IHG started to process InterContinental Royal Ambassador renewals in early December (read more here) when the renewal became visible on the online account statement, but no communication was sent to members until this week.
IHG changed Royal Ambassador benefits on January 2 (read more here) when the minibar credit was removed and replaced with 25 $20 F&B vouchers. The Royal Ambassador and Inner Circle emails also went out on the same day.
You can access IHG’s page for the Royal Ambassador program here.
READ MORE: IHG One Rewards Rate & Bonus Points Offers
InterContinental Royal Ambassador 2024 Welcome Email:
Kimpton Inner Circle 2024 Welcome Email:
Report Your Royal Ambassador 2024 Qualifications:
IHG InterContinental Royal Ambassador Upgrades & Renewals For 2024 (Share Yours)
Royal Ambassador Benefits Change:
IHG Removes InterContinental Royal Ambassador Minibar Benefit
Royal Ambassador Program Change Coverage:
IHG InterContinental Royal Ambassador Upgrades & Renewals For 2024 (Share Yours) (December 2023)
IHG InterContinental Royal Ambassador Renewals & Downgrade Emails For 2023 Have Gone Out (share Your Stats) (January 2023)
IHG InterContinental Royal Ambassador Renewals For 2023 (Share Your Stats) (December 2022)
IHG InterContinental Royal Ambassador Renewals & Invitations For 2021 Have Gone Out (December 2020)
IHG InterContinental Royal Ambassador & Kimpton Inner Circle Renewals Through January 2022 (April 2020)
IHG Rewards InterContinental Royal Ambassador & Kimpton Inner Circle Renewals Processed (December 2019)
InterContinental Royal Ambassador Renewals Processed January 4, 2018 (Post Your Numbers!) (January 2018)
InterContinental Royal Ambassador Renewal 2016 (September 2016)
InterContinental Royal Ambassador Qualification Requirements (& My Renewal) (September 2015)
UPDATE: InterContinental Royal Ambassador Qualification Requirements (Confirmed) (August 2015)
InterContinental Royal Ambassador Renewal October, 2014 (Mine) (October 2014)
InterContinental Royal Ambassador Requalification Requirement: Three Different InterContinental Hotels (July 2013)
Ambassador Or Royal Ambassador Renewal (Or Maybe Downgrade)? (May 2013)
InterContinental Royal Ambassador Renewal Requirement (September 2012)
Conclusion
InterContinental Royal Ambassador breakfast and lounge benefits have been, since 2022, part of IHG One Rewards status (Diamond – breakfast) or Milestone (Annual Lounge Pass at 40 or 70 nights) benefits.
The difference in stay benefits between Royal Ambassador and Diamond Ambassador members with Annual Lounge Pass is early check-in (Royal Ambassadors have 10 AM guaranteed) and two category upgrades versus one.
IHG has strengthened its IHG One Rewards loyalty program while at the same time watered down InterContinental Royal Ambassador benefits.
The complimentary minibar benefit that used to be unlimited, later cut down to a max of $200 per stay and $50 per day, and now entirely removed and replaced with 25 $20 F&B vouchers, was a unique feature of the Royal Ambassador program that none of the other programs had.
Diamond Ambassadors with an Annual Lounge Pass get the majority of the Royal Ambassadors benefits without having to stay at substandard properties (all chains have them) in the hopes of reaching the undisclosed minimum spent to get an invitation.
Let’s see how long IHG continues to run Ambassador/Royal Ambassador and Kimpton Inner Circle programs concurrent with IHG One Rewards.
