Mid- to high-tier resort elite standing comes with many nice perks, nevertheless it normally takes plenty of nights to attain.
The InterContinental Ambassador program — informally known as IHG Ambassador by some members — is a bit completely different, although. This program enables you to purchase standing within the IHG One Rewards program with out assembly any keep necessities.
If you happen to’re on the lookout for perks at InterContinental and collaborating Six Senses lodges and resorts, it’s possible you’ll discover worth within the InterContinental Ambassador program. On this information, I will describe this system and aid you determine whether or not to hitch.
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What’s the InterContinental Ambassador program?
Because the title suggests, the InterContinental Ambassador program offers perks when staying at InterContinental lodges and resorts. You additionally obtain advantages at Six Senses lodges and resorts that take part in IHG One Rewards.
The InterContinental Ambassador program would not present Ambassador advantages when staying at different IHG manufacturers. As a substitute, you may get IHG Platinum Elite standing. If you happen to’re purely fascinated with IHG standing, it’s possible you’ll be higher off signing up for the IHG® Rewards Premier Credit score Card or the IHG® Rewards Premier Enterprise Credit score Card, each of which include computerized Platinum Elite standing.
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How do I turn into an InterContinental Ambassador?
To be an InterContinental Ambassador, you could pay an annual price of $200 or 40,000 IHG One Rewards factors. Based mostly on TPG’s valuations, 40,000 IHG factors are value $200, so utilizing factors might be worthwhile.
When you pay, you may get entry to Ambassador advantages for 12 months. So, it is sensible to enroll shortly earlier than a keep. You possibly can be part of this system on-line, at any InterContinental property or by calling the IHG Ambassador Service Centre.
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IHG often provides promotions for the InterContinental Ambassador program, so it is value watching for brand spanking new member and renewal provides. For instance, IHG despatched me a suggestion by e-mail for 15,000 bonus factors once I renew for $200, as my Ambassador membership was about to lapse on April 1, 2023. I renewed my Ambassador membership in late March and IHG instantly deposited the 15,000 factors into my account.
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InterContinental Ambassador advantages
InterContinental Ambassadors get the next advantages when staying at InterContinental lodges and resorts:
- Assured one-category room improve. Nonetheless, you are not entitled to an extra improve for those who apply a confirmable suite improve milestone reward to your keep. You are not assured an replace on reward nights and free nights, and this profit excludes lounge entry and a few suite sorts.
- Assured 4 p.m. late checkout.
- One complimentary weekend night time on the second night time of a paid keep when reserving the Ambassador Complimentary Weekend Night time price at InterContinental lodges and resorts. You need to guide on-line, and the Ambassador member should keep within the room. Most lodges outline the weekend as Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights, however lodges within the Center East could outline the weekend as Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.
- Improve to IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite standing.
- A $20 credit score per keep to be used in choose resort eating places, bars and minibars. In markets that do not use U.S. {dollars}, you may obtain both a predetermined quantity or a credit score based mostly on the day’s change price (relying on the property’s location). This profit is not provided in mainland China, the place you get a full breakfast daily in the primary restaurant.
- Each day mineral water.
- Premium web in visitor rooms (when obtainable for buy).
- No additional cost for a second visitor.
Ambassador advantages at InterContinental Alliance Resorts
At InterContinental Alliance Resorts, Ambassadors solely get entry to the next advantages:
- Complimentary water upon arrival (not replenished each day).
- One class room improve, topic to availability.
Ambassador advantages at Six Senses
At Six Senses properties that take part in IHG One Rewards, InterContinental Ambassadors get the next perks:
- Complimentary breakfast for 2 every morning in the primary restaurant.
- A signature amenity as soon as per keep consisting of a complimentary 50-minute Six Senses Spa therapeutic massage for 2 or an area expertise. You will not get this amenity for those who guide a company or negotiated price.
- Complimentary one-category room improve, topic to availability (excluding residences and two-bedroom or bigger suites and villas).
- 4 p.m. late checkout, topic to availability.
- Early check-in, topic to availability.
- Complimentary web entry.
- Wellness platter in your arrival day.
These perks — particularly the selection of a 50-minute Six Senses Spa therapeutic massage for 2 as a signature amenity — are extraordinarily beneficial and will aid you justify shopping for a membership even for those who solely have one Six Senses keep throughout your membership 12 months.
You will solely get these perks at collaborating Six Senses properties whenever you guide immediately with IHG, on the resort or by means of a certified journey agent (which excludes most on-line journey brokers).
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Ambassador advantages at Mr & Mrs Smith
At Mr & Mrs Smith properties that take part in IHG One Rewards, InterContinental Ambassadors get the next perks:
- A Smith Additional (an extra present or service) as soon as per room, per keep.
- Complimentary room improve (topic to availability) at collaborating properties.
You will solely get these perks whenever you guide immediately with IHG.
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When are you eligible for Ambassador advantages?
Though you normally must guide immediately with IHG to obtain IHG One Rewards elite advantages, this is not at all times the case for Ambassador advantages. IHG solely excludes choose charges, comparable to airline crew and worker reductions.
