My wife and I have planned our next dream trip to the Maldives many months ago.
We’ll be flying business class purchased with miles and staying at the Conrad Hilton Maldives using points.
For our overnight before we fly out to the Conrad, we are staying at the Holiday Inn in Male on points.
Today I just received the following email:
We are contacting you regarding your upcoming Priority Club® Reward Night reservations listed below. Unfortunately, this hotel changed its management on November 22, 2010 and is unable to accommodate rewards night reservations past this date.
Location: Holiday Male, Male Island, Maldives
Check-in date: XXXXXXX
Number of nights: 1Confirmation number(s): XXXXXX
We will make every effort to arrange alternate accommodations for you at a nearby InterContinental Hotels Group property, where you may use your Priority Club Points. If you prefer, you may retain your existing reservation, pay for your stay, and have your points returned to your account. If you decide to cancel your reservation, and we are unable to make arrangements for you to use your points at another IHG property, we will immediately return your points to your account. Please contact our office at 1-800-462-6686 as soon as possible to make alternate arrangements for your lodging needs.
We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, and thank you for your patience and cooperation. We look forward to serving you in the future.
Sincerely,
Hotel Help Desk Specialist
Priority Club Rewards Service Center
IHG
InterContinental Hotels Group
It seems curious to me that a change in hotel management would invalidate all reward bookings going forward. They make it seem that there won’t be an opportunity to book a reward night in the future either. Also, you can tell that it’s a form letter as there are no other IHC properties in Male. Has this happened to anyone else?
@Chris – we only need the one night before heading off to the Hilton Conrad. Is the HI at Kandooma nearby?
I have stayed at that hotel and while nice… it’s not the best use of your points. Spending time in Male was a real disappointment. There is another HI at Kandooma resort to the south and it is also the same 15,000 points per night. It’s one of the best value places I have ever stayed in (I have used 40,000 points per night on lesser places). Forget HI Male…
By the way, they took about 9 months to refund my points for cancelled nights, even though it was well within the cancellation policy. Not a fan of HI Male.
Sounds like it’s time for Priority Club to just pay for the room, if they’re no longer affiliated.
Had a similar experience when the Hilton Tahiti closed. They transferred my reservation to another hotel and I was able to still use my points for that stay. I would push IHG to do the same.
This has happened with many hotel chains, a hotel is no longer a member of the chain and doesn’t accept points for reservations beyond the date on which it flew the chain’s flag.
Sucks, but pretty standard.
I’d push for Priority Club to buy you a room night at an unaffiliated hotel.
1. You earned your points with Priority Club, you redeemed those points, you held a confirmed reservation.
2. Your agreement was with Priority Club
3. You relied on Priority Club to deliver and made other paid plans on the basis of that reliance
4. Priority Club certainly has access to alternate lodging, after all they advertise Any Hotel, Anywhere!
As a matter of policy they’ll say no but then you’ll push them for an exception.
I haven’t dealt with Priority Club on this sort of thing but have seen Starwood pick up tab at alternative non-SPG hotels in this sort of scenario.
@Gary – thanks for the great advice.