Changes coming to Priority Club Rewards program...best of all is free Internet

"Exciting changes" (their words, not mine) are coming to the Priority Club Rewards program, beginning this summer. First, the program has been renamed to the IHG Rewards Club (yawn). Second, they've added a slew of new benefits that should please most members.

As pictured in the screenshot above, new benefits include:

• Free Internet worldwide--apparently this perk is not just available while staying in an IHG hotel, but even if you're just stopping by for a coffee. The free Internet is supposed to start for Platinum and Gold Elite members in July 2013 and for all members in 2014.
• Fast track to Elite status when you stay in two or more IHG brands.
• Reward nights counting toward Elite status.
• Nights earned beyond Elite status will count toward Platinum Elite status the next year.

I am most excited about the free Internet benefit. This is a huge benefit as many of their hotels don't currently offer free Internet. I have an award stay coming up in Italy in July. (I am Platinum Elite thanks to the Priority Club Rewards Visa). Hopefully, there will not be any glitches and this benefit will start at the beginning of July.

The other new benefits don't matter to me so much, since, as I just mentioned, the PC credit card comes with Platinum Elite status (here's my post about when I signed up for the card).