Priority Privilege worth it?

[markis10]

Out of interest - I have never stayed there - what is the 'style' of these Travelodge's? I am thinking Grand Budapest Hotel (a la Wes Anderson) but obviously that is overdoing it.

Think of a three pointed star with lift cages in the middle .

 

[Fifa]

Think of a three pointed star with lift cages in the middle .

Is the Doubletree Darwin (formerly HI) one of the same styles?

 

[markis10]

Is the Doubletree Darwin (formerly HI) one of the same styles?

Yes, although it had balconies.

 

[thatsthatmattressman]

i am guessing that is not a helicopter landing pad on top ;-) ..

Yes, although it had balconies.

 

[Major]

Yes, although it had balconies.

Which looked onto the pool. From memory they also had a shark or crocodile inlaid in the bottom of the pool

 

[markis10]

Which looked onto the pool. From memory they also had a shark or crocodile inlaid in the bottom of the pool

Christmas time 1974 they had a special on parking

 

[Ricardo]

Christmas time 1974 they had a special on parking

Sorry car park is 'full' you will need to park on the road ......

 

[Deleted member 29185]

I renewed PP today during a phone call from them. My PP ran out on 15 Jan 2014 and although I had received two email offers to renew, the "free" bottle of wine on offer was not enough to make me bother since a lot of my stays now centre around PNG (which don't recognise any of the card benefits).

During this call, I learnt a bit more which I'll share here but it may be common knowledge anyway.

The deal offered is
- 2 x transferable BOGOs (which he claimed was new this year, but I had that last year as well)
- 2 x 25% discount vouchers (also transferable I think)
- 2 x bottles of wine of my choice to the value of $80 each
- the $50 certificate is now $150 and can be used for any in-house service including valet parking, laundry, massage etc
- he tells me a minimum 5 hotels a month will honour BOGO certificate and return it for reuse. when I suggested we had that last year, he replied only three hotels a month was on that deal. I have no idea but it sort of sounded a bit like an enhancement, as it seems you need a BOGO to now book the 241 newsletter deals. I'm not convinced on the benefit there.
- still have the same dining benefits I believe.
- fee reduced to $308
- apparently next year I get a second dining card.
- I can now book suites with a BOGO (told him I did this last year as well)

The second bottle of wine was a sweetener as I said I can't use the card in PNG. He told me I could use the card in PNG for dining benefits up until I let him know that I'd tried but to no avail and he then suggested that the 20% accommodation discount was available at all hotels......I need to read these schemes more as I didn't even realise there was a 20% discount applicable.

Honestly? I see $308 worth of value, but I'm thinking I may have been told a few porkies. I'll see when the pack arrives.

Well update on this post.

As of today, the PP pack has not arrived so I telephoned PP and got a lady who gave her name as Jessica. She apologised, said I should have my pack and said she'd arrange for another one to be sent out. I asked her if the new pack would have all the goodies and I read them out to her. She seemed a bit surprised that someone had actually written down the lies they were being told and she stated that my membership did not even include 1 bottle of wine, let alone two. She relented and agreed to supply one bottle of house wine between the value of $50 and $70. I said that was not acceptable. The offer I accepted was TWO bottles of wine of my choice to the value of $80.

To cut a long call short, Jessica refused to agree to anything more, refused to cancel my membership (stating I was outside my 21 day cooling off period, despite they still have not given me my pack) and refused to transfer me to anyone in management. She kept repeating no one was available yet my question (repeatedly) was How do I contact management.

PP seems to be the scam many people are suggesting it is. They do provide some benefits, but their sales staff promise what they have no intention of delivering and the fact this happens multiple times and management refuse to discuss with disgruntled customers, tends to suggest this is not just common practice, but taught practice. Oh, well, a CC reversal is coming their way!

Another update......

I've now received another call from the salesman who sold me the renewal package. He agreed with everything I said and even claimed to argue with his boss who said he shouldn't have offered the 2nd bottle of wine. In short (again) he's sending out the whole renewal pack with the vouchers for 2 bottles of wine to $80. Should be here in a few weeks.........

Did I hear someone say Groundhog Day?

Another update to this saga......

In short, the salesman upheld his commitment and posted out a certificate for the "so called" second bottle of wine. The replacement membership pack also arrived (the original failed to show up) however no "wine certificate" was included so I guess I actually got the original promo , but no additional benefit.

So in reading the certificate, there appears to be discrepancies to what the salesguy stated to what the certificate states. Salesguy said value $80....certificate doesn't give a value; salesguy said any wine of my choosing.....certificate says "house wine"; salesguy guy said wine certificate could be redeemed whenever we stay at a hotel......certificate says we must dine, which may mean we cannot use the dining card, so the house wine may be pointless!

