I just posted about this, my thought was the descriptions should include square footage and accurate photos.

You are absolutley correct, there is no way to know what you are getting when you reserve a room online.

The only solution I have is to call the hotel directly and speak to a manager who will be able to give you the details you need to make an educated decision!

Absolutely...

No different than what you said JBa-  "If I book an executive king room, then that's what I expect to get."

If I ask about a specific room type and reserve that room type I trust that is what I will be given the key to when I check in.

Unless, of course they upgrade my stay.

"There in lies the rub!"

We do not know the answer because IHG has not done a very good job of putting that information out there for us to review.

You and I have posted about room descriptions in another discussion, and there were suggestions for IHG to improve upon their site room descriptions.

I guess if you book a room, and get what you booked based on the information you have available you should not complain.

But I understand your ?  how do we know if we could be given an upgrade, or even if we are booking what we truly want.  Is there a better room available?  Who knows?  Maybe the desk clerk can tell you at check in, but by then it might be too late to get upgraded.

Good question, Ron.

I, too wonder if my upgraded room  is areally an upgrade.  As a  Platinum Amb.  I am automatically given an upgrade, but  sometimes the upgrade is so minimal or possibly non-existanet.

when the room is not good enough (with or without an upgrade, ) I phone  dwon to the front desk and asked to be moved,. sometimes it is possible;  If  a room change is not possible, I ask for a perk such as breakfast voucher or access to the club lounge.

Like  everthing else, sometimes I get what I want; sometimes I don't.

that is one of the biggest dilemma you will encounter in making reservations when you don't have an idea of the rooms that you are choosing.. especially when the rooms that you would like have the same room descriptions.. the basic and standard description.. it's like a generic description of all the rooms in the hotel.. you only get the difference in the name of the room and the prices but other than that.. everything is like the same.. there is no way that you will know if your room is better or not unless you are already in the hotel and you get a chance to talk with the front desk or with a manager.. or you happen to see the inside of the room next to you which happens to be the same as yours.. so the only thing you can really be assured when you make your reservation are: the smoking preference (smoking or non smoking), the bed type (king or double) and you have a reservation and a place to stay at the hotel.. for the room, you just wish that you get a better room and the one that you expect to have..

come to think about it.. if there are better room descriptions.. maybe some would no longer ask for upgrades since they already know what is expected of the room that they have.. we all ask for upgrades since the room that we have booked did not meet our expectations but if we already know what is in the room based on what we have read or seen then we know what room will we get..

The room description should also be improved for more bookings...

Amanda

Amanda know the RC Buckhead in and out. The company if previously worked for sold them the laundry equipment so I got rooms comped there. Same with the downtown Hyatt.  The difference between the RCs and the IHG hotels where the IC hotels are part of is that you have a exclusive website for the RCs while the ICs you book through the IHG website. That's why I said that IHG should more compared with Hilton and Marriott that also have 5 star hotels in their portfolio and similar room description.

Oh I agree on the room description. Simple solution, have IHG tell the hotels to quit making up categories for the same rooms that might be on a higher floor or have different views or have a desk or fax machine in their room. Have not more than 3 room categories for HI hotels, maybe 5, including suites, for the ICs and provide the accurate square footage and interior description and you make us guests happy. That, by the way, is what RC is doing in New Orleans.Not sure about the other locations. Haven't stayed there in a while.

IHG announces that its website for InterContinental Hotels Only (intercontinental.com) has been named best website in the hotel industy.

Winning on Content? Not so sure on that one...It still needs work.

The Concierge, In the Know Videos? Sure

We have a long way to go...

Amanda Kehoe