InterContinental Royal Ambassador Benefits Update: Lounge Access Exclusions!

Mar 29, 2017

InterContinental Ambassador program recently made lounge access universal benefit for all Royal Ambassador members along with two category confirmed upgrade (certain suites excluded).

IHG Rewards Club has now updated the Ambassador program Terms and conditions. Lounge access is no longer guaranteed benefit all the time at all the properties.

You can access InterContinental Ambassador here.

Here’s the update on Royal Ambassador (now not so) guaranteed lounge access benefit:

Complimentary Club InterContinental has the following exceptions: at InterContinental London Park Lane, complimentary access to Club InterContinental is not available on the following dates: 17 June – 9 September 2017 and 22 December 2017 – 4 January 2018.

Remember when the Ambassador/Royal Ambassador suite exclusion list was short? These were excluded from the upgrades back in January 2014:

InterContinental Hong Kong: Signature Suites (Terrace Suite, CEO Suite, Presidential Suite)
InterContinental Park Lane: Signature Suites
InterContinental Sydney: Australia Suite, State Suite and Governor Suites

And here’s the current list:

InterContinental Hong Kong: Signature Suites (Terrace Suite, CEO Suite, Presidential Suite)
InterContinental Hong Kong Grand Stamford: Presidential Suite
InterContinental Park Lane: Signature Suites
InterContinental Sydney: Australia Suite, State Suite and Governor Suites
InterContinental Sydney Double Bay: Royal Suite, Deluxe Bayview Suites
InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort: Penthouse, Beach Villa, Rock Villa, 2 bed Rock Villa, Sun Peninsula Residence 2 bed, Sun Peninsula Residence 3 bed and Royal Residence
InterContinental San Francisco: Bay Suite, Terrace Suite, Presidential Suite
InterContinental Athenaeum Athens: Presidential Suite
InterContinental Adelaide: King Diplomatic Suite and King Presidential Suite.
InterContinental Moscow Tverskaya: Duncan – Premier Suite, Nizhinsky – Presidential Suite and Ulanova – Royal Suite.
InterContinental Amstel Amsterdam: Presidential Suite (includes Executive Presidential Suite, Executive Presidential Twin room & Executive Presidential Junior Suite), Dom Perignon Suite (includes Executive Dom Perignon Suite & Executive Dom Perignon Junior Suite).
InterContinental Berlin: Presidential Suite, Diplomatic Suite and Park Suite
InterContinental Times Square: Penthouse Suite and all Manhattan Suites.
InterContinental Geneva: Panoramic Suites, Presidential and Diplomatic Residences and The Residence.
InterContinental Asiana Saigon: The Presidential Suite.
InterContinental Buckhead: Grand Suite, Royal Suite, Ambassador Suite and Presidential Suite
InterContinental The Willard Washington D.C – Thomas Jefferson Suite, George Washington Suite and John Adams Suite
InterContinental Johannesburg O.R Tambo Airport – Presidential Suites
InterContinental Los Angeles Century City at Beverley Hills – Royal Suite, Presidential Suite, Elite Honeymoon, Elite Residence, Premier, Premier Suites with Terrace
InterContinental Los Angeles Century City: Royal Suite, Presidential Suite, Elite Honeymoon Suite and Premier Suite with Terrace
InterContinental Wellington – Presidential Suite
InterContinental Singapore – Presidential Suite, Ambassador Suite, Royal Suite
InterContinental Samui Baan Taling Ngam Resort – Club Napa Reserve 3 bedroom Residence
InterContinental Nha Trang – Presidential Suite
InterContinental Bangkok – Royal Suites, Diplomatic Suites, Ambassador Suites, Executive Suites, Premier Suites
InterContinental Koh Samui – Club Napa Reserve 3 Bedroom Residence
InterContinental Fiji – Natadola Suite
InterContinental Sanya Haitang Bay Resort – InterContinental Superior Suite, Family Suite, Premier Ocean View Suite, InterContinental Grand Ocean View Suite, InterContinental Ocean Front Villa, InterContinental Family Villa
InterContinental Estoril – Ocean View Suites
InterCOntinental Lisbon – Presidential Suite, Panoramic Suite
InterContinental Hanoi Westlake – Presidential Suite, Premium 1,2 and 3 bed Residence
InterContinental Lijiang Ancient Town Resort – Superior Suite
Athenaeum InterContinental – Presidential Suite
InterContinental Melbourne Rialto – Iconic Suites, Signature Suites
InterContinental Dusseldorf – Presidential Suite, Lifestyle Suite
InterContinental Madrid – King Dali Club Suite Castellana View, King Bed Miro Club Suite with terrace, King Bed Picasso Club Luxury Suite, Royal Suite
InterContinental Cairo CityStars – 2 and 3 Bedroom Residence Suite, Penthouse Residence Suite, 2 Bedroom Signature Suite, Royal Suite, Karnak Suite, Luxor Suite
InterContinental OR Tambo Airport Hotel – Presidential Suites
InterContinental Vienna – Presidential Suite
InterContinental Frankfurt – Presidential Suite
Presidente InterContinental Mexico City – Master Suites (Leonora Carrington, Remedios Varo, Alberto Gironella and José Guadalupe Posada) Presidential Suites (José Clemente Orozco, David Alfaro Siqueiros and Diego Rivera)
InterContinental Shenzen – King Bed Club Chinese Theme Suite, King Bed Club Duplex Suite (King Club Terrace Suite), Presidential Suite
InterContinental Budapest – Presidential Suite, Executive Suites
InterContinental Malta – Duplex Suite, Ambassador Suite, Penthouse, Presidential Suite
InterContinental London – The O2 – The Penthouse, 1 Bed Club InterContinental Suite, 2 Bed Club InterContinental Suite
InterContinental Qingdao – Presidential Suite, Deluxe Aqua Suite Ocean View, Aqua Suite Ocean View, Executive Suite Ocean View, Aqua Deluxe King Ocean View
InterContinental Shanghai Puxi – Club Suites
InterContinental Bali Resort – Uluwatu, Jimbaran, Bukit Suite, Imperial Villa, Jivana Villa
InterContinental Grand Seoul Parnas – Residence King, Club Residence Suites, Club Mountain Suites
InterContinental Seoul Coex – Business Suites, Corner Suites, Club Corner Suites, Ambassador Suite, Presidential Suite
InterContinental Pattaya – Baan Sai Chol 1 bed Pool Villa, Baan Sai Nam 2 bed Pool Villa
InterContinental ANA Tokyo – Imperial Suite, Presidentail Suite, Japanese Suite, Executive Suite
InterContinental Osaka – Deluxe Suite, 2 bed Residence Superior, 2 bed Residence Deluxe, 2 bed residence Premium, 3 bed Residence Premium
InterContinental Dubai Festival City – Signature Suite, Presidential Suite, Royal Suite
All InterContinental Residence Suites properties: Ambassador and Royal Ambassador room upgrades are not applicable. All other benefits apply.

Conclusion

I believe that the slippery slope when it comes to Royal Ambassador lounge access benefit that just begun has started. I would assume that InterContinental Hong Kong is soon added to the list where lounge access benefit is excluded on certain or all days.

InterContinental Park Lane has always been bad when it comes to Royal Ambassador benefits (Hong Kong property too). Last month, I got hit with the bed bugs (read more here).

If they really have problem with lounge capacity breakfast could be offered at their main restaurant, afternoon tea at their lobby cafe and happy hour at the bar. Problem solved! But no. They rather ban Royal Ambassador members accessing their “benefits”.