IHG has today (June 18, 2020) updated its global Covid-19 reservation cancellation policy that is now valid for reservations made until August 31, 2020, if booked before April 6.
If you have stays booked on or after April 6, 2020, those are governed by the rate rules that you agreed during the reservation process (mostly flexible).
You can access IHG’s page for coronavirus here.
READ MORE: IHG Rewards Club Rate & Bonus Points And Miles Promotions
Here’s the updated policy:
Given the flexibility our guests and customers need right now we have implemented the following policies:
For bookings made prior to April 6, 2020:
Bookings made prior to April 6, 2020 at IHG hotels* can be changed or cancelled for stays up to August 31, 2020, noting that:
Important Information:
Hotels are subject to local law in the market in which they operate. Therefore, government legislation and regulations may supersede this policy in specific circumstances. (including the type and timing of the refund).
If you cancel a rate which required a deposit or payment in advance, we will do everything we can to process your refund as quickly as possible. Refunds (which may be vouchers where allowed by local law) may take up to 90 days for hotels to process from the date of cancellation. Reservations may be changed without a fee but may result in different pricing.
Exclusions may apply for time periods with special event restrictions or peak demand weeks.
Bookings via a third-party: For bookings made through an online booking platform (e.g. Booking.com, Expedia) or third-party travel professionals, please contact them directly – we have advised these companies of our cancellation policy and you should refer to their terms and conditions.
Groups & Meetings Bookings: We will work with customers to manage any changes needed to Group & Meeting bookings on a case by case basis. Our hotels are actively supporting groups and meetings organizers to address the needs of each group, including moving event dates to another time, in line with terms and conditions of that booking. Please contact the hotel the booking was made with to discuss further – If the hotel is unavailable, send an email to 1800meetings@ihg.com.
*Excludes hotels in all IHG hotels in Mainland China, Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR, and the Taiwan region. Cancellation fees for existing and new domestic bookings were eligible to be waived for stays up to April 30, 2020
*Exceptions apply at some Six Senses hotels – see the Six Senses website for details
To change or cancel a reservation visit Manage Your Stay or call our Reservations and Customer Care team.
We continue to monitor the evolving situation and will be keeping this policy under review.
For New Bookings:
We want to help you plan and book any future travel with confidence. So, we have several ways to support guests to amend travel plans as necessary:
Book Now, Pay Later: This new rate offers flexibility and savings. With no deposit required and cancellations possible up to 24 hours before your stay for direct bookings, travel planning is commitment free. Guests benefit from 5% or more off our Best Flexible Rate for bookings made up to September 3, 2020 for stays until December 30, 2020 (excluding Greater China).
Best Flexible Rate: This rate offers maximum flexibility to change or cancel your reservation. For direct bookings this rate can be fully changeable or refundable up to 6pm (local hotel time) on the day of arrival (dependent on the hotels’ individual house policy).
IHG Rewards Club Members Rates: Additional savings are available for IHG Rewards Club members on these Book Now, Pay Later and Best Flexible rates.
IHG Rewards Club nights: You can change or cancel these bookings with no penalty prior to the time period set by the hotel.
These rates, and others, have their own terms and conditions. This may include non-refundable pre-payment or other restrictions. Please refer to specific rate information when booking for further details – including cancellation terms. Changing the date on any reservations may result in different pricing.
Here are IHG’s other Covid-19 policies:
IHG has a new Clean Promise.
IHG Rewards Club extends tiers by a year and free nights too.
IHG Rewards Club One Year Member Tier & Free Night Extensions Due to Covid-19
IHG has extended Royal Ambassador and Inner Circle tiers by a year through January 2022.
IHG InterContinental Royal Ambassador & Kimpton Inner Circle Renewals Through January 2022
IHG has lowered elite tier requirements for 2020.
IHG Rewards Club Revised 2020 Elite Qualifying Criteria
IHG has extended Ambassador memberships for the second time.
InterContinental Ambassador Additional Extension May 28, 2020
IHG has waived points expiry through December 31, 2020.
IHG Rewards Club Points Expiry Waived Through December 31, 2020
IHG Rewards Club has launched a status extension policy for members whose account address is in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao, or Taiwan on or before February 17.
IHG Rewards Club Elite & Ambassador Status Extensions Due To Coronavirus
Conclusion
The updated policy applies for stays booked on or before April 6, 2020. Most of IHG’s rate plans currently available for bookings outside of Greater China should offer great flexibility. You should always check, however, the rate rules at the time of booking.
I am still not a fan of these “voucher” refunds, especially for hotels that are closed. It would be cleaner for everyone if all hotels would provide refunds.
