Your Guide to the 2017 Enrolling Stay...

2017 Enrolling Stay Rebate Program Guide 1

Your Guide to the 2017 Enrolling Stay Rebate


Table of ContentsProgram Overview ............................................................................. 2

How It All Comes Together (Infographic) ..................................3

What Is a Qualified Stay? .................................................................4

Finding Your Rebate Details (IHGSmartPay Job Aid) ............5

Definitions at a Glance ..................................................................... 7

Frequently Asked Questions ..........................................................8

Terms and Conditions .....................................................................15


Enrolling Stay Rebate Program Overview

How it worksEvery hotel has a quarterly Enrollment Standard based on their brand and hotel size. When your hotel meets its Enrollment Standard with an equal number of valid emails, you are eligible to earn a rebate credit for 100% of your enrolling stay costs.*

1

What does your rebate cover?Hotels pay IHG a flat assessment fee of USD $4.75 per new enrollment during a qualified stay. The Enrolling Stay Rebate program credits these fees back to the hotel when program criteria are met.**

2

When will you receive your rebate?2017 rebate credits will be issued following IHG's quarterly billing cycles: June, September, December, and March 2018.

3

*Enrollment fees are only reimbursed for Qualified Enrolling Stays.****See sections 4-7 of the Terms and Conditions.


How it all comes together

*To learn more about what makes a Qualified Enrollment see the Definitions at a Glance on page 7.

DailyWhen one of your employees logs a Qualified Enrollment*

with valid email, they and your hotel receive credit for that

enrollment.

The cycle of success

MonthlyAll of those Qualified

Enrollments* with valid email can turn into 500 IHG® Rewards

Club points each if your hotel has met its monthly enrollment goal. This is awarded through

the Enroll for Rewards program.

QuarterlyWhen your hotel meets its

Enroll for Rewards goal for 3 months of the same quarter, you meet your minimum for the IHG Enrollment Standard, and you’ll

also be eligible to earn your Enrolling Stay Rebate.


750 x $4.75 $3,562.50

What is a Qualified Stay?*

Any guest can become a new enrollee, but to be counted as a Qualified Stay, the guest's enrollment and stay have to meet certain criteria:

Booked on a points earning rate (not from an OTA or discount site)

Been issued 1,000 IHG® Rewards Club points

Their hotel was charged a flat fee of $4.75 for that enrollment

*See full details in our Terms and Conditions.

Your rebate amount will be:

For instance, if your hotel enrolled 1,000 people last quarter but only 750 were Qualified Stays:

How this affects what your rebate looks likeAll rebates are based on Qualified Stays, not total enrollments, so it’s important to know how many you have.


1 Log on

3 Click on Invoice Number

2 Enter timeframe

4 Go to Invoice Summary

Go to IHGMerlin.com > Applications > IHGSmartPay > Invoice Search.

View the invoice summary and additional details.

Search customized data from a specific time period or through a defined date.

Clicking on Invoice Number will show you a line-by-line summary of your Invoice.

IHGSmartPay Job AidHow to find the details of your Enrolling Stay Rebate

http://www.ihgmerlin.com


5 Select Enrolling Stay Rebate

7 See a detailed list

6 Get IHG® Rewards Club Data

8 Download the list

Click on "Enrolling Stay Rebate" to access the Invoice Line Details page.

View all of the Enrolling Stay Rebate transactions performed over the time period selected.

Click the "Get IHG Rewards Club Data" button to view your Enrolling Stay Rebate details.

Download the report by clicking the Excel icon in the upper right corner. Save the file as an .xls to easily view your hotel's list of transactions.


Definitions at a GlanceEnrollment Assessment FeeIHG hotels are charged a flat assessment of USD $4.75 on any guest enrolled during the course of a Qualified Stay at the hotel.

IHG® Rewards Club Enrollment StandardAll hotels must enroll a quarterly minimum number of guests into IHG® Rewards Club. Enrollment minimums are based on both IHG brand affiliation and hotel size.

