Update: Should I Pay for Ambassador Status?

Earlier this week, I wrote a post asking for people's opinion on paying for Intercontinental Ambassador Status.

I never though I would ever get the responses I did. One of my goals of this blog is to ask questions of those who are smarter than me. For that reason, I am going share some of the responses I got.  Much thanks to @InterConHotels for retweeting my question. 

Here is a direct link to the article that Head for Points talked about. Head for Points is a great UK based blog that is a must read even if you live in the US. 

@Svenluckermans left the following detailed comment on the blog post:

I would like to thank everyone who gave me there insight: 

@thepointsguy, @Svenluckermans, @loyaltylobby, @patmikel, @josephamay, @hulagrll210

Conclusion:

After reviewing all the comments, Ambassador Status makes sense if you are going to have at least 3 paid stays at Intercontinental Hotels. Upgrades have been report on award stays, but they aren't guaranteed. The BOGO weekend cert can make up for the $200 enrollment fee, but some say the cost of the first night might be more than paying for 2 nights.

What am I thinking about paying for Ambassador Status?

I am leaning towards yes. I know that I have at least 2 paid stays at Intercontinental Hotels in the next year; however, $200 is alot of money. If I do apply for Ambassador Status, I think I might use points, as I just earn quite a few from a recent stay. 

Are you thinking of getting Ambassador Status? If so, points or cash?

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Should I Pay For Ambassador Status?

In the next 6 months, I have a few paid stays at Intercontinental hotels. As some of you might know and others probably don't, Holiday Inn and Intercontinental Hotels are owned by the same hotel chain: IHG or Intercontinental Hotel Group.

IHG has two loyalty programs: IHG Reward Club and Intercontinental Ambassador. The reward club covers the lower level hotels.

I currently have Platinum Status due to having the Priority Club Visa. Platinum status gets me a variety of benefits:

The Ambassador Program is devoted specifically to Intercontinental Hotels.

Unlike the IHG Reward Club, you can't really earn status in the Ambassador Program. Instead, you need to pay a $200 membership fee or 32,000 points or be invited to join the program.

The benefits of being an Ambassador are:

I come back to the main question of the post: do I pay to join the ranks of Ambassador?

Follow-up question: pay cash or use points?

My searches online have come up with mixed results. Some people wholly endorse paying for Ambassador status stating great upgrades. Others state that the status is absolutely useless.

Have you had success with Intercontinental Ambassador Status? Is it worth the money?


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 Follow us on Twitter @doit4thepoints! Have a question for me? E-mail me at jd@doitforthepoints.com