that. It’s definitely quite a business-orientated hotel.

Unfortunately, the receptionist was new (well she’d been there three weeks according to her) and quite possibly the slowest trainee have seen in my life. Surely after 3 weeks they should be able to simple check-ins without constantly waiting to ask someone? She also hadn’t got any better by the time I checked out either. She did at least apologise for being slow, but it was fairly simple stuff that I could have actually done quicker myself!

I was offered a choice of a welcome drink or points. I chose the welcome drink that entitled me to a house wine or beer in the Waterbiscuit bar. 

As I was in a Club room, I could have checked in at the Club lounge but it was closed by the time I arrived. Eventually, I was given a key and she had worked out that I did get breakfast as I was in a Club room and that I would definitely have access. (really they should have trained her in this kind of basic stuff after 3 weeks). 

I was on a fairly high floor, one floor below the Club lounge. 

The room

I found the room quite a disappointment as it was very masculine and a bit of a 90s at Argos vibe with all the black furniture. Let’s start with the positives. It was a decent size room, and the bed was also large.

It was good if you wanted to work as there was a large desk with sockets right by it. The Club amenities were great with a large bottle of still and sparkling water and a bowl of fruit all replenished daily. As you’d expect there was a Nespresso machine and a decent bathrobe and slippers. Water was also given out daily in plastic bottles as well. 

The bathroom was large but seemed to have a lot of empty space.

It gave the impression that there was once a bath there, but they took it out when they refurbished the bathroom. The shower area looked pretty new and was huge.

Toiletries were a bit of a mishmash of brands with most of them being the usual Agraria Lemon Verbena brand which I like the fresh scent of. The different brands are probably due to the fact that they will soon be doing away with individual toiletries and using large-size Byredo branded pumps instead. 

The balcony had a table and chairs and overlooked the gardens and main pool.

On the downside, the bed was one of the most uncomfortable beds I have ever slept on. It was like sleeping on concrete! When I looked, there was no mattress topper at all, not even a mattress protector. Seeing the sheet just straight on top of the mattress was very odd. I asked for a matress topper as it was so uncomfortable and all they had was what looked like a child’s one which covered part of the bed. After trying to make myself understood that this was to go under the sheet to the non-English speaking housekeeper, we eventually got a bed that I could sleep in. I know I like a soft bed, but this was truly, very very hard!

I also did not receive any housekeeping on the first day but fortunately, I didn’t really need it. 

The other annoyance that I think is inexcusable in the current age, is that there were no sockets near the bed. So you either had to leave your phone on the desk or the floor to charge. Given how cheaply you could add a clock radio with a USB charging port or a USB bank, I think it’s pretty poor. 

I had issues with air conditioning that made a banging noise during the night. The next day I asked the front desk to send an engineer, but he wouldn’t do anything as it wasn’t doing it at the time he arrived as it was intermittent. Typically shortly afterwards, it started again. So back he came and “fixed” it. Again soon after it started making such a racket that I could hear it down the corridor by the lift! People on the phone could barely hear me over the noise! Eventually, later that day, after the third visit they fixed it properly. 

The Club lounge

This was a huge highlight of the hotel and one of the best European ones I have been in. The staff were all lovely and could not do enough for you. The lounge was open for breakfast, afternoon tea and evening drinks and canapés. 

There was a large lounge with comfy sofas and tables and chairs. I particularly liked having the outdoor area as well.  It’s always a treat to have breakfast outside when you are abroad!

The breakfast was particularly good with a decent buffet selection and a full a la carte menu.

If you were in a hurry there were some hot items on the buffet, but if not, there were lots of choices on the menu. The buffet had cereals, pastries, fresh fruit, charcuterie, cheese, bread and salad.  

I had the Eggs Benedict which were perfectly cooked and nicely presented. The coffees were also particularly good.

On the first day, I tried the afternoon tea which had a great selection of mini sandwiches and wraps, cakes and scones. My only complaint is very common in most countries outside the UK – sweetened whipped cream instead of clotted for the scones! Someone needs to tell chefs it’s simple to make clotted cream! (you just bake it in the oven).

It was all beautifully presented too. 

The buffet area reminded me a bit of a BA lounge with the lights! Drinks were offered at the table, which was nicer than making it yourself. The service was always very professional and friendly with plenty of top-ups offered and plates cleared promptly.

The food in the evening changed every night, but they were mainly variations on a theme. The hot food was usually something on skewers with a marinade, but it was generally very tasty. 

There was a very good choice of drinks including a selection of red, white and rose wine, Prosecco or Heidsieck Monopole Champagne. There was even a moscato sweet wine. Here is the cocktail menu:

The staff were generally attentive at topping up your drinks and would come round at last orders for one last top up. 

Dining and bars

The hotel has a wide variety of bars and restaurants including at the two pools, as well as the Waterbiscuit bar and restaurant and The Brass Bar in reception which was more of a cocktail bar. They also have facilities by the beach with the casual Beach Club as well as the Italian restaurant Paranga. 

I ate at Paranga and really enjoyed it although the service was a little slow. It’s a lovely setting if you get an outdoor table that are separated by greenery in their own booth-like area, so great for a romantic meal. The deck juts out by the water, so you can hear the waves lapping as you dine. There was a good variety of dishes from pasta to freshly caught fish. 

Facilities

One thing the hotel is not short of is facilities. It may look quite small on the outside, but the hotel covers a wide area. There are three pools, two outdoor and one indoor. 

The main pool is open to everyone and operates on a towel card basis. I really don’t think it’s appropriate to work like this in a 5* hotel. Do they really think people want to steal their old towels? There was service around the pool for drinks and food, and it was fairly easy to get someone’s attention, although they were not at all proactive. The pool felt warmer than the rooftop one which may be because it was very shallow in areas. You may notice the crane in the background – this is pretty much constant around St Julian’s, but it didn’t seem noisy. 