Qualified Enrollment (QE)• An enrollment that takes place during the

guest’s stay

• Occurs no earlier than 24 hours prior to check-in and no later than time of check-out

• Must be at the same hotel as the stay

• Member’s information (including name, email address, etc.) is not a duplicate in the IHG® Rewards Club system

Qualified StayA stay on a qualified rate where the member was issued 1,000 points and the hotel was charged a flat assessment fee of USD $4.75.

Valid Email AddressAn email address that follows proper email format ([email protected]), has no bounce back from the welcome email or a third-party validation company, and is not a duplicate in the IHG® Rewards Club system.

Qualified RateA rate booked by a guest that is eligible to earn points or airline miles.

Non-qualifying RateA rate booked by a guest that is not eligible to earn points or miles. If non-members who booked these rates are enrolled by the hotel, the enrollment will count towards both the monthly enrollment and quarterly Enrollment Standard targets. The guest does not earn points/miles and the hotel is not charged the assessment fee, therefore the enrollment does not count towards the Enrolling Stay Rebate.


Frequently Asked Questions2017 Enrolling Stay Rebate


Frequently Asked QuestionsClick on your question to find the answer:

1. How does my hotel earn the Enrolling Stay Rebate?

2. A. When will I be credited back if I meet the quarterly IHG® Rewards Club Enrollment Standard and email capture requirement?

B. And when will the credit appear?

3. What is the cost of an enrolling stay assessment?

4. What is the IHG® Rewards Club Enrollment Standard?

5. What is a “Valid Email”?

6. Are all hotels eligible to earn the Enrolling Stay Rebate?

7. What is “Good Financial Standing” and “Poor Financial Standing”?

8. How will a hotel know whether they are meeting the IHG® Rewards Club Enrollment Standard?

9. How will I know if my hotel has successfully qualified for the Enrolling Stay Rebate?

10. How will hotels receive their earned Enrolling Stay Rebate?

11. What if I believe my hotel’s Enrollment Standard and email capture compliance report is inaccurate?

12. Why is it important for hotels to enroll guests into IHG® Rewards Club?

13. Are hotels in “Cure” and “Assess” or hotels that were granted an Enrollment Standard Exception eligible to earn the rebate?

14. Are there any “terms & conditions” stipulations I should be aware of?

15. My hotel has changed currencies multiple times throughout the year. How will those changes impact the currency conversation rates in relation to reimbursement totals?

16. Will my hotel receive a rebate credit for all enrollments each quarter? How is the credit calculated?

17. What is a non-qualifying stay?

18. Are OTA bookings considered a qualified rate?

19. Where can hotels find Enrolling Stay Rebate Summary details?

20. Who can my hotel contact with additional questions about the Enrolling Stay Rebate program?


1. How does my hotel earn the Enrolling Stay Rebate?

2. A. When will I be credited back if I meet the quarterly IHG® Rewards Club Enrollment Standard and email capture requirement?

B. And when will the credit appear?

To earn the Enrolling Stay Rebate in 2017, a hotel must meet or exceed the IHG® Rewards Club quarterly Enrollment Standard and capture a required number of emails that is equal to their quarterly Enrollment Standard.

A. Hotels only receive a rebate credit for the cost of their enrolling stay assessments—defined as: enrollments that occur in conjunction with a Qualified Stay where the member was issued 1,000 IHG® Rewards Club points and the hotel recieved a flat assessment fee of $4.75. The rebate credit will be an amount equal to the enrolling stay assessments a hotel paid in the billing periods shown below.