Nonetheless, there are a number of notable exceptions:
- InterContinental lodges and resorts in French Polynesia booked by means of third-party web sites or tour operators do not qualify for assured upgrades or late checkout.
- You need to guide immediately with IHG (approved journey brokers are additionally allowable for Six Senses stays) to get additional perks as an InterContinential Ambassador at collaborating Six Senses and Mr & Mrs Smith properties.
- You will not get Ambassador advantages at IHG Residence properties.
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Advantages assure
InterContinental Ambassadors are assured choose advantages. Chances are you’ll be eligible for compensation as follows if a resort is unable to satisfy choose perks:
- Room improve: A restaurant, bar or spa credit score of $50 or 10,000 IHG factors. You will not get any compensation on reward nights or free nights.
- 4 p.m. late checkout: A restaurant, bar or spa credit score of $50 or 10,000 IHG factors.
IHG would not provide the advantages assure throughout choose durations, although. These durations embody:
- New 12 months’s Eve.
- Chinese language New 12 months in Higher China.
- Ramadan and Hajj in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
You will not get entry to the IHG Ambassador advantages assure for those who guide by means of a third-party web site, tour operator, wholesaler or as a part of a gaggle block or reservation.
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Membership extension
The InterContinental Ambassador program provides two forms of membership extensions. Members can use every extension kind not more than as soon as per lifetime. Understand that you may’t use each extensions throughout the identical membership 12 months.
You possibly can ask for a two-month extension for those who:
- Have an lively membership.
- Haven’t used a two-month extension previously.
You possibly can ask for a six-month extension for those who’ve:
- Maintained an lively membership for greater than a 12 months.
- Haven’t beforehand used a six-month extension.
Nonetheless, these once-in-a-lifetime extensions will not apply to your complimentary weekend night time certificates.
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Is InterContinental Ambassador value it?
Do you have to enroll within the InterContinental Ambassador program? Not surprisingly, the reply is dependent upon your journey habits. For many vacationers, it comes all the way down to the weekend night time profit.
Ambassador weekend night time profit
You must enroll for those who suppose you may use the Ambassador weekend night time profit. Nonetheless, you do must guide utilizing a selected price, which normally is not the least costly. You possibly can examine charges right here earlier than changing into an Ambassador member.
Suppose you do not make the most of the weekend night time profit. In that case, membership normally will not make sense until you incessantly keep at InterContinental lodges or have a number of Six Senses keep throughout your membership 12 months.
Contemplating different advantages
If you happen to’re nonetheless undecided, it is value contemplating how a lot worth the opposite advantages will present. Relying on how typically you journey, the advantages could present important worth. Assured perks like 4 p.m. late checkout and a one-category room improve could be useful however are difficult to worth. Then again, the eating places and bars credit score for InterContinental stays exterior mainland China offers a set worth for every keep.
You will additionally get IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite standing. You have already got this standing when you have the IHG® Rewards Premier Credit score Card or the IHG® Rewards Premier Enterprise Credit score Card. Nonetheless, for those who can’t get one in every of these playing cards, getting Platinum Elite standing by means of Ambassador membership might be a deciding issue.
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What’s InterContinental Royal Ambassador?
Royal Ambassador advantages
Royal Ambassadors get the next advantages when staying at InterContinental lodges and resorts:
- Assured two-category room improve. Nonetheless, you’ll obtain a one-category improve for those who guide a set (and this profit excludes some suite sorts). Plus, this profit shouldn’t be assured and is topic to availability on free and reward nights. Lastly, you are not entitled to an extra improve for those who apply a confirmable suite improve milestone reward to your keep.
- Lounge entry at lodges with a devoted Membership InterContinental lounge for the member and a visitor staying within the member’s room. If the resort doesn’t function a devoted Membership InterContinental lounge, the member and one visitor will get a full breakfast in the primary restaurant every day (observe: selecting breakfast as a Diamond Elite welcome amenity won’t get you greater than two breakfasts per day). This profit shouldn’t be assured at lodges with no devoted lounge.
- Assured early check-in of 10 a.m.
- Assured late checkout of 4 p.m.
- One complimentary weekend night time on the second night time of a paid keep when reserving the Ambassador Complimentary Weekend Night time price at InterContinental lodges and resorts.
- Minibar meals and beverage credit score of $50 per night time (200 yuan per night time in mainland China), as much as a most of $200 per keep (800 yuan per keep in mainland China).
- In-room welcome amenity in your day of arrival.
- Each day mineral water.
- Premium web in visitor rooms (when obtainable).
- Waived amenity or vacation spot charges (excluding taxes and resort charges).
- No additional cost for a second visitor.
- Assured room availability with 24-hour discover.
Royal Ambassador members additionally get Kimpton Internal Circle standing and one free night time at an IHG resort (excluding IHG Military Accommodations and Six Senses properties) bookable for 70,000 IHG factors or much less.
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Backside line
InterContinental Ambassador standing is a must have for some vacationers. If you may get good worth from the complimentary weekend night time profit, it might be value enrolling even for those who do not incessantly keep at InterContinental lodges and resorts.