Another porky told, salesyguy said the $50 hotel credit was now $150.......not quite true, the hotel credit is still $50, but they give a new $100 complementary dining certificate. In short, that seems like a good deal regardless, especially as neither the wine cert nor the complementary dining cert state they must not be used in conjunction with another certificate (the dining cert just says cannot be used with PP dining card), so in theory, both can be used together.

As a win (maybe) the original pack which went missing, turned up last week! so I now have double, except the freebie wine certificate which wasn't in the original pack either! Question is, do I try to use the originals or would they have cancelled them??

 

[markis10]

The $50 cert is the only one that goes back to PP, the others are not tracked.

 

[Fifa]

In short, that seems like a good deal regardless, especially as neither the wine cert nor the complementary dining cert state they must not be used in conjunction with another certificate (the dining cert just says cannot be used with PP dining card), so in theory, both can be used together.

I recently used the $100 dining certificate and wine certificate at the same time at CP Canberra with no problems.

 

[Rick93]

I recently picked up a few PP vouchers from THAT auction site ...

Basically, I got a few 'free' ones thrown in, which included a 'Breakfast For Two' voucher.

I checked into an IC, using the 'acquired' BOGO, used the $100. Dining Voucher for a few relatives to have dinner, used the $50. Hotel Credit at check out, and used the Breakfast voucher in the main restaurant, whilst my relatives were having breakfast in the Club Lounge.

A bit of planning ( maybe 'scheming' ), and the PP program can work quite well ...

 

[basso]

Pity its outside and uncovered.

Never satisfied are you? A week of complimentary airport parking, and you complain that is is uncovered.....

 

[exp1k]

These PP callers are the biggest scammers in town.
The IC Sydney where they claim to be calling from (which is of course a lie) should stop this.

Promised me 3 free night vouchers worth $200 each (not 2 for 1) if I renew.
I told him to send me the offer by email so I have it in writing and I will renew.
Never received the email of course.

So whenever they call, always ask them to email you the renewal offer detail before you agree to anything!

 

[markis10]

These PP callers are the biggest scammers in town.
The IC Sydney where they claim to be calling from (which is of course a lie) should stop this.

Promised me 3 free night vouchers worth $200 each (not 2 for 1) if I renew.
I told him to send me the offer by email so I have it in writing and I will renew.
Never received the email of course.

So whenever they call, always ask them to email you the renewal offer detail before you agree to anything!

Just sign up with a fake phone number or change your profile, they are Oxygen thieves and not even worth speaking a word to. Ironically I suspect PP would be a lot more successful with them not a part of it!

 

[Pinktommy]

I let my PP membership lapse in February...... Does anyone have any links to renew cheaper than the current normal price???

 

[Paddy55]

PP... dodgier by the day!

Didn't renew last month as not travelling at the moment.

Now, two days running, I'm getting calls from "Intercontinental and Crowne Plaza Hotels"

Lots of questions first time about how much I value free nights, free dining, etc, etc and eventually I ask "IS this about Priority Privilege?". Long pause... more pause and then "Yes". Basically said not renewing thank you, don't call again. Of course they've called again from same no and left message "Please call InterContinental Hotel".

Times must be tough!

 

[Shanye2233]

These PP callers are the biggest scammers in town.
The IC Sydney where they claim to be calling from (which is of course a lie) should stop this.

Promised me 3 free night vouchers worth $200 each (not 2 for 1) if I renew.
I told him to send me the offer by email so I have it in writing and I will renew.
Never received the email of course.

So whenever they call, always ask them to email you the renewal offer detail before you agree to anything!

This happened to me exactly ! I had a bad experience at the hotel and i was told they are calling from the hotel offered me a free meal and all these extras if i joined. Even renewing the odd cert's i didnt use so i took the offer. When i called about the free dinner to the hotel they said they have no idea who spoke to me. So i cancelled the PP immediately after that.

The guy i spoke to keep asking me why why am i cancelling i keep saying because i cant afford it no longer its my right until i had enough and i told him the truth. "Look mate your mum doesnt want to go out anymore so we eating in"

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Does anyone know if PP have been investigated by Fair Trading? it seems they must be a likely candidate.

 

[thatsthatmattressman]

Anybody know what the Renew online today and also receive this exclusive bonus: $100 Complimentary dining experience! is when they send out the early renewal email notifications?

 

[markis10]

Anybody know what the Renew online today and also receive this exclusive bonus: $100 Complimentary dining experience! is when they send out the early renewal email notifications?

Its a voucher for $100 of dining however you cannot use your card with it, so reality means your getting $50 value.