B. If incentive is met in:

All enrolling assessments paid in the following billing cycle:

Will be credited on:

Q1 2017 Dec. 27, 2016 – Mar. 26, 2017 Jun. 2017 invoiceQ2 2017 Mar. 27, 2017 – Jun. 26, 2017 Sep. 2017 invoiceQ3 2017 Jun. 27, 2017 – Sep. 26, 2017 Dec. 2017 invoiceQ4 2017 Sep. 27, 2017 – Dec. 26, 2017 Mar. 2018 invoice

3. What is the cost of an enrolling stay assessment?

Today, a hotel pays a flat assessment fee of USD $4.75 on any IHG® Rewards Club enrollment that occurs during a Qualified Stay.

4. What is the IHG® Rewards Club Enrollment Standard?

The IHG® Rewards Club Standards are a set of standard specifications supported by best practices to ensure the consistent delivery of the IHG® Rewards Club program and member benefits across all IHG hotels. Regarding the Enrollment Standard, all hotels must enroll a minimum number of guests into IHG® Rewards Club quarterly. Enrollment minimums are based on both IHG brand affiliation and hotel size. Compliance is measured quarterly. For more information, please see the IHG® Rewards Club Reference Guide, available on Merlin and IHG® Rewards Club Source: Resources > Downloads.

5. What is a “Valid Email”? A “Valid Email” is one that: • Is not a duplicate in the IHG® Rewards Club system • Follows standard format (i.e. _______@______.____) • Can receive emails—as confirmed by both an IHG welcome email and a third party email validation company



6. Are all hotels eligible to earn the Enrolling Stay Rebate?

7. What is “Good Financial Standing” and “Poor Financial Standing”?

All IHG hotels in good financial standing, and in the system at the beginning and end of each quarter, including newly opened hotels, are eligible for the rebate. Hotels that leave the system after the end of the quarter but before the payout date are still eligible for the rebate.

A hotel is in “Good Financial Standing” if in compliance with IHG’s contractual payment terms. A hotel is in “Poor Financial Standing” if they are not in compliance with IHG’s contractual payment terms. If further clarification is required regarding payment terms, please contact the IHG Credit and Collections team.

8. How will a hotel know whether they are meeting the IHG® Rewards Club Enrollment Standard?

Compliance will be measured against quarterly requirements. Performance Tracker shows a hotel’s monthly Qualified Enrollments for all three months of the quarter. The monthly minimum is provided to show pace toward achieving the quarterly goal.

9. How will I know if my hotel has successfully qualified for the Enrolling Stay Rebate?

Hotels that successfully meet the rebate requirements will receive notification by IHG.

10. How will hotels receive their earned Enrolling Stay Rebate?

Hotels that successfully meet the initial rebate requirements will receive notification by IHG on Performance Tracker at the close of the quarter. Eligibility status may change once the initial data is processed for possible abuse and/or fraud, and financial standing status. Hotels deemed eligible for the rebate credit will see a separate line item on their IHG invoice (“Enrolling Stay Rebate”) after all data for a given quarter has been validated. IHG invoices are available for review around the 10th of the month following the end of the billing cycle. Details of the Enrolling Stay Rebate can be viewed in IHGSmartPay once the IHG invoice is available.


11. What if I believe my hotel’s Enrollment Standard and email capture compliance report is inaccurate?

12. Why is it important for hotels to enroll guests into IHG® Rewards Club?

Hotels that believe the Enrollment Standard compliance report and/or email capture data for the quarter are incorrect must file an Exception request through Performance Tracker within 60 days after the Quarterly Performance Tracker report is posted. Exception requests received after the 60-day period will not be accepted. If a hotel believes the Enrolling Stay Rebate amount posted to their account is incorrect, they must dispute it within 30 days from the release of the invoice where the payout is reflected. Any disputes received after the 30-day period will not be considered.

When you enroll a new member to the program, you are not only helping your hotel achieve its enrollment goals, you are also helping other hotels in the IHG family as well. Often, new members stay in other IHG brand properties, meaning other hotels also benefit from your enrollment. Ultimately, enrollments drive revenue and secure guest loyalty.

13. Are hotels in “Cure” and “Assess” or hotels that were granted an Enrollment Standard Exception eligible to earn the rebate?

