In addition to its One Rewards program, IHG has a separate paid membership InterContinental Ambassador designed exclusively for its luxury brands. The value of this membership is arguable, as you can already earn free breakfast and even club lounge access with One Rewards, however its true merit is unpublicised.
The Ambassador membership comes with complimentary One Rewards Platinum status. If you are already Diamond however, joining or renewing your membership has a certain chance of extending your Diamond status by another year.
It’s not guaranteed to work, and since it’s just an Easter egg you can’t complain to IHG if the trick fails. I just renewed my Ambassador online for £200 and it worked (again) like a charm, phewww!
(The bug has been around for at least five years, so it would be really naive to think that IHG isn’t aware.)
There are some rules of thumb though based on many real-life reports:
- Paying £200 at an InterContinental hotel directly, whether it’s a sign-up or renewal, stands a very high chance (if not 100%)
- Renewing online for £200 is also fairly probable
- Signing up online, whether for £200 or 40,000 points is the least likely option
When purchasing the membership at a hotel, since they get a commission you could possibly negotiate additional benefits (e.g. suite upgrade or lounge access) in the meantime.
Diamond members are entitled to free breakfast when staying at IHG hotels so it actually means something now, compared to the old Spire tier. If you have Diamond status but cannot requalify, it’s well worth considering booking an InterContinental hotel and purchasing the Ambassador membership there.
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