Mid- to high-tier lodge elite standing comes with many nice perks, however it normally takes quite a lot of nights to realize.
The InterContinental Ambassador program — informally known as IHG Ambassador by some members — is a bit totally different, although. This program enables you to purchase standing in the IHG One Rewards program with out assembly any keep necessities.
If you are in search of perks at InterContinental and participating Six Senses motels and resorts, it’s possible you’ll discover worth within the InterContinental Ambassador program. In this information, I’ll describe this system and enable you determine whether or not to hitch.
Related: The 19 greatest IHG motels on this planet
What is the InterContinental Ambassador program?
As the title suggests, the InterContinental Ambassador program gives perks when staying at InterContinental motels and resorts. You additionally obtain advantages at Six Senses motels and resorts that take part in IHG One Rewards.
The InterContinental Ambassador program does not present Ambassador advantages when staying at different IHG manufacturers. Instead, you will get IHG Platinum Elite standing. If you are purely eager about IHG standing, it’s possible you’ll be higher off signing up for the IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card or the IHG® Rewards Premier Business Credit Card, each of which include automated Platinum Elite standing.
Related: What is IHG One Rewards elite standing value?
How do I develop into an InterContinental Ambassador?
To be an InterContinental Ambassador, it’s essential to pay an annual payment of $200 or 40,000 IHG One Rewards factors. Based on TPG’s valuations, 40,000 IHG factors are value $200, so utilizing factors could possibly be worthwhile.
Once you pay, you will get entry to Ambassador advantages for 12 months. So, it is smart to enroll shortly earlier than a keep. You 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 proposal by e mail for 15,000 bonus factors after 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.
InterContinental Ambassador advantages
InterContinental Ambassadors get the next advantages when staying at InterContinental motels and resorts:
- Guaranteed one-category room improve. However, you are not entitled to a further improve in the event you apply a confirmable suite improve milestone reward to your keep. You aren’t assured an replace on reward nights and free nights, and this profit excludes lounge entry and a few suite sorts.
- Guaranteed 4 p.m. late checkout.
- One complimentary weekend evening on the second evening of a paid keep when reserving the Ambassador Complimentary Weekend Night price at InterContinental motels and resorts. You should guide on-line, and the Ambassador member should keep within the room. Most motels outline the weekend as Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights, however motels within the Middle East might outline the weekend as Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.
- Upgrade to IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite standing.
- A $20 credit score per keep to be used in choose lodge eating places, bars and minibars. In markets that do not use U.S. {dollars}, you will 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 supplied in mainland China, the place you get a full breakfast on daily basis in the primary restaurant.
- Daily 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 in the event you 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 worthwhile and should enable you justify shopping for a membership even in the event you solely have one Six Senses keep throughout your membership yr.
You’ll solely get these perks at collaborating Six Senses properties if you guide instantly with IHG, on the lodge or by way of a certified journey agent (which excludes most on-line journey brokers).
Related: No footwear, nice service: A evaluation of IHG’s Six Senses Laamu within the Maldives
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 Extra (a further reward or service) as soon as per room, per keep.
- Complimentary room improve (topic to availability) at collaborating properties.
You’ll solely get these perks if you guide instantly with IHG.
Related: One of my favourite motels in Europe: A evaluation of the Mr & Mrs Smith Kvosin Hotel in Reykjavik
When are you eligible for Ambassador advantages?
Although you normally must guide instantly 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, corresponding to airline crew and worker reductions.
However, there are a number of notable exceptions:
- InterContinental motels and resorts in French Polynesia booked by way of third-party web sites or tour operators do not qualify for assured upgrades or late checkout.
- You should guide instantly 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.
Related: What to do when a lodge does not wish to honor your elite advantages
Benefits assure
InterContinental Ambassadors are assured choose advantages. You could also be eligible for compensation as follows if a lodge 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 does not supply the advantages assure throughout choose intervals, although. These intervals embrace:
- New Year’s Eve.
- Chinese New Year in Greater China.