Hotels that go into “Cure” have failed the standard for the quarter and are not eligible for rebate reimbursement. Since the program is quarterly, hotels in “Cure” or “Assess” are eligible for the rebate in future quarters provided they are no longer in “Cure” or “Assess” status during those later quarters. Hotels that fail to meet the Enrollment Standard for a quarter can request an Exception in Performance Tracker.

If the Exception is approved, the hotel will be considered in compliance for the previously completed quarter and may be eligible for a rebate in future quarters provided they meet the enrollment standards for the remaining quarter(s) provided all other requirements, including the valid email requirement, are met.

14. Are there any “terms & conditions” stipulations I should be aware of?

IHG® Rewards Club reserves the right to add, modify, delete, or otherwise change any rules and/or Terms and Conditions related to the Enrolling Stay Rebate program at its sole discretion, with or without notice. The Enrolling Stay Rebate Terms and Conditions can be referenced on IHG® Rewards Club Source: Resources > Enrolling Stay Rebate > Downloads.



15. My hotel has changedcurrencies multiple timesthroughout the year. How willthose changes impact thecurrency conversation ratesin relation to reimbursementtotals?

16. Will my hotel receive a rebatecredit for all enrollments eachquarter? How is the creditcalculated?

The amount assessed within the invoice will be credited back in local currencies ONLY. Your hotel will be unable to reconcile previous dates in PeopleSoft due to currency changes throughout the year.

Hotels only receive a rebate credit for the cost of their enrolling stay assessments—enrollments that occur in conjunction with a Qualified Stay, where the member was issued 1,000 IHG® Rewards Club points and the hotel received a flat assessment of USD $4.75.

Essentially, the rebate amount is equal to the enrolling stay assessments a hotel paid in billing periods described in question #2.

Example: A hotel has 100 enrollments 75 of them are qualified enrolling stays Total rebate credit is $356.25 (75 x USD $4.75)

17. What is anon-qualifying stay?

A non-qualifying stay is an enrollment made during which any of the following reservation rates are applicable:

Complimentary Nights, Loyalty Program Related Free Nights, Seasonal Worker/Crew Rate, Distressed Passenger Rate, Net Wholesale Price, OTA Package, 50% Travel Club Discounts Rate, Group Rate, Employee Discount Rate, Friends/Family Rate.

Note: While non-qualifying rates do not count toward your Enrolling Stay Rebate goals, they do count towards your quarterly Enrollment Standard.

18. Are OTA bookings considereda qualified rate?

No, Online Travel Agency (OTA) reservations and other non-qualifying rates* are not issued the 1,000 points for new members being enrolled into the IHG® Rewards Club program; therefore, assessment fees are neither assessed to the hotel nor rebated the USD $4.75 fee.

*See list of non-qualifying rates in question 17.


19. Where can hotels find Enrolling Stay Rebate Summary details?

20. Who can my hotel contact with additional questions about the Enrolling Stay Rebate program?

Hotels that successfully meet the initial rebate requirements will receive notification by IHG on Performance Tracker at the close of the quarter. Eligibility status may change once the initial data is processed for possible abuse and/or fraud and financial standing status. Hotels deemed eligible for the rebate credit will see a separate line item on their IHG invoice (“Enrolling Stay Rebate”) after all data for a given quarter has been validated. IHG invoices are available for review around the 10th of the month following the end of the billing cycle, and details of the Enrolling Stay Rebate can be viewed in IHGSmartPay once the IHG invoice is available.

For all inquiries regarding the Enrolling Stay Rebate program, please contact [email protected] or [email protected].

mailto:%20askihgrewardsclub%40ihg.com?subject=

mailto:askihgrewardsclub.standards%40ihg.com?subject=

Terms and Conditions2017 Enrolling Stay Assessment Rebate Program


1. The following InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) brands, located within the AMEA, AMER, and EUROPE regions, are eligible to participate in the IHG® Rewards Club 2017 Enrollment Stay Assessment Rebate Incentive, also known as Enrolling Stay Rebate: InterContinental®, Crowne Plaza®, Hotel Indigo®, EVEN Hotels®, Holiday Inn®, Holiday Inn Resort®, Holiday Inn Express®, Staybridge Suites®, and Candlewood Suites®. The Incentive period is from January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2017.

