Amusing PC Platinum Welcome Amenity

May 26, 2012 By 14 Comments

I have Platinum status with Priority Club as well as Ambassador status with InterContinental Hotels (sort of a program-within-a-program). I never read about any welcome amenity that comes with being Platinum, but I got one anyway when I checked in to a Holiday Inn Express just a few minutes ago.

picture of bottled water, lollipops and toothpase

Yeah… That’s two bottles of water, and the mystery grab bag included two Dum Dums and a free sample of Arm & Hammer toothpaste. Now, I’m not one to complain about the water. In fact, Megan and I got into a minor spat during the drive here when she drank both her bottle of water and mine. Living in Seattle makes just about anywhere else in the country feel dry.

The Dum Dums are okay, too. Like I said, I wasn’t expecting anything. But since when is a free toothpaste sample a welcome amenity? Are they trying to replication Hyatt, which puts a tube of toothpaste in every room, even at the Hyatt Place I stayed at last night? Couldn’t they just put it in the room and have it waiting for me? I dunno. I’m sure I’m not the only person who finds this weird. A nice gesture, but weird.

Has anyone else gotten something stranger than two pieces of candy and some toothpaste?

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About Scott Mackenzie

Scott founded HMT while traveling on a budget during graduate school and stays loyal to United, Alaska, Hyatt, and Starwood.
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  • http://twitter.com/LiveFromALounge Live From a Lounge

    Since this is a non-standard benefit, I assume hotels source it locally and they don’t bother going out and about. PC also does not bother enforcing any brand standards of sorts…

    • Scottrick

      Unfortunate. Standardization is the one thing that Holiday Inns have in spades while lacking at the same time in other areas.

  • Thomrw

    I was once given two brand new, still in the package, ballpoint pens as my Platinum PC welcome gift at a Holiday Inn. No joke.

  • Markcheng1203

    Water, kitkat, pen, mouthwash, coupon,
    Best ever was water melon plate once

  • http://twitter.com/TheDealMommy The Deal Mommy

    We’re at the Crowne Plaza Hampton, VA right now and our platinum amenity was…wait for it…a choice of three items from their snack closet!  I went with two diet cokes and some M&Ms.  To be fair, they also gave us two breakfast vouchers and two free appetizer/desserts, but I did think the “pick 3″ was a bit odd.

    • Tony

      In Ghana at the Accra HI my Platinum amenity was a giant fruit basket filled will mangoes, papaya, melon, and delicious cape coast pineapples.  We couldn’t finish it all during a quick 1 night stay.

    • Yana

      Ha! I am at the same hotel right now as well - hooray to the last Pointbreak list but as a Platinum member I wasn’t offered any snack closet choices, although other people in front of us did get that and happily raided that Coca Cola machine…. Granted there were a lot of people checking-in at 3pm - perhaps I’ll go ask for it today – would make good drinks for a beach. The hotel has nice views and looks to be completed sold out last night.

      • http://twitter.com/TheDealMommy The Deal Mommy

         Hey, maybe I’ll see you at the Norfolk/VA Beach Holiday Inn in July…already booked three PC Pointbreaks there!

    • Scottrick

      The snack closet seems like an improvement, and an easy way to standardize the offer.

  • Damon

    Got some gourmet chocolate and wine when staying in some IHG in Asia. Also got some cookies during the turn down. Fresh fruits in Crowne Plaza, Singapore.

    • Scottrick

      Yum! Although I’m sure you paid more for that IC than I did for this HI.

  • Nicehands

    My last PC plat welcome amenity was two bottles of water and four Milano cookies. Before that was a single bottle of water, a pack of microwave popcorn and a coupon. Each time, it’s been presented at check-in in an overly fancy bag with tissue paper. Can’t they just leave it in the room? The last thing want at check-in is another bag to carry. Thanks for the post.

  • Tom

    I can beat that.. At a Candlewood I got the two bottles of water, tube of toothpaste, some sort of Little Debbie snack item I can’t identify because it was from a bulk pack and smashed until unrecognizable, and a sample pack of ‘Breathe Right Nasal Strips’. 

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