The other pool is on the rooftop and has more of a club vibe being named SKYBEACH. You can access this if you have a Club room or a suite for free. Otherwise, there is a minimum spend to visit. No towel cards are needed here!

They were a bit sneaky as I ordered a prawn dish which they had run out of and they asked to substitute another prawn dish that was €45 which they failed to mention at the time! Luckily I had my hotel credit to spend, so it didn’t really matter. I found the service quite slow, and it was hard to get someone’s attention here. 

As well as the pools there is also a private beach club a few minutes walk away with a decent sandy beach and clear water. You can have food and drink service here too. 

In terms of wellness, there is a very large well-equipped gym. If pampering is more your thing, the spa has a Hamman experience as well as a variety of treatments. 

Finally, if you are on a family holiday there is also a kids club. 

Conclusion

The Intercontinental is a real mixed bag with the rooms being the main downside for me. The location is great and there are lots of facilities on site including two decent outdoor pools. The thing that made it for me was the Club lounge and its staff. If it wasn’t for that, I would not recommend staying there. But if you don’t mind a firm bed or a bit of black and grey decor, then it could be the hotel for you if you want a central location, a proper sandy beach and a great club experience. 

You can find more details and pricing here or ask GTC how to get the extra benefits on your booking here. 

Like our Intercontinental Hotel Malta by IHG review? You can find more hotel reviews here. 

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IHG’s rewards scheme has been one of the worst out of the major brand due to its limited benefits compared to Hilton and Marriott. Here are the brands it applies to:

Now all that is changing with the launch of IHG One Rewards which follows the announcement in January 2022 of the program’s new tier and bonus point earning structure – designed to help members earn more points faster and have more ways to use them. There are some decent benefits although you need to get to Platinum (Spire) before it’s really a good program. When you consider that with Hilton Golds get continental breakfast then it’s still not on par with some other schemes in terms of breakfast perks. However, with the suite upgrades (subject to availability) for Platinum and Diamond then if that is important to you, it’s definitely worth considering over Hilton and Marriott. The confirmable suite upgrade rewards are also worth having. 

The tiers all stay the same except Spire which is now renamed Diamond from 13 April. The new benefits below will be available from “early” June. 

Here is a recap of the new structure:

Highlights of the new program include:

• Faster Earn: A new tier and bonus point earning structure will allow members to earn more points faster and gain rewards sooner. The new tier and bonus point earning structure starts on April 13, 2022 and will be reflected in all member accounts on or before April 17, 2022.

•  Better benefits:
  • Free Breakfast for Diamond Elite members as a Welcome Amenity choice which is a proper hot breakfast. This benefit is available at all IHG brands, except limited-service brands that already offer breakfast, and at Candlewood Suites, Holiday Inn Club Vacations, select Kimpton properties, InterContinental Alliance Resorts (Las Vegas and Macau)​ and Mr. and Mrs. Smith properties.
  • Exclusive access to Reward Night Discount Promotions for Platinum Elite and Diamond Elite members
  • More opportunities for Elite members to receive early check-in, late check-out (if available) and room upgrades (to suites, if available, or another premium room type for Platinum Elite and Diamond Elite members). The program actually requires hotels to upgrade Platinum Elite and Diamond Elite members to a suite, if available which they will be monitoring so that is a huge improvement and better than other hotel loyalty schemes. 
  • Dedicated Diamond Support for Diamond Elite members
  • Exclusive Access to Reward Night Discount Promotions for Platinum Elite and Diamond Elite members. These promotions will be a few times a year and could be as much as 20% off. 
  • Early Check-In now offered to Platinum Elite members (subject to availability), in addition to Diamond Elite members
  • Elite Rollover Nights now offered to Gold Elite members, in addition to Platinum Elite and Diamond Elite members
  • Expanded Late Check-Out for all tiers. If Platinum Elite and Diamond Elite members request to check-in early, hotels will do their best to have the rooms ready, subject to availability. And all members will be able to request a late check-out up to 2 p.m., also subject to availability.
  • Milestone Rewards for Elite members, starting at 20 nights (additional details below)
• More Choice: Recognizing that not all members want to use their points in the same way, IHG One Rewards will introduce Milestone Rewards – a new platform that will allow members to choose the rewards that matter most to them. Starting at just 20 nights stayed, members will be offered a choice from a selection of rewards every 10 nights, through 100 nights stayed. These Milestone Rewards choices include points, $20 F&B Rewards, Confirmable Suite Upgrades, and Annual Lounge Membership.

Here is the list of Milestone Rewards:

In the coming weeks, IHG Hotels & Resorts will also roll out the new IHG One Rewards mobile app, which is more personalized, offers streamlined booking, and allows members to stay informed, check-in faster, stay connected to the hotel, and travel with flexibility. IHG One Rewards members will be prompted to update their app on their device either through the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.

Existing member stays from January 1, 2022 will count toward their new-and-improved status. The new tier and bonus point earning structure starts on April 13, 2022 and will be reflected in all member accounts by April 17, 2022. All member benefits – including the launch of Milestone Rewards – will become available for members in early June 2022.

To learn more, visit ihg.com/one. 

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I recently wrote about some common short-cuts to renewing elite status with your favourite hotel chain(s), even if you don’t meet the lower, relaxed criteria in place for 2021. (re-read that article to refresh your memory) If those suggestions don’t work, you might be interested in strategies for picking up cheap elite credit, especially if you aren’t likely to have much by way of international holidays or work travel in 2021.

A couple of reminders:

1. You must book directly with the hotel chain to earn elite status credit
2. A “stay” is defined as one or more consecutive nights at the same hotel, irrespective of the number of times you check in and out (or change rooms) – this is only now relevant to Hilton Honors

Day Use Rooms / Work From Hotel

Hilton Honors has long been the market leader when it comes to offering hotel rooms for daytime use only. You can book these online by simply setting the arrival and departure dates to be the same.