2. To earn the Enrolling Stay Rebate in 2017, a hotel must meet or exceed the IHG® Rewards Club Enrollment Standard for the quarter and capture the required number of valid emails that is equal to their quarterly Enrollment Standard.

3. IHG® Rewards Club will credit back assessment fees incurred based on the IHG financial billing periods. Currently, a hotel pays a flat assessment of USD $4.75 on any enrollment that occurs in conjunction with a qualified stay at that hotel. Invoice amounts will be credited in local currencies ONLY. Hotels will be unable to reconcile previous dates in PeopleSoft due to currency changes throughout the year. Financial billing periods and payout schedule are as follows:

If incentive is met in: All enrolling assessments paid in the following billing cycle: Will be credited on:Q1 2017 Dec. 27, 2016 – Mar. 26, 2017 Jun. 2017 invoiceQ2 2017 Mar. 27, 2017 – Jun. 26, 2017 Sep. 2017 invoiceQ3 2017 Jun. 27, 2017 – Sep. 26, 2017 Dec. 2017 invoiceQ4 2017 Sep. 27, 2017 – Dec. 26, 2017 Mar. 2018 invoice

4. Hotels will only receive a rebate credit for the cost of their enrolling stay assessments—defined as: enrollments that occur in conjunction with a qualified stay where the member was issued 1,000 IHG® Rewards Club points and the hotel was charged a flat assessment fee of USD $4.75. The rebate credit will be an amount equivalent to the enrolling stay assessments a hotel paid in the billing periods shown above. Example: A hotel has 100 enrollments 75 of them are qualified enrolling stays Total rebate credit is USD $356.25 (75 x USD $4.75)

5. To be eligible, IHG® Rewards Club Enrollment Standard must be met, along with capturing the same number of valid emails in the quarter. Enrollment minimums are based on both IHG brand affiliation and hotel size. Compliance with the IHG® Rewards Club Enrollment Standard is measured by quarter. For more information, please see the IHG® Rewards Club Standards and Reference Guide, available on Merlin and IHG® Rewards Club Source.


6. Hotels must achieve both enrollment and valid email capture goals to be eligible. Hotels that achieve their qualified enrollment goal, but miss their valid email capture goal are considered to have missed the Enrolling Stay Rebate program target and are ineligible to receive their rebate credit that quarter. A “Valid Email” is one that: • Is not a duplicate in the IHG® Rewards Club system • Follows standard format (i.e. _______@______.____) • Can receive emails—as confirmed by both an IHG welcome email and a third party email validation company

7. All hotels in “Good Financial Standing,” that have complied with these terms and conditions and have not committed abuse and/or fraudulent activity as determined by IHG in its sole discretion, and are in the IHG system at the beginning and end of the quarter, including newly opened hotels, are eligible for the Enrolling Stay Rebate program. A hotel is considered to be in “Good Financial Standing” if in compliance with IHG’s contractual payment terms. If further clarification is required regarding payment terms, a hotel should contact the IHG Credit and Collections team. Hotels that leave the system after the end of the quarter, but before the payout date are still eligible for the rebate. IHG Credit and Collections will review outstanding balances for all hotels at quarter’s end. Hotels considered to be in “Poor Financial Standing” will be given 30 additional days to make payment for outstanding balances and only then be placed in “Good Financial Standing” at the discretion of IHG Credit and Collections. A hotel is considered to be in “Poor Financial Standing” if they are not in compliance with IHG’s contractual payment terms. If further clarification is required regarding payment terms, a hotel should contact the IHG Credit and Collections team. At the end of the 30-day grace period, hotels in “Good Financial Standing” will be deemed eligible and their rebate credit will be processed during the next billing cycle—approximately two months later than the hotels originally in good standing. Hotels which do not make a payment(s) within the 30-day grace period will forfeit rebate reimbursement. Determination of financial standing is solely at the discretion of the regional Credit and Collections departments. Any disputed billing with IHG would be considered as an exception provided the Credit and Collections team has been informed and the disputed item has not been validated. In such cases, the hotel should pay the remaining fee to be considered in “Good Financial Standing.”

