IHG Rewards Club has again updated its terms and conditions without notifying members.
This isn’t the big change to points-earning they snuck in just before the clock struck midnight on the New Year.
Instead it’s a change to how they reward meeting planners and corporate bookers. Roughly speaking it appears they’re aping what Starwood has done with SPG Pro but they’ve updated their terms and conditions without telling members.
They’ve removed the section on IHG Meeting Rewards entirely although there are still stray references to the program 3 times throughout the terms.
Here’s what the section on Meeting Rewards used to say:
IHG ® MEETING REWARDS The IHG ® Meeting Rewards program is available at hotels in the IHG Family of Brands excluding properties in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, India and Southwest Asia. Membership in the IHG ® Meeting Rewards program, the awarding of points, the redemption of awards and participation in IHG ® Meeting Rewards program are void when prohibited by law and subject to any applicable government regulations. IHG ® Rewards Club Membership Terms and Conditions apply. Meeting Planner: Meeting Planner must be a member of, or enroll in, IHG ® Rewards Club and be designated as a Meeting Planner by IHG ® Rewards Club to participate in the IHG ® Meeting Rewards program. Earning Points with IHG ® Meeting Rewards: Meeting planners can earn IHG ® Rewards Club points for planning Qualified Meetings at hotels in the IHG Family of Brands excluding properties in Europe, the Middle East and Africa., unless prohibited by their employer, by becoming a member of the IHG ® Meeting Rewards program, subject to the IHG ® Meeting Rewards program’s full Terms and Conditions, which may be obtained at www.ihgrewardsclub.com/meetingrewards or by contacting a IHG ® Rewards Club Service Center . Meeting Planners must indicate that they wish to participate in IHG ® Meeting Rewards program prior to signing the Sales or Catering/Banqueting Contract and must provide their IHG ® Meeting Rewards membership number, which may be obtained by enrolling at www.ihgrewardsclub.com/meetingrewards or by contacting a IHG ® Rewards Club Service Center . IHG ® Rewards Club points will not be retroactively credited for previously booked and/or held meetings or catering/ banqueting events. Qualified Meeting: The IHG ® Meeting Rewards program is available at InterContinental and Crowne Plaza hotels only in conjunction with meetings of ten or more paid guest rooms for at least one night of the event and must include qualified catered/banqueting events directly associated with a meeting, booked and held within the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Latin America, Caribbean and Asia Pacific (excluding properties in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, India and Southwest Asia). The IHG ® Meeting Rewards program is available at Candlewood Suites and Staybridge Suites hotels only in conjunction with meetings of ten or more paid guest rooms for at least 5 consecutive nights, booked and held within the U.S., Canada, Mexico or Caribbean. The IHG ® Meeting Rewards program is available at Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express and Hotel Indigo hotels only in conjunction with meetings of ten or more paid guest rooms for at least one night of the event, booked and held within the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Latin America or Caribbean. All negotiated group room rates associated with a IHG ® Meeting Rewards meeting are considered a qualified rate under the IHG ® Rewards Club program. Earning Schedule: Planner will earn three (3) IHG ® Rewards Club points for every $1USD spent on negotiated group guest room rates for Qualified Meetings and other Qualified Meeting Charges, exclusive of Excluded Meeting Charges. Earn a maximum of 60,000 points through IHG ® Meeting Rewards per qualified meeting or group event. Qualified Meeting Charges – attendee guest room rates, meeting food and beverages and meeting room rental. Excluded Meeting Charges any associated taxes, gratuities, service fees, any outside vendor/supplier charges, and any attendee incidentals or other expenses. IHG ® Rewards Club points will be credited to the Meeting Planner’s member account 6–8 weeks after the qualifying meeting has been held and paid for in accordance with the sales and catering contract with the hotel. Planner does not need to attend the meeting or catered/banqueting event to take advantage of the IHG ® Meeting Rewards program. However, to be eligible to claim IHG ® Rewards Club points in conjunction with the meeting, a Meeting Planner must be employed, or contracted, by the sponsoring company or organization at the time that the meeting is actually held. Planner may earn up to 60,000 IHG ® Rewards Club points for each Qualified Meeting, including applicable meeting catering/banqueting expenses at hotels in the IHG Family of Brands excluding properties in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Two or more meetings held by the same organization over the same date(s) or consecutive dates at the same hotel will be considered one meeting or