A Day Use Rate works exactly as the name suggests – you can use a room during the daytime, but you cannot stay overnight. Airport hotels often offer these rates because some people just want a quick shower and change of clothes after an overnight flight. Others want somewhere to spend a day working, using the gym, taking a nap, etc.

The precise definition of “day” varies at each hotel, but it usually runs from 9 or 10 am until 5 or 6 pm. Moreover, with Hilton Honors, a “day use rate” room is treated exactly as an overnight stay for elite status purposes – you earn both a night and a stay credit.

Why “day use room” for elite status purposes?  Because it’s usually much cheaper. You’re never going to find an overnight stay in London for £30-40…  (and of course Rob over at HeadforPoints likes to emphasise that working from a hotel ought to be tax deductible for the self-employed, making your net cost even cheaper)

For £500-600, you can repeat this 15 times in 2021 and renew your Diamond status without a single “normal” stay. You will also earn many thousands of points. – from your base earnings, your elite status bonus, any promo points, as well as the 1,000 point welcome amenity.

The other major hotel chains have started to emphasise their day use rooms as well, but they are more fiddly to book and I am less certain about how they are treated for elite status purposes. And because those chains don’t allow you to renew elite status by accumulating “stays”, you will require far more morning trips to the hotel to check in for a few hours.

Staycations Using Points

With a hotel chain such as Marriott, you will receive the fifth night free when using your points. If you are a Platinum member holding the American Express credit card, you will already have 25 + 15 = 40 elite nights in your account.

Although you can of course stay anywhere you like, you might be interested in spending as few points as possible to lock in your Platinum renewal.  Luckily, the UK has 33 Marriott hotels in the lowest 3 award categories..

These aren’t just hotels in out-of-the-way places such as Aberdeen. I am sure that you would enjoy a 5-night getaway to gems such as:

Mattress Runs

A mattress run is essentially a hotel stay that is completely unnecessary, but you do it in order to earn credit for elite status purposes. The most extreme example is checking into a hotel and immediately leaving, although some people stretch the definition to include local staycations where you actually do spend the night (but are only truly staying because you need elite status credit).

Because these hotel stays are completely unnecessary, you want to do them late in the year when you have no other choice to accumulate stays/nights. They can also make sense when you would be taking advantage of a lucrative bonus-point promotion. Or in the case of Marriott Bonvoy and World of Hyatt… when you have managed to make a Best Rate Guarantee claim and have chosen to earn 5,000 points as compensation.

But there are a few pitfalls associated with mattress runs that you must avoid:

Somebody must check-in to the hotel in person. Simply booking a prepaid stay doesn’t count. Completing the check-in process on a phone App won’t work either. Unless you access the room with your phone, the hotel can consider you as a no-show (and save themselves money).

It doesn’t necessarily have to be you checking in, though. Many chains allow for a second person’s name to be attached to a reservation. It is a simple matter of calling the hotel (or loyalty programme) a few days in advance to say that my partner/friend/etc. will be sharing my room and will be arriving before me – please allow them to check-in on my behalf. In some cases, the hotel might be strict and might insist that the principal reservation holder (i.e. you) passes by the front desk at some point; many don’t really bother. Of course, you won’t really be asking a friend to do a mattress run for you. Instead you’ll be trying to earn elite status credit from somebody else’s hotel stay. (which is a breach of the terms & conditions and could cost you your account)

Don’t just leave. When doing a mattress run, I make a point to visit my room briefly to make sure that there is no damage I might be subsequently blamed for. Since I’ve made the effort to travel to the hotel, I’ll usually visit the hotel’s executive lounge, gym and/or pool. If there are complimentary items such as bottled water, etc. I’ll take them as well. 

However, under NO circumstances should you immediately check-out again. This process will undoubtedly mess up the computer systems and you could miss out on the valuable elite status credit you are making the effort to earn. All modern hotels will automatically check out guests on departure day with their credit card details on file – the only reason to pass by a front desk on departure day is to get a print out of your receipt. So just leave whenever you desire, and let the hotel check you out automatically in the morning…

It’s best to only mattress run one night stays. The longer the stay, the more likely that housekeeping finds an empty hotel room one morning and informs the front desk that you have left. The hotel may then decide to check you out prematurely. Although housekeeping service is often reduced due to the pandemic, a Do Not Disturb sign is no guarantee that your room won’t be occasionally checked to see whether the guest is dead (or is doing something illegal or messy inside). So don’t book a long stay and expect that DND sign to stay there for the duration.

Conclusion

Hopefully you will be able to renew your elite status in 2021, even though your usual travel patterns have surely been affected by lockdown. But if you find yourself needing to make a special effort, I hope that my tips have helped you to do it cost (and time) effectively…

The post Worried About Your Hotel Elite Status? Here’s What to Do… (Part Two) appeared first on Turning left for less.

We are well into April… and many readers might have spent all of 2021 stuck at home. If you currently have elite status with a hotel chain, you will know how valuable it is; you won’t want to lose it! But with the United States bouncing back – at least in terms of domestic travel – it is sensible to fear that the US-centric major hotel chains will NOT extend everybody’s status for another year.

So what can be done? In Part One, I’ll explain some tricks and shortcuts you might not be aware of…

First of all, here’s a reminder of the published hurdles for earning / renewing status in 2021. To keep it brief, I only mention statuses that I consider to be worth making an effort to earn/retain.

Elite Status Requirements for 2021

Hilton Honors

• Gold status – 10 stays, 20 nights or 37,500 base points
• Diamond status – 15 stays, 30 nights or 60,000 base points

Hilton Honors has also given members a head start, rolling over ALL nights from 2020. To be clear, ONLY nights have rolled over, not stays or base points.