8. Compliance will be measured against quarterly requirements. Performance Tracker shows hotel’s monthly Qualified Enrollments for all three months of the quarter. The monthly minimum is provided to show pace toward achieving the quarterly goal.

9. Hotels that successfully meet the initial rebate requirements will receive notification by IHG on Performance Tracker at the close of the quarter. Eligibility status may change once the initial data is processed for possible abuse and/or fraud and financial standing status. Hotels deemed eligible for the rebate credit will see a separate line item on their IHG invoice (“Enrolling Stay Rebate”) after all data for a given quarter has been validated. IHG invoices are available for review around the 10th of the month following the end of the billing cycle. Details of the Enrolling Stay Rebate can be viewed in IHGSmartPay once the IHG invoice is available.


10. Hotels that believe the compliance report enrollment standard and/or email capture data for the quarter are incorrect must file an exception request through Performance Tracker within 60 days after the quarterly Performance Tracker report is posted. Exception requests received after the 60-day period will not be accepted. If a hotel believes the Enrolling Stay Rebate amount posted to their account is incorrect, they must dispute it within 30 days from the release of the invoice where the payout is reflected. Any disputes received after the 30-day period will not be considered.

11. Hotels that go into “Cure” have failed the standard for the quarter ended and are not eligible for rebate reimbursement. Since the program is quarterly, hotels in “Cure” or “Assess” are eligible for the rebate in future quarters provided they are no longer in “Cure” or “Assess” status during those later quarters. Hotels that fail to meet the Enrollment Standard for a quarter can request an Exception. If approved, the hotel will be considered in compliance for the previously completed quarter and may be eligible for rebate in future quarters provided they meet the enrollment standards for the remaining quarter(s) provided all other requirements, including the valid email requirement, are met.

12. Front Desk employees must obtain guest permission prior to enrolling a guest into the IHG® Rewards Club program and entering their email address into the system. Random enrollment audits are conducted by IHG® Rewards Club monthly. Should any hotel or Front Desk employee be identified as not having obtained guest permission or having enrolled existing IHG® Rewards Club members or email addresses into the system, resulting in a duplicate membership or email address or having otherwise misrepresented enrollments or email addresses, the applicable hotel will be immediately disqualified from the rebate program. IHG will also investigate enrollments at hotels when a guest complains of having been enrolled without their knowledge or permission and, if the guest complaint is verified, the applicable Hotel will be disqualified from the rebate program and further action may be taken by IHG® Rewards Club.

13. All payments will be subject to any local tax or other local regulations and deductions, if applicable.

14. IHG® Rewards Club reserves the right to add, modify, delete, or otherwise change any rules and/or Terms and Conditions related to the Enrolling Stay Rebate Program at its sole discretion, with or without notice. For additional inquiries about the Enrolling Stay Rebate program and terms, please contact [email protected] or [email protected].

*IHG® Rewards Club not applicable to Kimpton® Hotels & Restaurants; to be included at a future date.© 2017 InterContinental Hotels Group. All rights reserved. Most hotels are independently owned and/or operated.

mailto:%20askihgrewardsclub%40ihg.com?subject=

mailto:askihgrewardsclub.standards%40ihg.com?subject=

Your Guide to the 2017 Enrolling Stay...

Documents

Transcript of Your Guide to the 2017 Enrolling Stay...