This is the fifth post in our series about the IHG Rewards Club status levels. You can check out the other posts here:
- Club
- Gold Elite
- Platinum Elite
- Spire Elite
- Ambassador & Royal Ambassador (for stays only at the InterContinental brand)
Although IHG has its main IHG Rewards Club scheme, they also run a separate loyalty scheme for guests at just one of their brands.
When staying at InterContinental Hotels & Resorts (the highest tier IHG brand), you can choose to purchase Ambassador status to receive extra benefits during your stay.
Just to be clear – Ambassador status won’t get you perks at any of IHG’s other brands like Holiday Inn or Crowne Plaza. It’s solely for stays at InterContinental hotels.
So, what benefits do you receive from InterContinental Ambassador status and how do you get it? Read on to find out.
InterContinental Ambassador Status Benefits
When staying at InterContinental hotels, Ambassador members receive the following:
1) Guaranteed Room Upgrade
The upgrade will be one category higher than the room that you paid for. You should be able to ascertain this when booking online as the different room types will be listed. The upgrade might be to a larger room or one with a better view – it’ll depend on the specific hotel and which room type you book in the first place.
2) Complimentary Weekend Night Certificate
Every year of Ambassador membership, you’ll receive a certificate for a free weekend night at any InterContinental hotel which is valid for 12 months from the date the certificate’s issued.
The certificate can only be used as part of a minimum two-night paid stay. That means you’ll have to actually pay for the first night, so you can’t use points for the first night and the certificate for the second.
You have to take the certificate with you to the hotel as it has to be handed over when checking in.
3) Choice Of Refreshment On Arrival
This is a benefit you select in your account online before your stay. You’ll have the choice between a savory snack, a sweet snack or fruit.
You’ll also receive a free bottle of mineral water in your room which is replenished every day.
4) In-Room Welcome Gift
The gift varies depending on which InterContinental you stay at.
5) 4pm Late Checkout
Not much to add here as the benefit’s self-explanatory.
6) One Complimentary Pay TV Movie Per Stay
Again, this Ambassador status benefit should be self-explanatory.
7) Instant Checkout
I’ve not been able to discover how this benefit works, so if you’re an Ambassador who’s taken advantage of this benefit, let us know in the comments below.
I’m guessing that you can either checkout online or via the TV in your room, but I’m just speculating.
Do You Get Ambassador Member Benefits On Reward Stays?
You only receive all these benefits when booking a paid stay. If you book a reward stay at an InterContinental hotel using your IHG Rewards Club points, you’re only eligible for some of these benefits.
The benefits you won’t receive are:
- Complimentary room upgrade
- Free Pay TV movie
How To Get Intercontinental Ambassador Status
You can apply for the status online here. Alternatively, you can call one of the global Ambassador Service Centers – their phone numbers can be found on that page as well.
How Much Does Ambassador Status Cost?
There are two ways to get Ambassador Status:
- Buy it for $200
- Buy it with 32,000 IHG Rewards Club points
Once you’ve held membership for a year, you can renew your membership for just $150. There are also many reports of personalized renewal offers with bonus points included or the opportunity to pay with a lower number of points.
What Is InterContinental Royal Ambassador Status?
If you’re the most frequent of frequent stayers at InterContinental hotels, you might get to become a Royal Ambassador.
This status provides even more benefits, but it’s not something you can apply for. InterContinental reach out directly to a small number of their most elite members to invite them to upgrade to Royal Ambassador status.
There aren’t any definitive guidelines for how to receive an invitation. However, members who’ve received an invitation report that they’d stayed at several different InterContinental hotels in a year with a minimum of 50 nights. Given how expensive InterContinental stays are, becoming eligible for Royal Ambassador status doesn’t come cheap!
What Are The Benefits Of Being A Royal Ambassador?
Royal Ambassadors receive several additional benefits:
1) Free Mini-Bar Beverages
All beverages in your room’s mini-bar will be complimentary, although mini-bar snacks still have to be paid for.
2) Guaranteed Two Category Room Upgrade
As a standard Ambassador, you receive a one category room upgrade; as a Royal Ambassador you’re upgraded two categories from whichever room you book.
Some hotels have restrictions which can be found here. For example, if you book a room two categories below the Presidential Suite at the InterContinental Grand Stamford Hong Kong, you won’t be upgraded to the Presidential Suite.
3) Complimentary Health Club Access
You’ll receive free access to the health club facilities that are based at the hotel. Treatments such as facials and massages may incur additional charges though.
4) Early Check-In
Due to arrive at an InterContinental early in the day? Royal Ambassadors get to check-in at 8am.
