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IHG’s InterContinental Ambassador program — The Factors Man

Mid- to high-tier lodge elite standing comes with many nice perks, but it surely normally takes loads of nights to realize.

The InterContinental Ambassador program — informally known as IHG Ambassador by some members — is a bit completely different, although. This program helps you to purchase standing within the IHG One Rewards program with out assembly any keep necessities.

Should you’re searching for perks at InterContinental and collaborating Six Senses motels and resorts, you could discover worth within the InterContinental Ambassador program. On this information, I am going to describe this system and aid you resolve whether or not to affix.

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What’s the InterContinental Ambassador program?

InterContinental Phuket Resort in Thailand. KATIE GENTER/THE POINTS GUY

Because the identify suggests, the InterContinental Ambassador program supplies 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. As an alternative, you will get IHG Platinum Elite standing. Should you’re purely involved in IHG standing, you could 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 automated Platinum Elite standing.

Associated: What’s IHG One Rewards elite standing value?

How do I turn into an InterContinental Ambassador?

InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown in California. CLINT HENDERSON/THE POINTS GUY

To be an InterContinental Ambassador, it’s essential to pay an annual payment of $200 or 40,000 IHG One Rewards factors. Primarily based on TPG’s valuations, 40,000 IHG factors are value $200, so utilizing factors could possibly be worthwhile.

When you pay, you will get entry to Ambassador advantages for 12 months. So, it is smart to enroll shortly earlier than a keep. You’ll be able to 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 new member and renewal provides. For instance, IHG despatched me a suggestion by electronic 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.

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InterContinental Ambassador advantages

InterContinental Danang Solar Peninsula Resort in Vietnam. KATIE GENTER/THE POINTS GUY

InterContinental Ambassadors get the next advantages when staying at InterContinental motels and resorts:

Ambassador advantages at InterContinental Alliance Resorts

At InterContinental Alliance Resorts, Ambassadors solely get entry to the next advantages:

  • Complimentary water upon arrival (not replenished day by day).
  • One class room improve, topic to availability.

Ambassador advantages at Six Senses

Six Senses Yao Noi in Thailand. KATIE GENTER/THE POINTS GUY

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 principle restaurant.
  • A signature amenity as soon as per keep consisting of a complimentary 50-minute Six Senses Spa therapeutic massage for 2 or a neighborhood expertise. You will not get this amenity in the event you ebook a company or negotiated charge.
  • 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 helpful and should aid you justify shopping for a membership even in the event you solely have one Six Senses keep throughout your membership yr.

You will solely get these perks at collaborating Six Senses properties whenever you ebook straight with IHG, on the lodge 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

Kvosin Lodge in Iceland, bookable by means of IHG’s partnership with Mr & Mrs Smith. ANDREW KUNESH/THE POINTS GUY

At Mr & Mrs Smith properties that take part in IHG One Rewards, InterContinental Ambassadors get the next perks:

  • A Smith Additional (an extra reward 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 ebook straight with IHG.

Associated: One in all my favourite motels in Europe: A overview of the Mr & Mrs Smith Kvosin Lodge in Reykjavik

When are you eligible for Ambassador advantages?

Though you normally must ebook straight with IHG to obtain IHG One Rewards elite advantages, this is not all the time the case for Ambassador advantages. IHG solely excludes choose charges, similar to airline crew and worker reductions.

Nevertheless, there are a number of notable exceptions:

  • InterContinental motels 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.
  • It’s essential to ebook straight 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.

Associated: What to do when a lodge does not wish to honor your elite advantages

Advantages assure

InterContinental New York Instances Sq. in New York. KATIE GENTER/THE POINTS GUY

InterContinental Ambassadors are assured choose advantages. You could 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 provide the advantages assure throughout choose durations, although. These durations embrace:

  • New 12 months’s Eve.
  • Chinese language New 12 months in Larger China.
  • Ramadan and Hajj in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

You will not get entry to the IHG Ambassador advantages assure in the event you ebook by means of a third-party web site, tour operator, wholesaler or as a part of a bunch block or reservation.