World of Hyatt

• Globalist status – 30 nights or 50,000 base points

Marriott Bonvoy

Marriott has NOT changed the requirements for earning elite status in 2021, except for an adjustment to the spend needed to achieve Ambassador status.

• Platinum status – 50 nights
• Titanium status – 75 nights
• Ambassador status – 100 nights + $14,000 of pre-tax spend

What Marriott is doing (as it did in 2020) is adding complimentary elite nights to members’ accounts, based on their status earned in the previous year. You will have already received:

• Silver members received 5 complimentary elite nights
• Gold members received 13 complimentary elite nights
• Platinum members received 25 complimentary elite nights
• Titanium members received 38 complimentary elite nights
• Ambassador members received 50 complimentary elite nights

IHG Rewards

• Platinum status – 30 nights or 30,000 elite qualifying points
• Spire status – 55 nights or 55,000 elite qualifying points

Accor Live Limitless

• Platinum status – 60 nights or 14,000 status points (approx. 5,600 euros)
• Diamond status – 26,000 status points (approx. 10,400 euros)

Rather than relax the requirements, ALL is going to:

• Rollover all status points and status nights that you achieved between 1 July and 31 December, 2020
• Double the number of status points and status nights that you earn during 2021

The net effect is to halve the requirements for elite status, with some of your 2020 activity helping you as well…

Tricks to Extend Status WITHOUT Staying in Hotels…

Hilton Honors

If you are currently a Diamond member, you might qualify for Hilton’s Diamond extension policy. You wouldn’t need to do anything until February / March 2022 if you are due to be downgraded, but it’s good to know the criteria, which are:

• Having been 3 or more years as a Diamond (it isn’t necessary that those years be consecutive)
  • At least 3 of those years need to have been “real Diamond” – i.e. 30 stays or 60 nights. Status matched years do NOT count, nor do years where you are Diamond based on your previous year’s activity (but you don’t ultimately requalify)
• Having stayed more than 250 nights (paid or reward) or earned 500,000+ base points since joining Hilton Honors

You can also choose to wait until April 2022. If you successfully complete an MVP Fast Track (4 stays for Gold) or a status match (criteria may change) in April or beyond, your status would return to Gold / Diamond for the rest of 2022, all of 2023 and the first three months of 2024.

The Bright Side…

The Diamond extension is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity so you should take care to not waste it unnecessarily. In Part 2 I’ll explain how you can reach 15 stays (the standard method for 2021) quite easily and cost-effectively.

I mention April above because most Hilton fast tracks or status challenges require you to have Silver status or worse. It takes some courage, but you would have to become a Silver in order to motor back up to Gold or Diamond via one of Hilton’s many short cuts.

But Hilton generally likes its elite members to remain so. So relax…

IHG Rewards

Although the current promotion might be enticing, you might want to wait until December 2021. If you are currently a Spire member, an unpublished benefit / travel hack is that spending $200 (or 40,000 points) to sign up for Ambassador will extend your Spire status for as long as you remain an Ambassador.

The published benefit of Ambassador status is Platinum status with IHG Rewards. Spending 40,000 points makes far more sense than worrying about staying 30 nights to maintain your Platinum status.

Marriott Bonvoy

If you are currently a Platinum member, you have already received 25 complimentary elite nights.  If you sign up for the Marriott Bonvoy American Express card – £75 annual fee – then you will receive a 15 elite night credit.

The combination of these two factors will get you to 40 nights, almost there…  Even if you haven’t had the chance to pick up double elite night credit from the current promotion.

World of Hyatt

Just ask…

The Bright Side…

I don’t have any data points (yet) supporting my view, but Hyatt were generous about extending my Globalist status in early March 2020, well before it became obvious to all that Covid would become a global pandemic. At the time, only Asia was affected, but since I travelled there frequently, my Concierge was more than willing to extend my Globalist status, weeks before the general policies were announced.

Will the same flexibility be possible in 2021, based on the fact that most Europeans cannot realistically travel? In fact, many European Hyatt hotels are simply closed so my case for a reprieve appears strong.

Conclusion

Even though many of us have been unable to make regular progress towards renewing our elite status, it might not matter much if one or more of the above opportunities is open to you.

But if not, in Part 2 I’ll write about strategies to pick up cheap elite night credits that don’t require international travel…

The post Worried About Your Hotel Elite Status? Here’s What to Do… (Part One) appeared first on Turning left for less.

If you are currently in lockdown… staring out the window (or at a screen)… and wondering when it will be your turn to be vaccinated (and whether widespread vaccination will be sufficient to re-open the world’s borders), you might not think that 2021 is going to be a great travel year. One assumes that travel will eventually resume, but I imagine that a few Turning Left for Less readers are sitting on several airline travel vouchers that suggest otherwise.

I recently wrote about the reductions that the major hotel chains have made to their requirements for earning elite status. These reductions are offering opportunities that don’t come around that frequently – to reach the highest levels of elite status, without spending 60+ nights in a hotel. And with hotel rates in the UK dropping due to the lack of foreign tourists, you might be able to make a very lucrative investment in the future, whilst enjoying a staycation at a hotel close to home. After all, any elite status you earn in 2021 will be valid for the rest of 2021, all of 2022 and the early part of 2023.

At various times, I’ve held the top level of elite status with each of the major hotel chains. Here’s what I think might be most worth trying, and how to “travel hack” it in 2021.

World of Hyatt

Globalist status is the consensus choice for the best elite status available from a major hotel chain. Globalist members receive:

• Free breakfast
• Guaranteed 4 pm late check-out
• Guaranteed executive lounge access
• 30% bonus points
• Upgrades to the best available room (including standard suites)
• Parking fees waived when staying on award nights
• Resort / Destination fees waived
• An assigned Concierge who will handle any requirements you might have

Globalist members can also spend their points on Guest of Honor reward bookings for family or friends. Those guests will be treated as if they were a Globalist member.

