Showing posts with label InterContinental. Show all posts
Showing posts with label InterContinental. Show all posts

Friday, April 27, 2012

Easy 3,000 Priority Club Rewards Bonus Points

The first promotion is nearly identical to this one from Hilton I wrote about last month. The first part is very straightforward: simply register your mobile phone and an eligible Visa card and agree to receive up to three special offers each week via text message (messaging and data rates may apply - check with your mobile phone carrier). Just for enrolling, you will earn 1,000 bonus points. You must register by May 31, 2012, so there is still plenty of time to take advantage of this offer. You can also choose to opt-out of the enrollment at any time here (although I would only suggest doing so after receiving the bonus points).

Next, you can also earn an additional 5,000 bonus points by paying for your next stay using your enrolled Visa card at any participating U.S. hotel or resort in the InterContinental Hotels Group portfolio after enrolling in the program. The spend must be completed by July 31, 2012.

Allow four to six weeks after enrollment for the 1,000 bonus points to post in your Priority Club Rewards account, and four to six weeks after completing the hotel spend for the additional 5,000 bonus points to post. You must be a Priority Club Rewards member and enter a valid account number when enrolling to receive the bonus points. You can also enroll multiple Visa cards in this promotion (but only one enrollment bonus will be given).

Note that not all Visa cards are eligible, including Visa Buxx, Flexible Spending Account (FSA) Visa cards, EBT Visa cards, and other Visa-branded cards whose transactions are not processed through the Visa U.S.A. payment system.



The next promotion is just as easy, and you can earn up to 2,000 Priority Club Rewards points. There are three parts to this offer:
  1. Earn 500 bonus points by setting your account to receive special offer emails from the Priority Club Shopping portal. Plus, earn an additional 500 bonus points when you register a credit or debit card to earn points at participating retail store locations. No purchase is necessary. 

  2. Earn 500 bonus points by simply creating an online profile for the Priority Club Dining program. You will also need to register a credit or debit card in order to complete your profile.

  3. Earn 500 bonus points by signing up to receive Deal Emails from Priority Club Cruises. You will also be entered into their One Million Points Sweepstakes when you register.
Priority Club Rewards members who complete one, two, or all three parts of this promotion before May 31, 2012 will receive the corresponding bonus points 6-8 weeks after the promotion ends. Your accounts must be set to receive special offer emails when the bonus points post in order to be eligible. Likewise, you must still have your credit or debit card registered for the Priority Club Shopping portal when the bonus points post in order to be eligible.

Unfortunately, if you have already opted-in for these emails, created your online profile, or registered a credit or debit card, you may not be eligible. It doesn't hurt to try opting-out and then re-registering, or registering a second card, but I wouldn't count on receiving the bonus points. Your miles may vary.

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Book Priority Club Reward Nights At The Old Rate Before March 18, 2012

A few months ago, I posted about Priority Club's reward chart changes that took place on January 18, 2012. If you weren't already aware, new tiers were added on the reward chart for each hotel brand, most of them at higher redemption rates. Because only two week's notice was given before the changes took place, Priority Club decided to allow a two-month grace period, where anyone could still book reward nights at the old rates - albeit via phone reservations only.

That two month grace period is about to end on March 18, 2012, so make sure you book as many reward nights as you can before the deadline. One big problem, however, is that Priority Club doesn't published a full list of redemption rates for all their hotels. And since their website now only reflects the new rates, it's impossible to know what the old rates were unless you already jotted it down prior to the change.

Fortunately, LoyaltyLobby has compiled a list of all the InterContinental Hotels and Resorts that have changed tiers. For Candlewood Suites, Staybridge Suites, Crowne Plaza Hotels and Resorts, and Hotel Indigos, the old reward chart only had a single tier for each brand, whereas the new reward chart added a higher tier to each. Thus, it's very easy to see if the redemption rates have changed since any hotel currently showing the higher rate means it was bumped up on January 18, 2012. And finally, ChongCao has compiled a list of old redemption rates for Holiday Inns and Holiday Inn Expresses, which might be extremely helpful. You can also try calling Priority Club and asking, but many people on FlyerTalk have reported agents actually asking them what the old rates were!

Also, when booking reward nights at the old rate, the phone agents are effectively charging you the new rate, and then crediting your Priority Club account with a goodwill adjustment for the difference. Just be aware that if you decide to cancel the booking later, the goodwill adjustment will also be removed from your account.

New Priority Club Reward Chart (from January 18, 2012 onward):

Saturday, February 25, 2012

New Zealand December 2011 - InterContinental Wellington

***This post is part 13 of a full trip report. The index can be found here*** 

We checked in at the InterContinental Wellington after taking a quick five-minute taxi ride from the ferry terminal. I had booked two rooms using Priority Club's cash and points redemption (20,000 points + $60 per room). Although we were only staying for one night, we decided to make the most of our time at the hotel since our anticipated tour of Wellington was scuttled by the foul weather outside.