catering/banqueting event. IHG ® Rewards Club points for a single meeting/event may be divided between up to two IHG ® Rewards Club Meeting Planners. The earning of IHG ® Rewards Club points for individual travel in conjunction with the IHG ® Meeting Rewards program is subject to the Membership Terms and Conditions of the IHG ® Rewards Club program. Meeting attendees will not earn IHG ® Rewards Club program points during their group stay if their individual room bill is paid through a Master Account. IHG ® Rewards Club Meeting Credits (Redemption Item): IHG ® Rewards Club Meeting Credits are available in the form of a Prepaid Card as a redemption item exclusively for Meeting Planners, unless prohibited by their employers. IHG ® Rewards Club Meeting Credits are valid for payment at any hotels in the IHG Family of Brands hotel worldwide. IHG ® Rewards Club Meeting Credits can not be redeemed for cash. Prepaid Card terms and conditions apply. Meeting credits available in US and Canada only. IHG ® Meeting Rewards Elite Status: IHG ® Meeting Rewards Gold membership will be awarded after your first qualified meeting is posted to your account during a calendar year, or if you earn at least 20,000 Elite Qualifying Points during a calendar year, or if you have a minimum of 15 nights at Qualifying Rates during a calendar year. A Qualifying Rate includes the following: non-discounted rate, standard corporate rate, worldwide sales negotiated rate, national/regional/local government rate and specified leisure rates as confirmed by the IHG HOLIDEX ® Plus reservation system. IHG ® Meeting Rewards Platinum membership will be awarded after your second qualified meeting is posted to your account or if you earn at least 60,000 Elite Qualifying Points during a calendar year, or have a minimum of 50 nights at Qualifying Rates. Once you have earned Elite membership status in any calendar year, you will maintain such status through the end of the following calendar year. You must re-qualify each calendar year for the next year’s Elite membership status. IHG ® Meeting Rewards points accrued for qualified meetings are Elite Qualifying Points and are counted towards membership elite status qualification. Gold and Platinum Elite bonus points will not be earned in conjunction with IHG ® Rewards Club points earned for IHG ® Meeting Rewards. The following benefits are available for personal travel only and do not apply to Meeting bookings: BONUS POINTS: IHG ® Rewards Club Gold members will receive a 10% elite bonus on all base points earned during the period in which they are IHG ® Rewards Club Gold members. IHG ® Rewards Club Platinum members will receive a 50% elite bonus on all base points earned during the period in which they are IHG ® Rewards Club Platinum members. Elite bonus points accrued on Base points from qualifying stays are Non-Elite Qualifying Points and do not count towards elite qualification. Future bonus/benefits for Gold and Platinum members may vary. Gold and Platinum level bonus points are credited only to members who choose to collect IHG ® Rewards Club points. Bonus points for Gold and Platinum members apply only on the base points collected by a member and not on any additional points received due to a special offer or promotion. HOTEL ROOM UPGRADES FOR PLATINUM MEMBERS: Platinum level members will be offered a complimentary upgrade, as determined by the hotel, which might include rooms on higher floors, corner rooms, newly renovated rooms, or rooms with preferred views. The upgrade will be offered at time of check-in, based on availability, and will only apply to the member’s personal guest room. The hotel is not required to upgrade members to suites or specialty rooms. Upgrade benefit will not apply to rooms booked as a Reward Night reservation. GUARANTEED ROOM AVAILABILITY FOR PLATINUM MEMBERS: When contacting the IHG ® Rewards Club Service Center directly and guaranteeing the reservation with a valid credit card, each Platinum level member will be guaranteed one room for personal use, for reservations made at least 72 hours prior to the date of arrival, except during special events that result in extraordinary room demand, as determined solely by the hotel. The member will not be charged more than the prevailing rate for the accommodation requested, and the member is not entitled to a rate less than the prevailing rate. Once made, Platinum Guarantees may not be dishonored for any reason. If the member does not arrive and has not obtained a cancellation number prior to 6 p.m. (4 p.m. in Europe), the credit card may be billed for one night’s room and tax. Platinum Guarantees do not apply to Reward Nights. A minimum stay duration requirement may apply at select Holiday Inn Club Vacations locations. IHG reserves the right to alter or withdraw this Program at any time. By participating, Meeting Planners agree to release, discharge and hold harmless IHG, its advertising and promotion agencies, their respective parent companies, affiliates, subsidiaries, and their directors, officers, agents and employees from all claims or damages arising out of any use or misuse of this Program by Meeting Planners.