The Bright Side… I have rarely experienced any problems with the delivery of the promised Globalist benefits (although I am not usually concerned when I don’t get a space-available suite upgrade on a short stay). And when something wasn’t right, my Concierge would usually get it fixed quickly, or arrange for compensation that kept me happy.

But the best perk might just be the opportunity to share your elite benefits with friends and family who don’t normally get to experience such treatment.

How to Earn Globalist Status in 2021?

Instead of the usual 60 nights in a calendar year, you can reach Globalist status by staying only 30 nights.

And until 28 February, 2021, you will earn double elite credit for any nights you spend at a Hyatt hotel. (as well as triple points) If you are able to get yourself to the Hyatt Place in Hayes, west London, you could book a 15-night stay for little more than £600. 

Hilton Honors

Hilton’s Diamond and Gold statuses are less likely to provide you with the “wow” factor, but the chain does a pretty good job of delivering on those benefits that it does guarantee. Elite status members will receive:

• Diamond – free breakfast, guaranteed lounge access, 100% bonus points, welcome bonus points, room upgrades (suites not included although occasionally offered nonetheless), late check-out (subject to availability, but usually granted)
• Gold – free breakfast (or welcome bonus points), 80% bonus points, room upgrades (including to room types that include lounge access, however this is not guaranteed), late check-out (subject to availability)

Because there is usually a Hilton Honors hotel wherever you are travelling and the benefits of elite status are guaranteed chain-wide, Diamond or Gold status is probably the best choice for anybody who can only manage to obtain elite status with ONE hotel chain. Hilton Honors has also been unusually generous with its elite status extensions, so who knows if achieving Diamond status during 2021 means that you will get to keep it beyond March 2023…

How to Earn Diamond or Gold Status in 2021?

50% Reduction + Rollover Nights

The requirements for 2021 have been halved. As a result, you require:

• Gold status – 10 stays, 20 nights or 37,500 base points
• Diamond status – 15 stays, 30 nights or 60,000 base points

Hilton Honors has also given members a head start, rolling over ALL nights from 2020. To be clear, ONLY nights have rolled over, not stays or base points.

The Bright Side…  Hilton makes it quite easy to book day-use rates online. (usually 9/10 a.m until 5-6 p.m.) Simply set your arrival and departure dates to be the same. If you would like a change of scenery whilst “working from home”, you could book a day use room at a nearby Hilton for as little as £30-40 per day. As long as you don’t go on consecutive days, you will earn a stay credit each time.

Status Match

Hilton Honors has also halved the requirements for its status match programme. Click here for details.

If you meet the requirements and complete 5 nights within the 90-day challenge period, you will be upgraded to Gold status. Manage 9 nights and you’ll be upgraded to Diamond.

The Bright Side…  Although 5/9 nights appears to be an easy target, Hilton’s status match is a once in a lifetime opportunity. You might be advised to take a longer term view… and take all of 2021 to qualify using the standard 10/15 stay method, and save your status match opportunity for 2024 or later, when you might need an easy way to earn status back.

IHG Rewards Club

When compared to other hotel chains, IHG Rewards Club is not really competitive when looking at GUARANTEED elite benefits. Nonetheless, IHG elite members receive:

• Spire – 100% bonus points, welcome bonus points / drink vouchers, room upgrades, late check-out / early check-in (subject to availability but usually granted)
• Platinum – 50% bonus points, welcome bonus points / drink vouchers, room upgrades, late check-out

IHG members also receive 25,000 points when (re)qualifying for Spire status.

How to Earn Spire or Platinum Status in 2021?

• Spire status – 55 nights or 55,000 elite qualifying points
• Platinum status – 30 nights or 30,000 elite qualifying points

Of course, you can always acquire Platinum status by paying $200 to become an Ambassador from the Intercontinental chain.

The Bright Side…  IHG’s chain-wide promotion for early 2021 works out as 1,000 bonus points per paid night. The promotion will run between 20 January and 31 March, 2021.  If you book your IHG stays under the Bonus Point Package rate, you can easily earn 5,000+ Elite Qualifying Points per night, allowing you to reach Spire status with 10+ nights.

IF you value elite benefits such as lounge access or complimentary breakfast, then Spire isn’t for you. (unless you make an effort pre-stay to discover which Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn hotels are particularly generous) But if your employer or client is paying for such things, then Spire’s 100% bonus point benefit will allow you to accumulate points / award nights very quickly.

Marriott Bonvoy

Even though I prefer Marriott Platinum / Titanium / Ambassador status to IHG or Hilton status, Marriott isn’t providing any shortcuts to members who don’t already enjoy elite status.  So if you are looking to try it for the first time, 2021 might not be the year. But perhaps in the future you can aim for a status match / challenge…

The post Is 2021 the Year to Switch Hotel Chains and Try Something New? appeared first on Turning left for less.

For those readers who value elite status with major hotel chains, 2020 was actually a pretty straightforward year. Recognising that very few people were able to travel, all of the major hotel chains automatically extended elite status for a year and some chains also made it easier to reach a higher level of elite status.

With a vaccine on the horizon for 2021, and the financial need to tempt guests back into their hotels, the major chains appear unwilling to extend their generosity for an additional year. Instead they have made it easier to achieve and/or renew elite status by relaxing the requirements or running attractive promotions.

As many readers will be aware, each hotel chain offers several tiers of elite status. Some of these tiers offer very little and, in order to keep things simpler, I will only mention those tiers of elite status that I consider to be worth aiming for… And, as always, hotel nights booked via Online Travel Agencies do NOT qualify for elite status purposes, but award nights DO qualify (although not necessarily for promotions).

Hilton Honors

If you achieve or renew elite status during 2021, your status will be valid until 31 March 2023. For a full review of Hilton Honors and the perks of elite status, click here to re-read a summary I wrote awhile back.