The lobby, while not grand by any means, was beautifully adorned with Christmas decorations, including a nice gingerbread house. There was also a bar/lounge area near the entrance with plenty of comfortable chairs to relax in.





Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Priority Club Joins The Q1 2012 Promotions Party

InterContinental Hotels Group and Priority Club just opened their Q1 2012 promotion for registration. From January 23 through April 30, 2012, earn double points or double miles on every qualifying stay, starting with your second stay. All hotels in the IHG brand worldwide are participating in this promotion. If your stay occurs at a Staybridge Suites or Candlewood Suites, however, you will start earning double points or double miles on your very first stay.

You must register for this offer prior to your first stay, as no retroactive bonuses will be given. See the registration page for a full list of the participating airlines.


In addition, Priority Club has a standard promotion running that we see quite regularly year-round. From January 1 through March 31, 2012, you can earn a set amount of bonus points after staying a set number of nights. There are three options to choose from:
You can only register for one of these offers, and after you register, you cannot change your selection. Choose wisely, and pick the number of nights you are 100% sure you will achieve, otherwise you will receive no bonus points at all!

Neither of these Priority Club promotions are rather lucrative, so I wouldn't load up on IHG stays just to earn bonus points/miles. Out of all the Q1 2012 hotel promotions I've covered in the past few days, I would say that Marriott's MegaBonus is the most worthwhile offer to take advantage of, followed by the Marriott's MegaMiles. Take advantage of Hilton's More Points offer if you have lots of two-night weekend stays coming up, and SPG's Better By The Night if you have stays that are three nights or longer. Also don't forget to stack up the Hilton promotion with even more bonus airline miles! Finally, if you are a Priority Club devotee, then I would say go for the offer detailed in this post.

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Upcoming Changes To The Priority Club Rewards Chart

I received an email this morning notifying me of upcoming changes to the Priority Club rewards chart starting on January 18, 2012. The most obvious changes are the additional tiers that have now been added to several IHG brands:
  • Holiday Inn / Holiday Inn Express - New 20,000 tier (sandwiched between the 15,000 and 25,000 tiers)
  • Candlewood Suites - New 20,000 tier (higher)
  • Staybridge Suites - New 25,000 tier (higher)
  • Crowne Plaza - New 35,000 tier (higher)
  • Hotel Indigo - New 35,000 tier (higher)
  • InterContinental Hotels & Resorts - New 50,000 tier (higher)

Old Priority Club Reward Chart (prior to January 18, 2012):



New Priority Club Reward Chart (starting January 18, 2012):


Basically, besides Holiday Inn Club Vacations, every IHG brand now has a new tier added, with 5 out of the 6 brands adding a higher tier. This doesn't bode well for most of us, as it probably portends an overall devaluation on January 18th. According to Priority Club themselves, 25% of properties will have an increase in points cost, while 20% will have a decrease. While that doesn't sound too bad at first glance, it's important to note that the maximum decrease anyone will likely see is 5,000 points, while the maximum increase will likely result in an additional 10,000 points (all on the most desirable properties no less).

Priority Club is offering a 2-month grace period after January 18, 2012, which allows anyone to book reward nights at the old rate, or rebook a reward if the points requirement has decreased. However, this can only be done by calling in. The old rates will be unavailable online after January 18, 2012.

Loyalty Traveler makes a good point by saying that Priority Club doesn't publish a master list that shows the redemption rate of every hotel in their portfolio. This makes it extremely difficult to find out exactly which hotels have had their rates increased or decreased after the changes occur. You must already have specific hotels in mind, and have checked the old rates by looking up each hotel individually on the Priority Club website prior to January 18, 2012. My suggestion is to plan ahead and think of destinations you will most likely visit this year, and look them up to jot down the old rate. This way, it will be easier to see if any hotels have changed their points requirements after January 18, 2012.

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Stay 4 Nights And Earn 5,000 Bonus Points At IHG Hotels

Just received this offer in the email, and it looks to be open to everyone. Simply stay 4 nights between January 1 and March 31, 2012 at any IHG hotel worldwide, and earn 5,000 bonus Priority Club points. You must register prior to completing your 4 nights in order to qualify, and no retroactive points will be awarded for stays prior to registration. Only one room per member per stay will be awarded the applicable bonus points.

To register, go to the generic IHG offer registration page, enter your Priority Club number or email, and then enter the promotion code 2183. This offer is fairly easy since it is awarded by nights, not stays... so there is no need to hotel hop in order to meet the requirement.

