Update – Called IHG customer service. Spent one hour on the phone. 3rd agent offered the same points rate for the inferior alternative property 15 miles away. Couldn’t get a better offer after 2 more supervisors. Basically, I’m paying the same rate for a worse alternative.
You booked a stay using hotel loyalty points, and that hotel leaves the chain. Will your award reservation be honored? With SPG, Hyatt, Marriott, and Hilton, you have a good chance – perhaps requiring some effort. With IHG and Radisson, you can expect them to politely tell you to go f— yourself. That’s what’s happening to my reservation at Lodge at Eagle Crest in Oregon. It was part of IHG when I booked with points, and I just got word it’s leaving. IHG sent me an email saying they have involuntarily cancelled my reservation and returned my points, and I can call to beg for make alternative arrangements. The only other IHG property is a cookie cutter Holiday Inn Express 15 miles away and cost more on points. According to data points on Flyertalk, I can maybe get them to put me in that boring HIX, if I can convince the grumpy call center agent. Even that is hardly ideal though – the hotel I had booked at lower points (read more) is far superior. I had locked in flights months ago.
This isn’t the first time IHG has done this to me. They have relatively fewer low-category sweet spots, and those seem especially prone to leaving. IHG will tell you to pound sand in most cases.
Club Carlson (now Radisson Rewards) also did this to me. Actually, I never heard anything from them or from the hotel. The day before my stay, I logged in to find the reservation invalid. Only after I called did I discover the hotel had left the chain, and they wouldn’t honor the award booking. I ended up spending way more for alternative accommodation.
In a Nutshell
This is an example of when you’re at the mercy of the customer service culture of the company. At hotel programs with good customer service, they’ll likely go out of their way to take care of you (this has been my experience). At programs like IHG and Radisson that could care less, expect the middle finger.
Same thing happened to me with IHG. Prices doubled in Redmond, OR and after calls, e-mail and DM they still told me there was nothing they would do. Terrible customer service.
Happened to me with spg. They were actually great. As soon as it was announced the hotel was leaving I got an email, assuring that my reservation was still good but warning I wouldn’t earn any points for incidentials nor would any elite benefits be honored. Also offered to rebook at another spg hotel in area
Ended up staying at the hotel that left the program who was also great. Front desk agent noticed I was booked through spg, ask me what my status was, and when I said platinum gave me a room upgrade. Nice gesture
Funny I had the opposite. The former w St Petersburg left the chain and my reservation was cxld and we were offered the courtyard 4 miles out of the city center. Not exactly like for like
This is outrageous. Hit them HARD.
This happened to me as well, Upon further research, I see the property was sold in March 2018. Based on this date, IHG had ample time sending notification to its customers of possible changes but they did not. We had booked stays for next weekend and in September and now left high and dry. What horrible customer service and as a Platinum member I called to at least inquire about receiving extra points as compensation for our inconvenience but they politely replied with a no, but thank you for beibg a Platinum member. In other words they extended me the middle finger as well.
Vote with your feet/wallet. They’ll learn when people stop booking stays and # negative things on Twitter. Need to find a good example and have the media blow it up “IHG leaves Veteran and family with blind dog out in rain after refusing to honor reservation”
This literally just happened to me at the exact same property during the week of the 4th of July and they just notified me two days ago. After begging them to fix this they offered me an extra 15k in points. Gee thanks… We ended up paying $1,100 for our stay at Eagle Crest. I will never stay at another IHG property.
They should at least match the rate at the Bend HIX. Eagle Crest (grounds) is lovely but rack rate is expensive.
It’s vacation. We really didn’t want to stay at a HIX, but they offer to move us to that property as you suggested.
Exact thing happened to me at Lodge at Eagle Crest. Only by chance did I happen to check online to verify my reservation in July and found the hotel had left the chain. Never did receive any information from IHG. Would have been screwed to show up in July for my 5 night stay only to find it was no longer valid. Took me lots of time and multiple phone calls to IHG to get my points back.
IHG really dropped the ball on this..
Are you still going but staying at a different hotel, or give up the trip?