I paid $200 to renew Ambassador even though I rarely stay with InterContinental: Here’s why
The IHG One Rewards program has some beautiful InterContinental resorts, such as the InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort in Vietnam and the InterContinental Phuket Resort in Thailand. And there are many other aspirational InterContinental resorts, including the InterContinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa in French Polynesia, the InterContinental Hayman Island Resort in Australia and the InterContinental Maldives Maamunagau Resort in the Maldives.
There are also many urban InterContinental hotels, such as the InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown in California, the InterContinental Barcelona in Spain, the InterContinental Montreal in Canada and the InterContinental Paris Le Grand in France.
But, although I frequently stay at IHG hotels and resorts, I rarely stay at InterContinental properties. Even so, I recently paid $200 to renew my InterContinental Ambassador membership. Here's why.
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InterContinental Ambassador promotions
IHG occasionally offers promotions for members to enroll in InterContinental Ambassador or renew a soon-to-expire membership. When my Ambassador membership was set to expire in one month, I received an email from IHG offering me 15,000 bonus points if I paid $200 to renew before my membership expired.
TPG values IHG points at 0.5 cents each, so 15,000 IHG points are worth about $75. By paying $200 to renew my InterContinental Ambassador membership before it expired, the net cost of my renewal came to just $125.
You might not be targeted for this same promotion. But know that IHG occasionally offers other promotions for renewal or enrollment in its InterContinental Ambassador program. For example, when I first joined Ambassador in 2022, I earned 20,000 points after enrolling and completing two qualifying paid nights within a set time frame.
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You can get significant value from just 1 InterContinental stay
Buying an Ambassador membership could make sense before your next stay, even if you don't frequently stay at InterContinental hotels and resorts. After all, the guaranteed one-category room upgrade provided to Ambassador members can easily justify the $200 or 40,000-point enrollment fee on some stays.
For example, consider what the Ambassador one-category room upgrade could get you for a stay at the InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa. If you book a Pool View Pool Access room, the hotel should upgrade you to at least a Lagoon View room. As the cash difference between these room types is $96 per night, you'd recoup the $200 enrollment fee after just three nights (assuming you value the upgrade at this rate or higher).
You could also use the complimentary weekend night that comes with Ambassador status if you check in on a Friday or Saturday for a two-night stay or longer. The complimentary-weekend-night benefit provides a free night once per membership year when you book a stay of two nights or longer using the Ambassador complimentary weekend night rate.
Depending on where you stay, the complimentary-weekend-night benefit could save you enough money to justify the annual membership fee for Ambassador. For example, consider this two-night stay at the InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort in Vietnam. Without the complimentary weekend night, you'd pay $1,539.98 to book a flexible rate in a Classic Ocean View room.
With the complimentary weekend night, you'd pay a slightly higher nightly rate, but your two-night total cost would be $828.80 for the same room type and cancellation policy.
Ambassador members also get other valuable perks when staying at InterContinental hotels and resorts, including guaranteed 4 p.m. late checkout and a food and beverage credit of up to $20 per stay.
However, the value you'll get from InterContinental Ambassador will depend on the specifics of your stay. If you redeem points or free nights to stay at InterContinental properties, note that Ambassador room upgrades aren't guaranteed on these stays and are subject to availability. So, you may still find yourself stuck in the resort's worst room, as we did for a night at the InterContinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa.
Related: 7 ways to earn more IHG One Rewards points for your next redemption
InterContinental Ambassador perks at Six Senses
Six Senses fits my preferred style of luxury better than InterContinental. So I'm thrilled that InterContinental Ambassador also offers the following perks at Six Senses properties that participate in IHG One Rewards:
- Complimentary breakfast for two in the main restaurant each day.
- Signature amenity of a complimentary 50-minute Six Senses Spa massage for two or a local experience once per stay.
- Wellness platter welcome amenity on the day of arrival.
- Complimentary one-category room upgrade (subject to availability).
- Late 4 p.m. checkout (subject to availability).
- Early 10 a.m. check-in (subject to availability).
Based on my experiences at Six Senses Laamu in the Maldives and Six Senses Yao Noi in Thailand, the complimentary 50-minute Six Senses Spa massage for two can provide more than $200 of value. And the space-available one-category upgrade could put you in a room with a better view, more space or elevated amenities.
In short, if you like the Six Senses brand, you may want to buy an InterContinental Ambassador membership even if you never stay at an InterContinental hotel or resort. The signature amenity on just one Six Senses stay will likely provide enough value to justify the cost of an Ambassador membership.
However, you must book directly with IHG, at the hotel or via an authorized travel agent to get Ambassador perks at qualifying Six Senses properties. This is worth noting since you can get Ambassador perks at most InterContinental properties regardless of how you book.
Related: How to maximize redemptions with the IHG One Rewards program
Bottom line
InterContinental Ambassador membership isn't for every traveler. But don't assume it isn't for you just because you don't frequently stay at InterContinental hotels and resorts. Between the renewal promotion, guaranteed one-category room upgrade at InterContinental properties, complimentary weekend night and benefits at participating Six Senses hotels and resorts, I decided Ambassador membership was worth renewing this year.
There are also additional InterContinental Ambassador perks that I didn't discuss in this article because they didn't play a role in my decision to renew. For example, I didn't discuss getting IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite status as an Ambassador perk because I get this status as a benefit of my cobranded IHG credit card. But travelers who don't want, or aren't eligible for, the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card or the IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card may find this Ambassador perk compelling.