Friday, September 16, 2011

Tokyo/Vietnam July 2011 - InterContinental Asiana Saigon

***This post is part 19 of a full trip report. The index can be found here***

Let's start by saying I had fairly high expectations for the InterContinental Asiana Saigon. Virtually every review I read about this hotel had high praise for it, and it's ranked #2 on TripAdvisor for hotels in Ho Chi Minh City, right behind the Park Hyatt Saigon... not too shabby.

I compared a number of different booking sites trying to weigh my options when planning this 3-night stay. There were a couple of different factors at play here, first of which was cost, of course. Being a Priority Club Platinum member, I logically reasoned that I should book directly with the hotel so I could earn points on the stay, though I also had enough points to book a "points + cash" stay. But if I did that, they probably wouldn't honor any status benefits... although there wouldn't be any status benefits anyways since I'm not even an InterContinental Ambassador. Then to make things even more complicated, I had just received an email offering me an Ambassador challenge... I only had to stay 3 qualifying nights at any InterContinental Hotel within the next 3 months, and I would earn Ambassador status. Man was I in a pickle.

Ultimately, I narrowed my choices down to 2 options: book the best available rate directly with the hotel (which was close to $200/night) and earn both points and Ambassador status, or book the Friends & Family rate (which was the cheapest anywhere at $140/night) and not receive any points nor Ambassador status since it wouldn't be a qualifying stay. It was a tough choice, but I finally went with the cheap rate since I didn't feel like it was fair to put the extra cost burden on my friend (nor did I want to pick up the cost difference myself). Either way, I didn't expect to receive any benefits with my lowly Priority Club Platinum.

Wow, was I wrong on just about every front!


We arrived at the InterContinental Asiana Saigon by taxi, and I was immediately impressed with the service. There was a gentleman in traditional Vietnamese garb who opened the door for us, then several bellmen took our luggage and directed us to the front entrance, where a well-dressed woman opened the doors for us. It certainly felt excessive for me, but in a very good way. I was still in my local hotel do-it-yourself mode I guess. The lobby was beautiful, extremely modern and very personal, but not really grand in any way... though I preferred this to a grand, opulent entrance I must say. We were directed to the check-in counter and I was helped by a friendly gentleman. After taking my information, he called up another woman and told us to follow her. I was confused.


So follow her we did, up to the 14th floor, then down a corridor and finally into our room. When I looked in, I realized we had been upgraded one category to a deluxe corner room with beautiful views of the city. Then I also realized we were completing the check-in process inside our room... and not only that, I had been given most of the Ambassador benefits as well, including free breakfast or internet (I chose internet, which I later regretted), fresh fruit at arrival, 2 pieces of complimentary laundry per day, and also late check-out. I was blown away, having expected none of this at all. It was definitely a great way to start the stay! The only thing I was slightly bummed over was not being able to try the club lounge, which I've read great things about.




The room itself was very nice, with spectacular views of the city and the Notre Dame Basilica two blocks away. The bed was probably the most comfortable out of all the hotels I stayed at on this trip. There was an efficient work area, large flat-screen TV, and a very spacious bathroom with a large soaking tub and separate shower.




Everyone at this hotel was very friendly and welcoming, and service was top notch. I used the concierge desk a number of times to set up tours to the Mekong Delta and for other recommendations, and the lady could not have been any nicer or more helpful. Unfortunately, we didn't get to try the restaurant since there were so many places to eat in Saigon... but I definitely regretted not choosing the free breakfast earlier. The place was packed all day, so I assume the food there must have been pretty good.




I also tried out the gym and pool, which were decent, but not as nice as the Sheraton Nha Trang. Unfortunately I didn't take any pictures of the pool, but it was interesting in that it's elevated, and two of the sides are made of clear glass... so you can see everyone swimming in full view. That definitely made me feel a little self-conscious while doing laps :)

I must say the InterContinental Asiana Saigon was an absolutely spectacular hotel, from the front door service to the check-in process to the concierge to the beautiful room to the super-convenient location (walkable to all the major tourist sites in Saigon), everything was virtually perfect. I can't recommend this hotel highly enough.

View from the room


And as if all that weren't enough, I have a small postscript to add. About 2 weeks after I had returned from my trip, I was randomly checking my Priority Club account, and I literally shrieked like a little girl. I noticed that I had achieved Ambassador status with InterContinental! So not only did I book the cheapest Friends & Family rate, but apparently it also qualified me for the Ambassador challenge! I was definitely not expecting this at all especially since I had called in prior to booking, and it was confirmed to me that the F&F rate would not qualify for the Ambassador challenge. I guess the InterContinental Asiana Saigon is just full of surprises! :)