This has been replaced by new sections on IHG Business Rewards with separate terms and conditions for China and for the rest of the world.
IHG® Business Rewards Terms and Conditions (Greater China)
The IHG® Business Rewards program is operated by Six Continents Hotels, Inc. (SCH) as part of the IHG® Rewards Club program and is designed to award IHG® Rewards Club points to corporate bookers, business travel agents or individual bookers for Qualifying Spend at Participating Hotels subject to the following IHG® Business Rewards terms and conditions. Participation in IHG® Business Rewards is also subject to the general IHG® Rewards Club terms and conditions including, without limitation, the terms and conditions governing points redemption and rewards.
MEMBERSHIP
Membership in IHG® Business Rewards is available to individuals who are either corporate bookers, business travel agents or individual bookers subject to the following conditions. A corporate booker is an individual who books Qualifying Spend at Participating Hotels for and on behalf of his or her employer for business purposes. A business travel agent is an individual with an IATA number who books Qualifying Spend at Participating Hotels for and on behalf of his or her clients for business purposes and who does not have an override agreement with any IHG company. An individual booker is an individual who books Qualifying Spend at Participating Hotels on their own behalf. Companies and/or other entities cannot enroll. Business travel agents that have an override agreement with any IHG company cannot enroll.
For the residents in Greater China (including Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan), the IHG® Business Rewards enrolls members by invitation. To become a Member, individuals who receive and accept the enrollment invitation must confirm acceptance of IHG® Business Rewards terms and conditions and the IHG® Rewards Club terms and conditions on the IHG® Business Rewards website. Points cannot be earned until registration as a Member including acceptance of these terms and conditions is complete.
Members must be at least 18 years of age and have reached the age of majority where they reside.
Enrollment as a Member of IHG® Business Rewards will include enrolling as a member of IHG® Rewards Club (if not already enrolled).
SCH may cancel any individual’s membership in IHG® Business Rewards and IHG® Rewards Club and revoke any and all unredeemed points collected by a Member for reasons including, but not limited to: violation of the terms and conditions of IHG® Business Rewards or IHG® Rewards Club (including paragraph 4 “Membership Cancellation” of the IHG® Rewards Club Membership General Terms and Conditions); misrepresentation of any information provided in connection with IHG® Business Rewards or IHG® Rewards Club; violation of any national, state or local law or regulation in connection with the use of membership benefits; failure to pay for hotel charges; commission of fraud or abuse involving any portion of IHG® Business Rewards or IHG® Rewards Club; more than one active account per Member; or action, in any other way, to the detriment of the IHG® Business Rewards program, as may be determined by SCH in its sole discretion. Cancellation hereunder will be effective immediately, by notice by mail or email to the member concerned to the street address or email address provided by the Member.
Members may cancel their membership in IHG® Business Rewards by written notice (including email) to IHG® Rewards Club [Customer Care] Center. Members may cancel their membership in IHG® Business Rewards without cancelling their membership in IHG® Rewards Club, but must remain a Member of IHG® Rewards Club to be a Member of IHG® Business Rewards.
LEGAL COMPLIANCE AND ANTI-BRIBERY
Participation in IHG® Business Rewards and earning or redeeming points is void when prohibited by law (including, for the avoidance of doubt, United Kingdom and United States anti-bribery laws which apply internationally) and is subject to any other applicable laws and regulations.
Some employers, by policy, may prohibit or restrict employee participation in IHG® Business Rewards and SCH assumes no responsibility or liability for compliance with such policies. Members are responsible for complying with any applicable terms and conditions of their employment, their employer’s internal policies and procedures or any other rules or regulations to which they are subject.
For corporate bookers and business travel agents, participation in IHG® Business Rewards requires prior approval of Member’s employer. Members are responsible for obtaining such prior approval and by accepting these terms and conditions during the online registration process members are confirming that their employer has consented to their participation in IHG® Business Rewards. In addition, for business travel agents shall disclose his/her participation in IHG® Business Rewards when booking Qualifying Spend at Participating Hotels for and on behalf of his or her clients for business purposes. Corporate bookers and business travel agents may at his/her discretion present the employer’s approval and business travel agents’ disclosure to SCH respectively which shall be sent to [ihgbrregistration.cn@ihg.com]. SCH may require the employer’s approval or business travel agents’ disclosure to clients in writing to be produced for verification upon demand at any time as a condition of becoming or continuing as a Member and SCH reserves the right to cancel the Membership of those Members who cannot produce such written approval or disclosure. Members agree to indemnify and hold harmless SCH and its affiliates from any liability, costs and damages relating to the claims of any third party arising from a failure of a Member to obtain prior approval of their employer to participate in IHG® Business Rewards.