- Ramadan and Hajj in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
You will not get entry to the IHG Ambassador advantages assure in the event you guide by way of a third-party web site, tour operator, wholesaler or as a part of a gaggle block or reservation.
Related: How to maximise redemptions with the IHG One Rewards program
Membership extension
The InterContinental Ambassador program provides two varieties of membership extensions. Members can use every extension sort not more than as soon as per lifetime. Keep in thoughts that you would be able to’t use each extensions throughout the identical membership yr.
You can ask for a two-month extension in the event you:
- Have an lively membership.
- Have not used a two-month extension up to now.
You can ask for a six-month extension in the event you’ve:
- Maintained an lively membership for greater than a yr.
- Have not beforehand used a six-month extension.
However, these once-in-a-lifetime extensions will not apply to your complimentary weekend evening certificates.
Related: What bank card must you use for IHG stays?
Is InterContinental Ambassador value it?
Should you enroll within the InterContinental Ambassador program? Not surprisingly, the reply will depend on your journey habits. For most vacationers, it comes all the way down to the weekend evening profit.
Ambassador weekend evening profit
You ought to enroll in the event you suppose you will use the Ambassador weekend evening profit. However, you do should guide utilizing a selected price, which normally is not the least costly. You can verify charges right here earlier than turning into an Ambassador member.
Suppose you do not make the most of the weekend evening profit. In that case, membership normally will not make sense except you continuously keep at InterContinental motels or have a number of Six Senses keep throughout your membership yr.
Considering different advantages
If you are still undecided, it is value contemplating how a lot worth the opposite advantages will present. Depending on how usually you journey, the advantages might present vital worth. Guaranteed perks like 4 p.m. late checkout and a one-category room improve may be useful however are difficult to worth. On the opposite hand, the eating places and bars credit score for InterContinental stays exterior mainland China gives a set worth for every keep.
You’ll additionally get IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite standing. You have already got this standing in case you have the IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card or the IHG® Rewards Premier Business Credit Card. However, in the event you can not get certainly one of these playing cards, getting Platinum Elite standing by way of Ambassador membership could possibly be a deciding issue.
Related: Why you need to get (and maintain) the IHG Rewards Premier card
What is InterContinental Royal Ambassador?
Royal Ambassador is an invite-only standing that IHG provides to pick Ambassador members. IHG selects members based mostly on their qualifying exercise at InterContinental motels and resorts, although the particular qualification standards aren’t shared publicly.
Royal Ambassador advantages
Royal Ambassadors get the next advantages when staying at InterContinental motels and resorts:
- Guaranteed two-category room improve. However, you’ll obtain a one-category improve in the event you guide a collection (and this profit excludes some suite sorts). Plus, this profit will not be assured and is topic to availability on free and reward nights. Finally, you are not entitled to a further improve in the event you apply a confirmable suite improve milestone reward to your keep.
- Lounge entry at motels with a devoted Club InterContinental lounge for the member and a visitor staying within the member’s room. If the lodge doesn’t function a devoted Club InterContinental lounge, the member and one visitor will get a full breakfast in the primary restaurant every day (be aware: selecting breakfast as a Diamond Elite welcome amenity is not going to get you greater than two breakfasts per day). This profit will not be assured at motels with out a devoted lounge.
- Guaranteed early check-in of 10 a.m.
- Guaranteed late checkout of 4 p.m.
- One complimentary weekend evening on the second evening of a paid keep when reserving the Ambassador Complimentary Weekend Night price at InterContinental motels and resorts.
- Minibar meals and beverage credit score of $50 per evening (200 yuan per evening 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.
- Daily 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.
- Guaranteed room availability with 24-hour discover.
Royal Ambassador members additionally get Kimpton Inner Circle standing and one free evening at an IHG lodge (excluding IHG Army Hotels and Six Senses properties) bookable for 70,000 IHG factors or much less.
Related: 7 methods to earn extra IHG One Rewards factors in your subsequent redemption
Bottom line
InterContinental Ambassador standing is a must have for some vacationers. If you may get good worth from the complimentary weekend evening profit, it might be value enrolling even in the event you do not continuously keep at InterContinental motels and resorts.