The requirements for 2021 have been halved. As a result, you require:

• Gold status – 10 stays, 20 nights or 37,500 base points
• Diamond status – 15 stays, 30 nights or 60,000 base points

Hilton Honors has also given members a head start, rolling over ALL nights from 2020. To be clear, ONLY nights have rolled over, not stays or base points.

The Bright Side… Stays or Nights?

Hilton has yet to process the rollover nights from 2020. But if you spent 20 nights in a Hilton hotel last year, you have already (re)qualified for Gold status due to those 20 nights rolling over. If you spent 30+ nights, you will eventually (re)qualify for Diamond status. Even if you will only rollover a handful of elite nights, you will still enjoy a head start on meeting the requirements for 2021.

If, like me, you didn’t manage to stay at Hilton hotels at all during 2020, you won’t have many nights to rollover. In that case, 10 one-night stays would be the easiest way to earn yourself Gold status and 15 one-night stays will earn you Diamond status. I haven’t been a Hilton Diamond in recent years, but 15 one-night stays sure seems achievable enough to tempt me back…

World of Hyatt

If you achieve or renew elite status during 2021, your status will be valid until 28 February 2023. For a full review of World of Hyatt and the perks of elite status, click here to re-read a summary I wrote previously.

The requirements for 2021 have also been halved. As a result, you require:

• Globalist status – 30 nights or 50,000 base points

It is worth noting that many of Hyatt’s best perks aren’t linked to your elite status, but instead to the “Milestone Rewards” that you can earn based on total nights spent during a calendar year. Hyatt has NOT changed the requirements for Milestone Rewards. As a result, you will still need to stay 50+ nights in 2021, to earn the suite upgrade certificates that allow you to confirm, in advance, your complimentary suite upgrades.

The Bright Side… Bonus Journeys

World of Hyatt has been running a promotion since October 2020. This promotion is scheduled to run until 28 February, 2021.

For those nights spent at a Hyatt between 1 January – 28 February 2021, you will earn double credit. In simple terms… 15 nights before the end of February → 30 elite nights → Globalist status.

If you managed 6 nights, for example, at a Hyatt between October – December 2020, you will also receive a 6 night bonus credit for 2021.

Marriott Bonvoy

If you achieve or renew elite status during 2021, your status will be valid until 28 February 2023. For a full review of Marriott Bonvoy and the perks of elite status, click here to re-read an older summary post.

Marriott has NOT changed the requirements for earning elite status in 2021, except for an adjustment to the spend needed to achieve Ambassador status.

• Platinum status – 50 nights
• Titanium status – 75 nights
• Ambassador status – 100 nights + $14,000 of pre-tax spend

What Marriott is doing (as it did in 2020) is adding complimentary elite nights to members’ accounts, based on their status earned in the previous year. Since Marriott extended everybody’s elite status in 2020, this is probably based on the status you earned during 2019, unless of course you managed to upgrade a level of status during 2020. As a result:

• Silver members will receive 5 complimentary elite nights
• Gold members will receive 13 complimentary elite nights
• Platinum members will receive 25 complimentary elite nights
• Titanium members will receive 38 complimentary elite nights
• Ambassador members will receive 50 complimentary elite nights

The Bright Side… An Upcoming Double Elite Night Credit Promotion

Rather than giving everybody an opportunity to more easily earn elite status – by simply relaxing the requirements for all members – Marriott has chosen to focus on its current elite status members, making it easier them to renew or upgrade their status.

That said, however, between 17 February and 27 April, 2021 Marriott is planning to offer all members a double points / double elite credit promotion for paid stays of 2+ nights in length. If you should already have Platinum status, with a 25-night bonus credit, you would only need 13 paid nights during the late winter / early spring (26 once doubled) to guarantee your renewal of Platinum status.

If you don’t currently have any status with Marriott, you could still take advantage of the promotion to reach Platinum status with 25 nights. (50 once doubled)

IHG Rewards Club

If you achieve or renew elite status during 2021, your status will be valid until 31 December 2022. (or shortly thereafter) For a full review of IHG Rewards Club and the perks of elite status, click here to re-read what I have written previously.

IHG Rewards Club is relaxing its requirements by approximately 25%. As a result, you will need:

• Platinum status – 30 nights or 30,000 elite qualifying points
• Spire status – 55 nights or 55,000 elite qualifying points

The Bright Side… 2,000 Bonus Elite Qualifying Points for Every Two Nights

IHG’s chain-wide promotion for early 2021 works out as 1,000 bonus points per paid night. The promotion will run between 20 January and 31 March, 2021.

You can stay one night at a time, but you will only earn bonus points every second paid night. For example, if you stay 10 nights during the period of the promotion, you will earn 10,000 bonus points. If you stay a 11^th night, you won’t earn any bonus points. But then if you stay a 12^th night, you will earn another 2,000 bonus points, bringing you to a total of 12,000 bonus points. For the avoidance of doubt, your stays do NOT need to be 2 nights in length – one stay of 1 night and another stay of 3 nights would earn you 4,000 bonus points.

This promotion will therefore guide members in the direction of (re)qualifying for status via the Elite Qualifying Points method. Even though a night-based system of qualification is more familiar and standard, I suspect that any IHG Spire members reading this will probably know a trick or two to reach 55,000 Elite Qualifying Points without spending $5,500+ at IHG hotels.

 

Accor Live Limitless

Although I am less familiar with Accor Live Limitless, you require the following for the two levels of valuable elite status:

• Platinum status – 60 nights or 14,000 status points (approx. 5,600 euros)
• Diamond status – 26,000 status points (approx. 10,400 euros)

Rather than relax the requirements, ALL is going to:

• Rollover all status points and status nights that you achieved between 1 July and 31 December, 2020
• Double the number of status points and status nights that you earn during 2021

The net effect is to halve the requirements for elite status, with some of your 2020 activity helping you as well…

Conclusion

If you are stuck in lockdown somewhere, you might not be optimistic about your chances of acquiring elite status with a major hotel chain in 2021. But with the requirements significantly reduced and lucrative promotions available, you might want to think again. In a future post, I’ll share my thoughts about whether it might be time to try something new…

The post How to Earn Elite Status from a Major Hotel Chain in 2021 appeared first on Turning left for less.

