Hi Denise!
I just booked my first cruise post-baby and I'm thrilled that my parents are going to join us on their first cruise. They are actually very excited about it. We booked the QM2 because it has a great children's program with group babysitting at night by British nannies. We are doing a TA from NYC to Southampton, my parents who live in Glasgow, will get on in Southampton, and then we are doing a med cruise to Northern Spain and Northern France.
We leave from Brooklyn. I tried to figure out a hotel in NYC but 60 hotels came up, I got overwhelmed. Can anyone give me some advice? We will have our baby (13 month old) so I'm not going to go into Manhattan. We arrive at JFK. I was thinking we should either stay the night at JFK (hotel recommendation anybody?) and take a car service to the port in the morning or we should get off the plane and stay in Brooklyn. I've never been to Brooklyn so I don't really know what I'm talking about. If you think we should stay in Brooklyn, is there a hotel near the port?

Hi Julie,

I found 2 IHG properties in Brooklyn - Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express. Not sure about the logistics to the port; however, a call or email should answer that question for you.

In addition, there are Crowne Plazas and Holiday Inns/Holiday Inn Express by both LaGuardia and JFK airports.

I hope my Friends/Family link, on page 1 of this thread, will be helpful in booking at a great rate.

Please let me know how you make out with this.

Wishing you and your family a wonderful cruise.

Lynn,
Sorry you haven't been successful in your attempts to secure hotel stays :( .

Denise - Thanks so much! Thanks to you we are doing a last minute Memorial Day getaway to the IC on the Plaza in KC. Not far from home, but a get away is a get away!

Denise,

Thanks for sharing the discount! I've passed the link to several friends.

Seeing that you work in the hospitality industry, can you tell me if there’s any truth that some hotels give the better rooms at check-in to those who booked via their site and the least desirable to folks who use heavily discounted hotel booking sites, such as hotels.com and Expedia? I’ve read complaints to that effect in guest reviews.

Hi Sue, My pleasure to share the discount link. How great that you were able to arrange a last minute getaway at a wonderful F&F rate! Wishing you an enjoyable weekend and stay at a terrific IHG property!

Hi Eileen, I hope you and your friends are able to book some wonderful IHG properties at special F&F rates, using my designated, personal link. The discount link ends May 31, so the window of opportunity is fast coming to a conclusion. However, bookings are good through May 31, 2010.

I can only speak for my particular property. We do not differentiate between someone booking through our hotel or on our hotel's website and those booking via a 3rd party site such as Expedia and such. We treat each and every guest in the very same manner. I would hope that other properties do the same. A guest should be valued, regardless.

Guests receiving VIP treatment would be those who are Priority Club members/frequent guests or a VIP, designated as such, through my boss who is Regional VP of Operations/GM, Dir. of Sales, Sales Managers, etc.

Thanks Denise

We have now booked Intercontinetial in both Hong Kong and Singapore for Dragon. With the savings we went for the Executive floor. Wanted that great view of Hong Kong Harbor.

Pammy, you will love the ICH in Hong Kong! Gorgeous views from the lobby lounge, and there is a public walkway in front that goes for quite a ways, it is their "avenue of Stars", so to speak. I loved watching all the habor traffic from the room. This hotel is rated one of the best in the world, yet it is not "Old World" like a lot of them. I'm sure you will be happy, and I think there may be others from Dragon who are also there.


I'm more into a little less expense this time ("the New Frugality" as they call it), and will be staying at a hotel that is still very nice, just not on the harbor, but very close to the Jade Market!

That's fantastic, Pammy. I know you will enjoy your stays at two stellar IHG properties. I hear they are both incredible. Springing for Executive Floor is, indeed, the icing on the cake.

With so many booking at so many great IHG properties/destinations, I hope you all will post of your IHG experiences upon your return. Those properties I've yet to visit can then be added onto my ever-growing wish list!

Thanks so much Denise, I took advantage of this offer to stay in Vancouver on September 8th, before our MOOSE cruise...and I plan to book 2 nights in Amsterdam May 2010, but I have to wait a few more days before booking it, as it won't accept dates more than 50 weeks away.

Thank you again for offering us this opportunity!

Charlene

Denise, it's wonderful that so many LCTers have been able to take advantage using your discount link. Many happy travelers in nice hotels for such good $$

I hope you win the contest with Intercontinental Hotels.

Hi Charlene, Good to hear that you've booked a stay in Vancouver. I hope you're equally successful in Amsterdam. If you're able to book the Amstel InterContinental, go for it. We stayed there after our Baltics cruise, for a post visit in Amsterdam. The property is situated by the Amstel river. It's a magnificent little gem of a property.

Marcie, it really pleases me that so many have been successful in booking through my discounted link and have reserved fantastic IHG properties at highly discounted rates. In all the years I've worked with IHG, this type of opportunity has never been offered. Once the link has expired, the only way someone can obtain a Friends/Family rate is directly through an IHG employee intervening in that person's behalf.

