InterContinental Royal Ambassador Qualification Requirements

I was a royal Ambassador for 3 years and ran into the same issue, with a light year due to 40-41 stays in cities where the Intercontinental Hotel had just closed. I wrote to IHG ostensibly Royal Ambassador manager and got no real response including the fact that I had 41 nights that year in Manila and Jakarta and there was no longer an intercontinental option. I was ironically in the Intercontinental Hotel in Johannesburg when I was simply told at check in that I was no longer a Royal Ambassador. I was stunned as I nearly lived in these hotels. Moral of the story, I switched to Marriott in January 3 1/2 years ago and I’ve accumulated exactly 500 qualifying nights including 109 in 2021 with the 50 Covid credit nights. The Marriott program is AWFUL/ AWFUL . I’ve been turned down on 4:00 PM checkouts 9 of 10 requests and most times I am offered 12 or 1:00 and sometimes 2:00. “Shame on me for asking “. The upgrades are non-existent and with automatic upgrades including suites offered at platinum and Titanium. It’s insulting to my intelligence that at 100 nights plus and $20,000 spend annually I have not ever /EVER been offered a suite upgrade. The Marriott “Bonvoy” program is a joke. Most staff have no concept of what the program is. The desk clerks have let me know in half empty hotels during this last year that most rooms are assigned prior to the evening shift and that managers leave for the day and no desk staff are even trained to look for an upgrade. The desk staffs seem stunned when asked. I repeatedly say “ this is your program, not mine “ , yet they seem dumbfounded as to what the program is. I’ve stayed at 50-60 different Marriott Hotels in 9-10 countries, in 40-50 different cities and I’ve been routinely disappointed. The Bonvoy program is a discount program to collect points . No service, no status, no nothing . While IHG royal ambassador program is not perfect, it hits it out of the park 90% of the time . I just enjoyed 2 amazing stays at the Intercontinental Hotel in Houston, some great nights at San Jose Intercontinental as well as returning to Cartagena Intercontinental, where I happened to be on its inaugural day. I am all in for my Royal Ambassador times again and the publishing of this information makes it a no brained. Now the only thing to do is figure out what to do with my 1,029,000 Marriott Bonvoy Points. Thanks IHG for fixing the ONLY soft spot in the Royal Ambassador program!!! Great News !!

@Carl Austin: I am currently staying at IC Frankfurt, this is my first "Spire Ambassador" experience and I am not that impressed. I have actually had a better experience as simply a "Preffered Guest" at Sheraton Yokohama, but again experiences will vary depending on where you are geographically. The cross-over rewards between Starwood and Delta are a nice little kick-off, but that's only because Starwood in my opinion is very lacking in a lot of other areas... so at least they have that. Marriott just might be for me after all.

Going for Royal Ambassador status – do not think so having stayed many many nights in holiday inn hotels in order to reach spire membership which is supposed to be the highest level in the ihg club, i also combined with the ambassador (paid) membership in order to maximize stays at the intercontinental hotels what has become very very apparent is that the intercontinental chain is a franchise so the owners at each hotel respect the above in many many different ways. so at each check in you have to literally fight to get any benefit and because the revenue management system (booking) is now so complex, the hotel rooms are divided into so many classes (as per aircraft seats) so that the only true difference is the room floor! and please advise me -what is the benefit of an upgrade to the 28th floor when the room type on the 6th floor was the same .why does one intercontinental not give club access and also charge a nightly service fee (inter - chopin plaza) when others do not (inter -doral - where also roomsa re much better) so what is the value of the ihg club ambassador + spire membership - depends on your good fortune at the time of check in - is it worth 75 nights at holiday inns plus a fee- i now very much doubt this and will look a the competition in particular marriott in terms of affiliation benefits sincerely

anyone use a referral cert recently?

Ben, I wouldn't be too sure that the mentioned requirements are sufficient. The way they spell it, it leaves still room for interpretation - by invitation only - member has to fulfill *at least * ... Are I'm to conscious or how do you see the wording of the T&C?