The Intercontinental program is a paid membership rewards program that allows you to receive a myriad of benefits across the world at InterContinental Brand Hotels and resorts. After recent changes to the program, I wanted to update you on all the reasons why the InterContinental Ambassador Status is worth every penny. As I covered when the changes occurred in July 2020 the InterContinental Program has become even better!

What is InterContinental Ambassador?

The InterContinental Ambassador status is purchasable for $200 USD annually which may seem steep, but it pays for itself with amazing benefits that have recently been amended.

Technically InterContinental is under the same umbrella as the IHG Rewards Club. What does this mean? If you have 40,000 IHG Rewards Club points you can use this instead of paying the $200 USD.

Is InterContinental Ambassador Club worth it?

With so many changes in the travel industry, it is important to take stock of our rewards programs and decide what is worth it. The InterContinental Ambassador program has undergone some changes. Some of those changes for the better! Intercontinental Ambassadors is a paid membership that usually pays for itself with a free weekend night if you reserve a minimum of two nights on a weekend stay. In fact, if you plan to stay at any InterContinental hotel for 2 nights at a weekend and the cost is more than $200 per night, it’s worth joining. You still get the perks of the program for a year and it does not cost you anything even if you just break even. Michele used hers in New York at the InterContinental Times Square where rates can easily be $500 a night in normal times. 

A weekend night varies according to the country you are visiting. Mainly weekends will include a Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. However, if you are traveling in the Middle East, hotels may definite the weekend as Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.  It’s a lot easier to use them now as it can all be done online. You need to make sure they are made on the Ambassador Complimentary Weekend Night Rate (“AMB Certificate”). The certificate is not valid at any other rate. You can check the free night rates on this site. 

The rates are not the same as the cheapest rates published as the free night is only available at the most flexible rate. So make sure you check the rates as above before working out if you will save your $200 fee. For example, the InterContinental Park Lane is £289 on the free night rate meaning £289 for two nights with cancellation up to 4pm on the day, but the cheapest rate would be £233 a night with cancellation up to 3 days before. The total would be £466 so you would still be saving over $200.

However, now it seems Kimpton Hotels are accepting certificates during the weekdays! While not as luxurious as the InterContinental they are still youthful and great for a short vacation.  They also offer free wine hours and other perks which make them worth checking out. You can read our review of the Kimpton in Amsterdam, here. 

To renew you can pay $200 USD and receive 15,000 IHG Rewards points.  

What does IHG Ambassador get you?

On top of a free weekend night stay at the InterContinental or what is looking like a buy one night get one free at Kimpton, IHG Ambassadors will also be guaranteed a one category room upgrade, a USD 20 restaurant/bar credit and Platinum Elite Status in IHG Rewards Club. My favorite added benefit is the extended 4 pm check-out for those that like to take a little longer saying goodbye to their vacation. 

If a hotel cannot provide a late check-out you receive 10,000 IHG Reward Club points to compensate for the inconvenience. Don’t forget your complimentary mineral water and free wifi as well. 

Here is the full list:

⁃ Guaranteed one category room upgrade
⁃ Guaranteed extended 4pm check-out
⁃ Complimentary weekend night*
⁃ Platinum Elite status in IHG® Rewards Club, and the corresponding benefits
⁃ Restaurants & bars credit of up to USD20 for every stay*
⁃ Complimentary mineral water
⁃ Complimentary internet
⁃ Dedicated check-in area
⁃ Single room rate for double occupancy
⁃ Mainland China Only: Complimentary breakfast for one each night you stay
⁃ Greater China Only: Welcome fruit platter for Platinum Elite & Spire Elite members

*Benefits applicable at participating Regent Hotels & Resorts until 31 December 2021. Not applicable in Greater China.

How do you become an InterContinental Royal Ambassador?

A Royal Ambassador status is extended by InterContinental is invite-only. It is granted to only a small percentage of InterContinental Ambassador members.

According to IHG’s site “Royal Ambassador status is extended annually to a small percentage of InterContinental Ambassador members, based on their qualified activity at Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Regent Hotels & Resorts and participating Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas. Invitation is at the sole discretion of IHG Rewards Club.” 

IHG Status

Immediately after purchasing the InterContinental Ambassador membership, you will also receive IHG Platinum Elite status. This usually would require 40 nights of stays at qualifying hotels or 40,000 points.

Not only are you receiving the benefits of the InterContinental Ambassador Program, but you are also receiving the IHG Platinum Elite benefits providing complimentary room upgrades, 50% bonus earnings on base points, elite rollover nights, priority check-in, and late check-out. These will be good at hotels such as Kimpton, Holiday Inn Hotels, Crowne Plaza, and Hotel Indigo. The full list of benefits is:

• Bonus points  Platinum members enjoy a 50% point bonus on paid stays
• Late checkout
• Points don’t expire
• Priority check-in 
• Room upgrades Space-available complimentary room upgrades but specifically excludes suites. It’s also not available on award stays. 
• Guaranteed availability 
• Welcome amenity  Platinum Elite travelers also enjoy a welcome amenity for every stay. which will usually be a Raid the Bar/Mini Bar credit at Kimpton properties and a choice between bonus points or a food/drink voucher at others.

To get the full benefits with the uncertainties of travelling at the moment, I would recommend joining just before you book your weekend stay to get a full year or perks unless you need to use the benefits on another IHG stay before then. Free night certificates are valid for 12 months from joining. 