The winners are those who took advantage of a very limited and exceptional offer, affording them some incredible, greatly discounted stays.

Less than 2 weeks to book through the personal link. When it's over, it's unfortunately, over. :(

I keep trying, but our trip in May '10 is going to be about two weeks too far into the future to allow us to take advantage.

Hi Pam, I'd continue to try through May 31. Maybe it will materialize for you. I hope so.

Just a reminder....This is the last week to book using the special link. Last day to book is Sunday, May 31.

Denise, thanks for the reminder. I plan to book the Auckland Crowne Plaza tomorrow. :)

.................................
Susan

I hope you're successful with your booking, Susan.

We may be visiting New Zealand next year and if we do, we will book our stay there for the Auckland portion of our trip. I'd be interested in hearing of your impressions and experiences should you be staying at this particular property.

We are going to be one week too far out, my heart is broken! I just priced what we'd like for a time frame two weeks earlier than we need it for (they will only book 50 weeks in the future), and the price was incredible!

Denise, the booking was very easy. I will be happy to let you know our impressions of the property.

We are only staying three days, and I hope that is enough time to experience the best of Auckland.

.............................
Susan

We had a wondeful theater week in London. Highlight was "Duet for One," a play we tried to see earlier when it was at the Almeida but was sold out.

Forum is one of our favorites, we've stayed there many times when it was under Six Continents umbrella and was part of InterContinental group.

We don't spend much time in the room but it provides a quiet, restful night in the South Kensington area which we like. As a bonus we had a bottle of water and OJ each day.

Thanks again

Pam, Sorry to hear you are still unable to book. I would give it one more try on the 31st. Maybe you'll luck out. I hope so.

Susan, Good to see you were able to book Crowne Plaza Auckland and the reservation process went smoothly. Yes, please let me know your impressions when you return. Wishing you a great trip and stay at CP in Auckland.

Ted, Sounds like you had a lovely theater week in London. I've heard many good things about Forum. Great hearing that your stay at this property has always been favorable and you experienced more of the same this time around. We,too, really like the South Kensington area of London.

Wasn't able to get the Intercontinental Grand in Stockholm for our daughter but it was a good try. Thanks anyway, Denise. It was nice of you to think of us.

Denise, thank you so much, we were able to save enough on two (seperate) nights in Seattle to upgrade one of them to the Downtown Crown Plaza.

Last fall we stayed at the Crown Plaza in San Pedro, CA the night before a Panama Canal cruise, we had a great stay in the MOST COMFORTABLE BED we've ever slept in (BOTH of us!). Even the included breakfast was delicious (we had a pre-cruise package) and the shuttle was on time and comfortable. We would recommend that hotel to anyone sailing from the Long Beach (actually San Pedro) cruise terminal.

Denise: my computer is sick & I'm going cross-eyed on the phone. Is there a penalty charge should you need to cancel?

I need to book soon!!!!!!

Hi to Alan.

Cheers! Ray

Denise, it is killing me not to be able to use this wonderful promotion, but I'm glad so many others have been able to make reservations. You are a gem to make this opportunity available.

Sealover, Sorry the Grand in Stockholm didn't work out for your daughter. Such a lovely property and so well located.

Count, Good hearing that you were able to book in Seattle. I hope you have a wonderful stay. Many people comment on how comfortable our beds are. In fact, one couple who had stayed here inquired of where we purchase the mattresses so they could purchase one for themselves.

Ray, These Friends and Family bookings are pre-purchase and non-refundable. That is the only "penalty" you would incur. Yes, you do need to book soon. It's just about over.

Hi Priscilla! No need to agonize about not being able to take advantage of this great promotion. You could use this link to book a stay in SOCAL!

A few more days to go and poof! It's gone!

Denise,
Thanks so much. I am staying at the Intercontinental in Budapest and looking forward to it. I have read some really terrific reviews.

Susan,

I know you will enjoy Budapest and the Intercont both great places. Have a great trip.

Susan, We stayed at the Budapest InterCon last year. The location and views are superb. Enjoy!
Budapest is an amazing city. Of course, I'm prejudiced because I'm half Hungarian.

Thank you thank you Denise.

We just booked rooms for Bing & Carol
and Jan and I at Crowne Plaza in Amsterdam
for our post "PARIS" cruise

That's great, Jim. I hope you all have a very enjoyable stay. When we visited Amsterdam, we stayed at the Amstel InterContinental, which is an incredibly lovely property, situated along the Amstel river.

Please let me know your impressions of Crowne Plaza Amsterdam.

Denise: Did you announce that the Intercontinental Friends and Family Discount offer had bern extended beyond May 31?? Many thanks. Maxine

Jim, what rate did you get? We are looking for a hotel in Amsterdam in September.

Hi Maxine,

Yes, I began another thread announcing that the InterContinental Hotels Group Friends and Family rate was extended through September 30, 2009.

Friends and Family Extension Thread