Associated: How one can maximize redemptions with the IHG One Rewards program

Membership extension

InterContinental Hayman Island Resort in Australia. ERIC ROSEN/THE POINTS GUY

The InterContinental Ambassador program provides two sorts of membership extensions. Members can use every extension sort not more than as soon as per lifetime. Take into account that you’ll be able to’t use each extensions throughout the identical membership yr.

You’ll be able to ask for a two-month extension in the event you:

  • Have an lively membership.
  • Haven’t used a two-month extension previously.

You’ll be able to ask for a six-month extension in the event you’ve:

  • Maintained an lively membership for greater than a yr.
  • Haven’t beforehand used a six-month extension.

Nevertheless, these once-in-a-lifetime extensions will not apply to your complimentary weekend evening certificates.

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Is InterContinental Ambassador value it?

InterContinental Maldives Maamunagau Resort within the Maldives. KATIE GENTER/THE POINTS GUY

Do you have to enroll within the InterContinental Ambassador program? Not surprisingly, the reply relies on your journey habits. For many vacationers, it comes right down to the weekend evening profit.

Ambassador weekend evening profit

You need to enroll in the event you assume you will use the Ambassador weekend evening profit. Nevertheless, you do must ebook utilizing a particular charge, which normally is not the least costly. You’ll be able to test charges right here earlier than turning into an Ambassador member.

Pattern nightly pricing for a Friday by means of Sunday keep on the InterContinental Buckhead Atlanta in Georgia. IHG.COM

Suppose you do not make the most of the weekend evening profit. In that case, membership normally will not make sense until you regularly keep at InterContinental motels or have a number of Six Senses keep throughout your membership yr.

Contemplating different advantages

Should you’re nonetheless undecided, it is value contemplating how a lot worth the opposite advantages will present. Relying on how usually 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. Alternatively, the eating places and bars credit score for InterContinental stays exterior mainland China supplies a set worth for every keep.

You will additionally get IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite standing. You have already got this standing in case you have the IHG® Rewards Premier Credit score Card or the IHG® Rewards Premier Enterprise Credit score Card. Nevertheless, in the event you can not get one among these playing cards, getting Platinum Elite standing by means of Ambassador membership could possibly be a deciding issue.

Associated: Why you must get (and maintain) the IHG Rewards Premier card

What’s InterContinental Royal Ambassador?

InterContinental Danang Solar Peninsula Resort in Vietnam. KATIE GENTER/THE POINTS GUY

Royal Ambassador is an invite-only standing that IHG provides to pick out Ambassador members. IHG selects members primarily based on their qualifying exercise at InterContinental motels and resorts, although the precise qualification standards aren’t shared publicly.

Royal Ambassador advantages

Royal Ambassadors get the next advantages when staying at InterContinental motels and resorts:

  • Assured two-category room improve. Nevertheless, you’ll obtain a one-category improve in the event you ebook 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 in the event you apply a confirmable suite improve milestone reward to your keep.
  • Lounge entry at motels with a devoted Membership InterContinental lounge for the member and a visitor staying within the member’s room. If the lodge doesn’t function a devoted Membership InterContinental lounge, the member and one visitor will get a full breakfast in the principle restaurant every day (notice: selecting breakfast as a Diamond Elite welcome amenity is not going to get you greater than two breakfasts per day). This profit shouldn’t be assured at motels with no devoted lounge.
  • Assured early check-in of 10 a.m.
  • Assured late checkout of 4 p.m.
  • One complimentary weekend evening on the second evening of a paid keep when reserving the Ambassador Complimentary Weekend Evening charge 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.
  • Every 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 evening at an IHG lodge (excluding IHG Military Accommodations and Six Senses properties) bookable for 70,000 IHG factors or much less.

Associated: 7 methods to earn extra IHG One Rewards factors in your subsequent redemption

Backside line

InterContinental Ambassador standing is a must have for some vacationers. If you will get good worth from the complimentary weekend evening profit, it could be value enrolling even in the event you do not regularly keep at InterContinental motels and resorts.

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