Members who change their employer must (a) update their contact details online (b) obtain the prior approval of their new employer to participate in IHG® Business Rewards and (c) provide any further information requested by SCH in accordance with paragraph 9 above. For the avoidance of doubt, these terms and conditions are personal to the Member and shall apply in full to the Member irrespective of any change of employer.
PARTICIPATING HOTELS
IHG® Business Rewards is available for Qualifying Spend at Participating Hotels. The list of Participating Hotels is available on the IHG® Business Rewards website. Click here to view the list of [Participating Hotels]. The list of Participating Hotels may be amended at any time without prior notice at SCH’s sole discretion.
QUALIFYING SPEND
Qualifying Spend includes all spend on guest rooms, meetings and events, conference rooms, food and beverage service linked to meetings and conferences, and all-inclusive meeting packages, all subject to these terms and conditions, including without limitation paragraphs 13 – 17 hereafter.
Unless agreed otherwise at the discretion of the relevant Participating Hotel or unless specifically agreed otherwise in the special negotiated rate, Qualifying Spend excludes any spend which is made in accordance with a special negotiated rate including, without limitation, global negotiated rates and local negotiated rates and any reduced rates listed in the IHG® Rewards Club terms and conditions as not eligible for points (section: Limits on Points for Stays).
Qualifying Spend excludes all spend by or through business travel agents with an override agreement with any IHG company.
Unless agreed otherwise at the discretion of the relevant Participating Hotel, points cannot be earned in IHG® Business Rewards in conjunction with any other special offers/promotions outside of the IHG® Business Rewards program.
Qualifying Spend on guest rooms only includes guest rooms which a Member books for others. It excludes spend on Member’s own guest room.
Qualifying Spend does not include any taxes, gratuities, service fees, outside vendor/supplier charges, any attendee incidentals including individual meals and beverages or other expenses and any leisure spend.
EARNING POINTS
Members will earn three (3) IHG® Rewards Club points for every $1 USD dollar or local currency equivalent paid towards Qualifying Spend at Participating Hotels subject to these Terms and Conditions, including without limitation paragraphs 19 – 27 hereafter. Points will be rounded up to the nearest whole number of points. IHG® Rewards Club points earned under the IHG® Business Rewards Program are considered Elite Qualifying Points which count towards IHG® Rewards Club membership elite status. Elite Gold and Platinum bonus points cannot be earned on IHG® Rewards Club points earned through the IHG® Business Rewards Program.
Points may only be earned once in IHG® Business Rewards for any Qualifying Spend and the Member who made the booking directly through IHG central reservation offices, IHG web sites or directly with the Participating Hotel will be eligible for the points. Corporate bookers and individual bookers cannot earn points for bookings made through a travel agent, whether online or offline. In the event of a dispute between Members who claim points for the same Qualifying Spend, SCH will decide in its sole discretion to which Member points are allocated and in which proportion. This decision will be final and binding on the Members concerned.
Up to two Members may agree to share points for Qualifying Spend on a meeting/event.
Meeting/event attendees will not earn IHG® Rewards Club points for their stay if their individual room bill is paid through a master account.
Unless varied by the terms and conditions of any applicable promotions, a maximum of 60,000 points can be earned on any meeting/event, including all guest room bookings and other Qualifying Spend linked to such meeting/event. Two or more meetings/events held by the same organization over the same date(s) or consecutive dates at the same hotel will be considered one meeting/event.
In respect of bookings made directly with the Participating Hotel, Members must notify the relevant Participating Hotel that they wish to earn IHG® Business Rewards points on any Qualifying Spend prior to making the booking for the relevant guest rooms, meetings or events and must provide their IHG® Business Rewards membership number.
Points will be credited to the Member’s account within 45 days from the date the meeting, event or stay related to the Qualifying Spend has been held provided that it has been paid for in accordance with the relevant sales and catering contract with the Participating Hotel.