With hotel status constantly being extended, it could also get you a couple of years of hotel status in IHG if you are lucky. It is also worth considering if you wanted to get status in another chain that will do a status match. You will most likely have to show that you have stayed at an IHG property but if you do the free weekend night, that would count. Check the T&C of the status match you want to achieve before you decide. There is more about status matching in this article.

One thing to be aware of is that they have been pretty stingy with extending Ambassador status and benefits. IHG so far has only given two three-month extensions(six months total) to membership and the free night certificates which is very poor when many hotels were shut for months. 

You can find more information and join on the IC Ambassador page here. 

What are your thoughts? Have you enjoyed your membership or looking for a way to upgrade your upcoming holiday? Let us know in the comments below. 

The post Is InterContinental Ambassador Status Worth buying in 2020? appeared first on Turning left for less.

Our anonymous miles and points expert, Mr. Brightside, sometimes buys airline miles and hotel chain points to redeem for flights and luxury hotel stays. But when does it make sense to do so? In the first of two parts, he looks at buying hotel points…

Hotel loyalty programmes can be quite complex, so much so that sometimes you wonder what’s happening behind the scenes… A hotel chain might be willing to sell you points that you can immediately redeem for “free” hotel nights… at a lower cost than their regular room rates. You almost certainly will be assigned the same room, regardless of whether you pay cash or use points, and your elite status treatment should also be the same. So you could easily save yourself money with a bit more effort. But you definitely aren’t guaranteed to always save money by buying hotel points, so when should you consider doing so?

What is the Best Price for Points?

Firstly, it is important to have a good idea of the standard promotions offered by the major hotel chains. Some hotel chains are known for offering the same promotion over and over, with the briefest of pauses in between promotions. Others vary their pricing from time to time.

Hilton Honors

Hilton Honors will regularly sell you points with a 100% bonus. Because the regular price is 1 US cent per point, you can usually rely on being able to buy Hilton points for 0.5 US cents each. (0.385p)

IHG Rewards Club

IHG discounts its points somewhat less frequently than it used to. It also varies its bonuses occasionally. The best bonus I can recall seeing is 100%. Because the regular price is 1 US cent per point, you should have a couple of opportunities per year to buy IHG points for 0.5 US cents each. (0.385p)

Marriott Bonvoy

Starwood Preferred Guest frequently sold Starpoints at a discount. Marriott Rewards NEVER did. Now that the two have merged into Marriott Bonvoy, the SPG strategy has prevailed. That said, Marriott Bonvoy has yet to decide upon a standard promotion. Back in the spring of 2020, a 60% bonus was available; the current offer is back to 50%. For now, I assume that I will be able to buy Marriott points a few times per year with the 50% bonus, turning the 1.25 US cent regular price into 0.83 cents per Marriott point. (0.64p)

World of Hyatt

World of Hyatt alternates between bonuses and discounts, with the semantics disguising small changes in pricing. Until last year, the “standard bonus” was 40%, but this has yet to be offered in 2020, despite the cashflow pressures of COVID-19. 2020’s preferred promotion appears to be a 25% discount, which turns the regular 2.4 US cent price into 1.8 cents per Hyatt point. (1.39p)

Points or Cash?

The next stage is comparing the cash rate with the points cost.  If it is cheaper to simply buy the points you might require, then you might be on to something…

A simple, theoretical example

Imagine that a Hilton hotel wants to charge you 50,000 points per night. You can wait until the next 100% bonus offer – there’s always one just around the corner – and buy the points for $250 (£192.50).

If the cash rate less than £192, then you know for sure that you don’t want to buy Hilton points, at least for this specific hotel. If the cash rate is higher than £192 – make sure to compare against the flexible rate, since a reward booking is almost always flexible – then you might want to consider buying points.

An actual example

Marriott Bonvoy also offers opportunities to buy points and save money. Here’s a random weekend night at the University Arms in Cambridge.

The flexible rate is £189 for your one night stay. You could instead pay 25,000 points. If you don’t happen to have 25,000 Marriott points, you could buy them in one of Marriott’s regular sales. At the 0.64p price I mention above, you would pay 25,000 x 0.64p = £160.

The Likeliest Candidates for Saving Money by Buying Points…

Fifth Night Free

Both Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy offer a nice perk. Marriott offers it to all members and Hilton offers it to members with elite status (including Silver status, which is really easy to obtain). When you make a reward booking of exactly five nights in length, one of your five nights will be free. If you book a ten-night stay, two of your nights will be free.

The mechanics do differ slightly however, due to the fact that both hotel chains have variable award pricing:

• With Hilton Honors, the actual fifth night of your stay will be free (even if it is the most expensive night)
• With Marriott Bonvoy, the cheapest of your five nights will be free

Very rarely do hotels offer a ~20% discount when booking a paid rate for five nights. So, whenever you can structure your stay into five night blocks, then booking an award stay might be the way forward, even if you need to buy the points…

Low and High Award Categories

Although the concept of award categories is becoming less and less relevant due to peak / off-peak pricing (used by Marriott and eventually by Hyatt) or the full dynamic award pricing being used by Hilton and IHG, you will most regularly find “points bargains” at the extremes.

For example, you shouldn’t find it hard to come across low award category hotels that regularly have relatively sky-high room rates, such as the Courtyard hotel in Oxford.

The same applies to the luxury end of the scale. Many bloggers immediately jump to the Maldives to prove their point, but instead I’ll stay closer to home, with the Park Hyatt Vendome in Paris. You could buy 30,000 points for £417 or you could simply pay the cash rate, which you’ll often find closer to £600-700 per night…

It Can Get a Bit More Complicated…

Once you have a good idea of what it might cost to buy points, and know where to find likely candidates to save money by buying points (instead of just booking a cash rate), you are halfway to some pretty interesting savings on your hotel stays.

But paid stays do have some other advantages, which I’ll cover in part two…

The post When Does it Make Sense to Buy Hotel Points? (Part One) appeared first on Turning left for less.