5) Guaranteed Room Availability
Even if the hotel shows no room availability when booking, you’re guaranteed a room when booking 24 hours in advance.
6) Club InterContinental Access
If the InterContinental where you’re staying has a Club Lounge, you’ll have free access.
Do You Get Royal Ambassador Member Benefits On Reward Stays?
Similar to regular Ambassador status, Royal Ambassadors don’t receive all the above member benefits when booking a stay using points.
Here’s a list of the benefits Royal Ambassadors don’t receive on reward stays:
- Two category room upgrade
- Club Lounge access
- Free mini-bar beverages
- Free Pay TV movie
- Guaranteed room availability
- Early check-in (although you can pay to receive this benefit)
As you can see, you receive very few of the Royal Ambassador benefits on non-paid stays.
Summary
If you’re fortunate enough to get to stay in InterContinental hotels frequently, Ambassador status can be well worth the investment in order to make your stays more enjoyable.
For anyone happening to stay in an InterContinental as a one-off, the value of purchasing an InterContinental Ambassador status membership is more questionable. The $200 membership fee in those circumstances might be better spent on a nice dinner or an experience in the city where you’re staying.
Ellen says
Based on our experience, if you stay in the more expensive Intercontinentals and book a higher status room ie not the cheapest room available, you accumulate enough status to be invited to be a Royal Ambassador.
Because there are three of us, and the teenager needs her own bed, we always book the largest classic room or smallest suite. We did this in Fiji, Hong Kong, Singapore and Cannes and got our one category upgrade. We then went to Sydney as a Royal Ambassador and had a two category upgrade which got us a 180 degree view of the Harbour and a grand piano. The accumulation of points across a range of hotels in the Ihg group worked wonderfully for us. We’ve even been given the Royal status for a second time, after having it for the first time for less than a year. Love it. Now booked for stays in Singapore, Washington DC and New York in 2018.
The Ihg reward program is to be recommended. We’ve stayed across the world in the group and accumulated sufficient points for 12 free night’s accommodation in Fiji over the festive season in 2016/17. The benefits to us have exceeded any other hotel loyalty programme even without the free nights. The 4pm checkout is a huge bonus when you’re faced with flying overnight back to Australia.
stephen says
That’s some extremely useful information about your real-life experience as an Ambassador and Royal Ambassador – thanks for sharing that.
NinjaX says
ellen. thats great info but would be even better if u shared with us how many nights and how much rev spend was done at IC. 50 to 70 nights is what I hear.
John Mitchell says
I have been a member of the Ambassador program for the past and I have been greatly disappointed in the benefits of not only this program but of the IHG rewards program as a whole. Unless one stays at an Intercontinental property very often there is zero purpose in the Ambassador status. Intercontinental properties are generally top-notch and I have found that I get the same or even better treatment for no cost simply by showing up and asking them nicely what they have for availability that night.
I had over 300 nights with IHG last year and not only do I feel that the benefits are minimal, but they are rarely applied without my asking for them or my reminding someone that I should receive them. The customer service associated with the program is non-existent. I have repeatedly e-mailed, and even called, to inquire about missing points or rewards, or points and cash charged for the same nights, or poor facilities or breakfast bars without food or any myriad of other issues and I have been sent form letter replies or told, “thank you sir. We will pass on this information.” I am currently in the process of using up the half million points that I have remaining from last year and I will no longer support IHG properties. My dollars are going to Marriott and Hilton this year.
Ali Mobasheri says
I have Intercontinental Ambassador and Spire Elite IHG status plus Hilton HHonors Diamond status. The Hilton hotels are not as good as the IHG and Intercontinental hotels but unless I am mistaken as a Diamond member you get more perks.
stephen says
You’re right – the Diamond member benefits in the Hilton Honors scheme are definitely better than IHG Ambassador & Spire Elite statuses.
Ali Mobasheri says
Thank you. I just remembered something else. The other good thing about the Intercontinental Ambassador program is that is allows you to maintain your Spire Elite status.
Gene Wood says
I am also uncertain what/how one is extended Royal Ambassador status. I have however had it offered to me for many years. What I do know is the service at Intercontinental hotels at least in Asia is consistently superb. The experience in the USA and Europe have been less attractive primarily due to the smaller size of rooms. Overall I am a satisfied client of the Intercontinental family. You know what to expect and am seldom disappointed. Feels like home. Gaming the system, at least for me, is less important than consistent quality. Safety, respect from the staff and cleanliness away from home is what most of use really want and need. The club lounge and upgrades surely make for a convenient work experience.