Points or rewards received through participation in IHG® Business Rewards may be subject to tax liability. All tax liability, including and without limitation, disclosure / reporting to tax authorities connected with the receipt and/or use of points or rewards, is the responsibility of Member.
Members who believe that their account activity is inaccurate should in the first instance contact the relevant hotel. If they are unable to resolve the query with the hotel they must contact the IHG® Business Rewards [Customer Care] Center. Points adjustments will not be made more than 60 days after the statement date. Members must keep all hotel receipts and invoices for their records, as they will be required for point adjustment requests.
Points are not redeemable for cash or any other form of credit and have no value until presented for redemption in accordance with these terms and conditions and the IHG® Rewards Club terms and conditions.
REWARDS
Redemption of points for rewards is subject to the general IHG® Rewards Club Membership Terms and Conditions.
In the US and Canada only, IHG® Rewards Club Meeting Credits are available in the form of a Prepaid Card as a redemption item exclusively for IHG® Business Rewards Members, unless prohibited by their employers. IHG® Rewards Club Meeting Credits are valid for payment at any hotels in the IHG Family of Brands hotel worldwide. IHG® Rewards Club Meeting Credits cannot be redeemed for cash. Prepaid Card terms and conditions apply. Use of Meetings Credits will not count as Qualifying Spend under the IHG® Business Rewards program.
PRIVACY POLICY
Any personal data (including but not limited to Member’s name, mailing address, telephone number and email address) provided by a Member when enrolling in or otherwise provided in connection with their Membership in IHG® Business Rewards will be stored electronically and used for administration of the Program. Member’s personal data (i) shall be processed by SCH, in its capacity of data controller, by its subsidiaries, affiliates, Participating Hotels including franchised hotels, or third-party service providers in connection with administration of IHG® Business Rewards and (ii) may be transferred worldwide between such subsidiaries, affiliates, Participating Hotels including franchised hotels, third-party service providers and our business partners in the banking, airline, food and beverage, and retail industries.
SCH and any of its subsidiaries or affiliates may contact Member for marketing purposes by mail, fax, telephone (including automated calls), text message or email.
If Member has any questions or concerns regarding their personal data, Member may contact InterContinental Hotels Group, Attn: Privacy Office, Three Ravinia Drive, Atlanta, Georgia 30346 U.S.A., Phone: 1-770-604-8347, Fax: 1-770-604-5275, Email: privacyoffice@ihg.com
PROGRAM AVAILABILITY AND CHANGES TO TERMS AND CONDITIONS
SCH reserves the right to restrict, suspend, discontinue or cancel IHG® Business Rewards or to change, limit, modify or cancel IHG® Business Rewards Terms and Conditions, benefits, conditions of participation, rewards and rewards levels in whole or in part at any time, including terminating the IHG® Business Rewards program. Any such changes will be shown in these Terms and Conditions on the [IHG® Rewards Club] website and will be effective immediately unless stated otherwise. A notice that a change has been made will be placed on the web site for a reasonable period of time. Any changes to any printed version of the Terms and Conditions will be contained in the next reprinting of that printed version. SCH will attempt to notify Members of major program changes, but will not be liable for failure to do so. All Members will be bound by any such changes, cancellation or termination. In the event of termination of IHG® Business Rewards, points already earned will remain subject to the IHG® Rewards Club terms and conditions.
Member is responsible for keeping up-to-date their details held in the IHG® Business Rewards system. Any notices and communications that are to be sent directly to Members according to these terms and conditions will be sent to the email address or other contact details which Member has registered in the IHG® Business Rewards system.
GENERAL
The IHG® Business Rewards program is operated by Six Continents Hotels, Inc., Three Ravinia Drive, Suite 100, Atlanta, GA 30346-2121 U.S.A. and is administered on its behalf by an appropriate IHG company. The rights and obligations of SCH under the IHG® Business Rewards program may be assigned or transferred by SCH to any other related or unrelated entity at any time, and performance thereafter shall be the responsibility of that entity.
Program violations, fraud or abuse are subject to appropriate administrative and/or legal action by appropriate governmental authorities and by SCH including, without limitation, the forfeiture of all points transfers, rewards, vouchers, or merchandise issued pursuant to point redemptions and any accrued points in your account, as well as cancellation of Member’s account and future participation in IHG® Business Rewards.
