PGR Program

[Stormy]

I would forget PGR unless you want to work towards free nights. GHA black is much more useful when it comes to perks, upgrades, experiences, early / late checkouts, general treatment. All PGR gives you are free nights (if available) and maybe a free drink or two with slightly discounted food and drinks.

 

[NZflygirl]

I would forget PGR unless you want to work towards free nights. GHA black is much more useful when it comes to perks, upgrades, experiences, early / late checkouts, general treatment. All PGR gives you are free nights (if available) and maybe a free drink or two with slightly discounted food and drinks.

I'm actually finding availability pretty good say 2 months out maybe less? Painful you have to search day by day though. Valuable I think for free nights in London Kensington given London is expensive as a city. Close to transport too.

How useful thing are possibly depends on how you're accruing the nights. If by stays with PGR then you only need 10 stays or 10 nights to receive PGR black which also gives you GHA black whereas GHA is purely by nights so you need 30 to be black.

The F&B for black is 50% off both F&B whereas even my Accor plus card is only 50% off food IF I'm with one other. Except Asia I think there's a slight discount for drinks.

Earning points for free nights, F&B discount, equivalent GHA black status and benefits in 1/3 of the nights required for GHA is the reason to use PGR. PGR 5 stays gives platinum GHA benefits. For me at least there are still reasons to use PGR.

 

[Jacques Vert]

But as PGR black you get reciprocal GHA Black membership:

8. Benefits Matrix
From August 2014 new members who become a PGR member are automatically able to receive DISCOVERY membership benefits when staying at a GHA partner hotel or resort.
Members, who joined prior to August 2014, must update their details at www.pgr.com.au to “opt-in” to receive DISCOVERY membership benefits when staying at a GHA partner hotel or resort.
Existing PGR members (who joined prior to August 2014) who do not “opt- in” and update their membership at pgr.com.au to receive DISCOVERY benefits will not receive DISCOVERY benefits or recognition when staying at a GHA partner hotel or resort.

 

[Stormy]

I'm actually finding availability pretty good say 2 months out maybe less? Painful you have to search day by day though. Valuable I think for free nights in London Kensington given London is expensive as a city. Close to transport too.

How useful thing are possibly depends on how you're accruing the nights. If by stays with PGR then you only need 10 stays or 10 nights to receive PGR black which also gives you GHA black whereas GHA is purely by nights so you need 30 to be black.

The F&B for black is 50% off both F&B whereas even my Accor plus card is only 50% off food IF I'm with one other. Except Asia I think there's a slight discount for drinks.

Earning points for free nights, F&B discount, equivalent GHA black status and benefits in 1/3 of the nights required for GHA is the reason to use PGR. PGR 5 stays gives platinum GHA benefits. For me at least there are still reasons to use PGR.

The only reason I say forget PGR is that for stays in Rydges, there seems to be a concerted effort to ignore GHA black and go with PGR instead. I have found that with a few Rydges now and the last one specifically said they could only see PGR status and that it pretty much didn't matter about being GHA black. If you book through PGR website, you will not be afforded the benefits of Black status with GHA. Last time I booked through Discovery GHA site, they ignored that fact and went with my PGR status. If I had wanted to use the PGR status, I would have booked through PGR.

 

[rfur78]

The only reason I say forget PGR is that for stays in Rydges, there seems to be a concerted effort to ignore GHA black and go with PGR instead. I have found that with a few Rydges now and the last one specifically said they could only see PGR status and that it pretty much didn't matter about being GHA black. If you book through PGR website, you will not be afforded the benefits of Black status with GHA. Last time I booked through Discovery GHA site, they ignored that fact and went with my PGR status. If I had wanted to use the PGR status, I would have booked through PGR.

The biggest benefit I've found using the PGR program is the stays qualification for black status. 10 stays with PGR vs 30 nights with GHA. I found prev years when i trigger black with PGR not long after my GHA is updated. In Australia (all i can go on for now) both recognition of status irrespective of program has been fine. Only downer with PGR to date has been the lack of QT participation.

 

[NZflygirl]

Rydges Kensington has left PGR as of 1st December. Shame - hotel wasn't great but still a cheap place to stay at a very handy location in London.

 

[NZflygirl]

I see Mt Cook Hermitage is bookable via Rydges PGR site. Nice spot there.

Wellington airport Rydges is taking bookings, due to open mid Feb.

I stayed at the Pensione in Perth for a night as I needed a night and was 1 night short of requalifying. Cramped. Reasonable location not far from the Westin. Breakfast set up isn't great.

 

[Melburnian1]

I see Mt Cook Hermitage is bookable via Rydges PGR site. Nice spot there.

Wellington airport Rydges is taking bookings, due to open mid Feb...

This expanding chain, locally owned, has been given approval to build an airport hotel at Coolangatta. It won't be open tomorrow but is an interesting move, similar to Atura in Adelaide that some media said wouldn't be profitable in its first year, but already seems to be receiving largely good reviews on various sites.

Rydges is beating other operators to the punch in receiving permission for and building hotels right at Australian (and NZ) airports. An interesting strategy because with Sydney's weather problems and even some airlines' agreement that tired staff can book an hotel rather than drive home, not having to get in a shuttle bus to stay at an 'airport hotel' is an attractive offer (particularly if one is not paying).

 

[NZflygirl]

Note to self - although Rydges bookings via PGR count towards GHA nights, the reverse is not true. I booked a stay through the GHA website last year as I was having issues with Rydges tweaked website. Was told they didn't count towards status booked via GHA. But they've kindly counted them for me. Very lucky.

 

[rfur78]

so riddle me this....

i have a GHA status of black and the rydges logo is on this card in the app.

i received an email couple of week back mentioning my status with PGR had dropped from black to platinum due to lack of nights in 2018.

Going back to NZflygirls point that nights booked via GHA dont seem to count towards PGR, why then does my GHA card show me as a black status and RYDGES logo on the card?

Does a black status with PGR carry across at some point, will i go from plat to black again with PGR?

 

[NZflygirl]

If you didn't reach the requirements for PGR black then it seems you'll receive platinum benefits when staying at Rydges. You'll receive GHA black benefits when staying at non PGR GHA hotels? At least that's how I read it.

Rydges on the GHA card might represent the main hotel chain you linked to GHA?

 

[twiningb]

How do I get the PGR dining discount? Do I ask for it to be charged to my room? Do I specifically ask for it in the restaurant, and then pay at time of dining? Some combination of the two?

Post automatically merged: Nov 29, 2020

(If relevant, I'm taking the kids and my parents to stay at the Rydges World Square and we may do a meal at the Cidery.)

 

[oz_mark]

How do I get the PGR dining discount? Do I ask for it to be charged to my room? Do I specifically ask for it in the restaurant, and then pay at time of dining? Some combination of the two?

Post automatically merged: Nov 29, 2020

(If relevant, I'm taking the kids and my parents to stay at the Rydges World Square and we may do a meal at the Cidery.)

The dining discount needs to be done at the time of dining - by the T&Cs you present the card when you get the bill, and it is adjusted before paying for it (or charging to the room)

 

[twiningb]

Thanks! Will they accept a digital card on my phone? I haven't received a physical one.

 

[oz_mark]

Thanks! Will they accept a digital card on my phone? I haven't received a physical one.

As far as I know they will. I haven't stayed for a while, but I only have a digital card now. No idea where my physical one is.

 

[twiningb]

Thanks again.

 

[hydrabyss]

Thanks again.

The bar charges up front and you provide your membership number before paying or charging to your room. My last stay you had a choice of bar menu as well as the restaurant menu.