By participating, Member agrees to release, discharge and hold harmless IHG, its advertising and promotion agencies, their respective parent companies, affiliates, subsidiaries, and their directors, officers, agents and employees from all claims or damages arising out of any use or misuse of IHG® Business Rewards by Member.
In the event of a conflict between the IHG® Rewards Club Membership Terms and Conditions and the IHG® Business Rewards Terms and Conditions, interpretation shall be at the sole discretion of SCH.
IHG® Business Rewards Terms and Conditions (excluding Greater China)
The IHG® Business Rewards program is operated by Six Continents Hotels, Inc. (SCH) as part of the IHG® Rewards Club program and is designed to award IHG® Rewards Club points to corporate bookers, business travel agents or individual bookers for Qualifying Spend at Participating Hotels subject to the following IHG® Business Rewards terms and conditions. Participation in IHG® Business Rewards is also subject to the general IHG® Rewards Club terms and conditions including, without limitation, the terms and conditions governing points redemption and rewards.
MEMBERSHIP
Membership in IHG® Business Rewards is available to individuals who are either corporate bookers, business travel agents or individual bookers subject to the following conditions. A corporate booker is an individual who books Qualifying Spend at Participating Hotels for and on behalf of his or her employer for business purposes. A business travel agent is an individual with an IATA number who books Qualifying Spend at Participating Hotels for and on behalf of his or her clients for business purposes and who does not have an override agreement with any IHG company. An individual booker is an individual who books Qualifying Spend at Participating Hotels on their own behalf. Companies and/or other entities cannot enroll. Business travel agents that have an override agreement with any IHG company cannot enroll.
To become a Member, individuals must complete the mandatory registration details on the IHG® Business Rewards website including confirming acceptance of these terms and conditions and the IHG® Rewards Club terms and conditions. Points cannot be earned until registration as a Member including acceptance of these terms and conditions is complete.
Members must be at least 18 years of age and have reached the age of majority where they reside.
Enrollment as a Member of IHG® Business Rewards will include enrolling as a member of IHG® Rewards Club (if not already enrolled).
SCH may cancel any individual’s membership in IHG® Business Rewards and IHG® Rewards Club and revoke any and all unredeemed points collected by a Member for reasons including, but not limited to: violation of the terms and conditions of IHG® Business Rewards or IHG® Rewards Club (including paragraph 4 “Membership Cancellation” of the IHG® Rewards Club Membership General Terms and Conditions); misrepresentation of any information provided in connection with IHG® Business Rewards or IHG® Rewards Club; violation of any national, state or local law or regulation in connection with the use of membership benefits; failure to pay for hotel charges; commission of fraud or abuse involving any portion of IHG® Business Rewards or IHG® Rewards Club; more than one active account per Member; or action, in any other way, to the detriment of the IHG® Business Rewards program, as may be determined by SCH in its sole discretion. Cancellation hereunder will be effective immediately, by notice by mail or email to the member concerned to the street address or email address provided by the Member.
Members may cancel their membership in IHG® Business Rewards by written notice (including email) to IHG® Rewards Club Customer Care Center. Members may cancel their membership in IHG® Business Rewards without cancelling their membership in IHG® Rewards Club, but must remain a Member of IHG® Rewards Club to be a Member of IHG® Business Rewards.
LEGAL COMPLIANCE AND ANTI-BRIBERY
Participation in IHG® Business Rewards and earning or redeeming points is void when prohibited by law (including, for the avoidance of doubt, United Kingdom and United States anti-bribery laws which apply internationally) and is subject to any other applicable laws and regulations.
Some employers, by policy, may prohibit or restrict employee participation in IHG® Business Rewards and SCH assumes no responsibility or liability for compliance with such policies. Members are responsible for complying with any applicable terms and conditions of their employment, their employer’s internal policies and procedures or any other rules or regulations to which they are subject.
For corporate bookers and business travel agents, participation in IHG® Business Rewards requires prior approval of Member’s employer. Members are responsible for obtaining such prior approval and by accepting these terms and conditions during the online registration process members are confirming that their employer has consented to their participation in IHG® Business Rewards. SCH may require the employer’s approval in writing to be produced for verification upon demand at any time as a condition of becoming or continuing as a Member and SCH reserves the right to cancel the Membership of those Members who cannot produce such written approval. Members agree to indemnify and hold harmless SCH and its affiliates from any liability, costs and damages relating to the claims of any third party arising from a failure of a Member to obtain prior approval of their employer to participate in IHG® Business Rewards.
Members who change their employer must (a) update their contact details online (b) obtain the prior approval of their new employer to participate in IHG® Business Rewards and (c) provide any further information requested by SCH in accordance with paragraph 9 above. For the avoidance of doubt, these terms and conditions are personal to the Member and shall apply in full to the Member irrespective of any change of employer.
PARTICIPATING HOTELS
IHG® Business Rewards is available for Qualifying Spend at Participating Hotels. The list of Participating Hotels is available on the IHG® Business Rewards website. Click here to view the list of [Participating Hotels]. The list of Participating Hotels may be amended at any time without prior notice at SCH’s sole discretion.
QUALIFYING SPEND
Qualifying Spend includes all spend on guest rooms, meetings and events, conference rooms, food and beverage service linked to meetings and conferences, and all-inclusive meeting packages, all subject to these terms and conditions, including without limitation paragraphs 13 – 17 hereafter.
Unless agreed otherwise at the discretion of the relevant Participating Hotel or unless specifically agreed otherwise in the special negotiated rate, Qualifying Spend excludes any spend which is made in accordance with a special negotiated rate including, without limitation, global negotiated rates and local negotiated rates and any reduced rates listed in the IHG® Rewards Club terms and conditions as not eligible for points (section: Limits on Points for Stays).
Qualifying Spend excludes all spend by or through business travel agents with an override agreement with any IHG company.
Unless agreed otherwise at the discretion of the relevant Participating Hotel, points cannot be earned in IHG® Business Rewards in conjunction with any other special offers/promotions outside of the IHG® Business Rewards program.
Qualifying Spend on guest rooms only includes guest rooms which a Member books for others. It excludes spend on Member’s own guest room.
Qualifying Spend does not include any taxes, gratuities, service fees, outside vendor/supplier charges, any attendee incidentals including individual meals and beverages or other expenses and any leisure spend.
EARNING POINTS
Members will earn three (3) IHG® Rewards Club points for every $1 USD dollar or local currency equivalent paid towards Qualifying Spend at Participating Hotels subject to these Terms and Conditions, including without limitation paragraphs 19 – 27 hereafter. Points will be rounded up to the nearest whole number of points. IHG® Rewards Club points earned under the IHG® Business Rewards Program are considered Elite Qualifying Points which count towards IHG® Rewards Club membership elite status. Elite Gold and Platinum bonus points cannot be earned on IHG® Rewards Club points earned through the IHG® Business Rewards Program.
Points may only be earned once in IHG® Business Rewards for any Qualifying Spend and the Member who made the booking directly through IHG central reservation offices, IHG web sites or directly with the Participating Hotel will be eligible for the points. Corporate bookers and individual bookers cannot earn points for bookings made through a travel agent, whether online or offline. In the event of a dispute between Members who claim points for the same Qualifying Spend, SCH will decide in its sole discretion to which Member points are allocated and in which proportion. This decision will be final and binding on the Members concerned.
Up to two Members may agree to share points for Qualifying Spend on a meeting/event.
Meeting/event attendees will not earn IHG® Rewards Club points for their stay if their individual room bill is paid through a master account.
Unless varied by the terms and conditions of any applicable promotions, a maximum of 60,000 points can be earned on any meeting/event, including all guest room bookings and other Qualifying Spend linked to such meeting/event. Two or more meetings/events held by the same organization over the same date(s) or consecutive dates at the same hotel will be considered one meeting/event.
In respect of bookings made directly with the Participating Hotel, Members must notify the relevant Participating Hotel that they wish to earn IHG® Business Rewards points on any Qualifying Spend prior to making the booking for the relevant guest rooms, meetings or events and must provide their IHG® Business Rewards membership number.
Points will be credited to the Member’s account within 45 days from the date the meeting, event or stay related to the Qualifying Spend has been held provided that it has been paid for in accordance with the relevant sales and catering contract with the Participating Hotel.
Points or rewards received through participation in IHG® Business Rewards may be subject to tax liability. All tax liability, including and without limitation, disclosure / reporting to tax authorities connected with the receipt and/or use of points or rewards, is the responsibility of Member.
Members who believe that their account activity is inaccurate should in the first instance contact the relevant hotel. If they are unable to resolve the query with the hotel they must contact the IHG® Business Rewards [Customer Care] Center. Points adjustments will not be made more than 60 days after the statement date. Members must keep all hotel receipts and invoices for their records, as they will be required for point adjustment requests.
Points are not redeemable for cash or any other form of credit and have no value until presented for redemption in accordance with these terms and conditions and the IHG® Rewards Club terms and conditions.
REWARDS
Redemption of points for rewards is subject to the general IHG® Rewards Club Membership Terms and Conditions.
In the US and Canada only, IHG® Rewards Club Meeting Credits are available in the form of a Prepaid Card as a redemption item exclusively for IHG® Business Rewards Members, unless prohibited by their employers. IHG® Rewards Club Meeting Credits are valid for payment at any hotels in the IHG Family of Brands hotel worldwide. IHG® Rewards Club Meeting Credits cannot be redeemed for cash. Prepaid Card terms and conditions apply. Use of Meetings Credits will not count as Qualifying Spend under the IHG® Business Rewards program.
PRIVACY POLICY
Any personal data (including but not limited to Member’s name, mailing address, telephone number and email address) provided by a Member when enrolling in or otherwise provided in connection with their Membership in IHG® Business Rewards will be stored electronically and used for administration of the Program. Member’s personal data (i) shall be processed by SCH, in its capacity of data controller, by its subsidiaries, affiliates, Participating Hotels including franchised hotels, or third party service providers in connection with administration of IHG® Business Rewards and (ii) may be transferred worldwide between such subsidiaries, affiliates, Participating Hotels including franchised hotels and third party service providers.
SCH and any of its subsidiaries or affiliates may contact Member for marketing purposes by mail, fax, telephone (including automated calls), text message or email.
If Member has any questions or concerns regarding their personal data, Member may contact InterContinental Hotels Group, Attn: Privacy Office, Three Ravinia Drive, Atlanta, Georgia 30346 U.S.A., Phone: 1-770-604-8347, Fax: 1-770-604-5275, Email: privacyoffice@ihg.com
PROGRAM AVAILABILITY AND CHANGES TO TERMS AND CONDITIONS
SCH reserves the right to restrict, suspend, discontinue or cancel IHG® Business Rewards or to change, limit, modify or cancel IHG® Business Rewards Terms and Conditions, benefits, conditions of participation, rewards and rewards levels in whole or in part at any time, including terminating the IHG® Business Rewards program. Any such changes will be shown in these Terms and Conditions on the [IHG® Rewards Club] website and will be effective immediately unless stated otherwise. A notice that a change has been made will be placed on the web site for a reasonable period of time. Any changes to any printed version of the Terms and Conditions will be contained in the next reprinting of that printed version. SCH will attempt to notify Members of major program changes, but will not be liable for failure to do so. All Members will be bound by any such changes, cancellation or termination. In the event of termination of IHG® Business Rewards, points already earned will remain subject to the IHG® Rewards Club terms and conditions.
Member is responsible for keeping up-to-date their details held in the IHG® Business Rewards system. Any notices and communications that are to be sent directly to Members according to these terms and conditions will be sent to the email address or other contact details which Member has registered in the IHG® Business Rewards system.
GENERAL
The IHG® Business Rewards program is operated by Six Continents Hotels, Inc., Three Ravinia Drive, Suite 100, Atlanta, GA 30346-2121 U.S.A. and is administered on its behalf by an appropriate IHG company. The rights and obligations of SCH under the IHG® Business Rewards program may be assigned or transferred by SCH to any other related or unrelated entity at any time, and performance thereafter shall be the responsibility of that entity.
Program violations, fraud or abuse are subject to appropriate administrative and/or legal action by appropriate governmental authorities and by SCH including, without limitation, the forfeiture of all points transfers, rewards, vouchers, or merchandise issued pursuant to point redemptions and any accrued points in your account, as well as cancellation of Member’s account and future participation in IHG® Business Rewards.
By participating, Member agrees to release, discharge and hold harmless IHG, its advertising and promotion agencies, their respective parent companies, affiliates, subsidiaries, and their directors, officers, agents and employees from all claims or damages arising out of any use or misuse of IHG® Business Rewards by Member.
In the event of a conflict between the IHG® Rewards Club Membership Terms and Conditions and the IHG® Business Rewards Terms and Conditions, interpretation shall be at the sole discretion of SCH.
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