As a member of IHG InterContinental Rewards Club, you may often have this question: How much are IHG points worth? Is it cost-effective to redeem IHG points for accommodation? Today we will reveal how IHG members should obtain and use points smartly.
How much are IHG points worth?
Based on the price of Intercontinental’s previous point sales activities, the value of Intercontinental points is approximately:10,000 points = 50 US dollars.
To put it simply, as an IHG member, there are only two things you need to know:
- How to obtain IHG points more cost-effectively: purchase points directly > Reward points package > Obtain through accommodation consumption.
- How to use IHG points to get the most value: Compared with the hotel’s cash booking price, as long as 10,000 points can be used for a value of more than US$50, it is a good deal.
The travel tabloid below will explain in detail how to obtain and use InterContinental IHG points, allowing you to book IHG Hotels InterContinental hotels at less cost.
Is it cost-effective to redeem IHG points for accommodation?
To put it bluntly, if you participate in IHG’s point-selling promotions and strategically use your points to redeem InterContinental hotels, it will be a good deal.
If you purchase points on the IHG official website in normal times, the price is about $10 USD/ Millenniums.
But if you participate in IHG’s point sales promotion, the lowest price for purchasing points is 50% off, that is, buy one get one free, Price $5 USD/thousand points, so the cost for you to buy points is 10,000 points and 50 US dollars, which Now is the best time to buy IHG points.
Such promotions usually occur every one or two months, each lasting about 1 month.
Each member can purchase up to 150,000 additional points, and sometimes promotions will increase the point purchase limit for some members to 250,000 points.
Which InterContinental hotels are worth redeeming with points?
Since InterContinental implemented dynamic point redemption, the number of hotels worth redeeming with points has increased a lot. Simply calculate the redemption cost when booking to know if it’s worth redeeming your points.
For example, at this Holiday Inn, the price for booking with cash is $145, but using points to redeem it costs 24,000 points.
A simple calculation shows that the purchase cost of 10,000 points is US$50, and the purchase cost of 24,000 points is US$120, which is lower than the US$145 of cash booking, so this hotel is worth redeeming points instead of booking with cash.
Alternatively, it can be calculated like this. If the cash price/points are >50 US dollars, it is a good deal to redeem points for accommodation. The higher the result, the more cost-effective it is.
Take the above example, 145 US dollars / 24,000 points = 60 US dollars, which means that the use value of points is 60 US dollars per 10,000 points, which is higher than our purchase cost, so it is cost-effective to exchange points .
For reference, here are the hotels worthy of redeeming points found by Travel Tabloid when the article was published:
Hong Kong
Crown Plaza Hong Kong Causeway Bay
Hotel Indigo Hong Kong Island
Holiday Inn Golden Mile Hong Kong
Holiday Inn Express Hong Kong Causeway Bay
Holiday Inn Express Hong Kong Mongkok
Kowloon Hong Kong CBD2 Zhi Choose Holiday Inn
Taipei
Hotel Indigo Taipei Dazhi
Kimpton Daan Hotel
Guangdong
InterContinental Hotel Guangzhou
Crown Plaza Guangzhou Huadu
Holiday Hotel Guangzhou
Holiday Hotel Guangzhou Nanhu
Hotel Indigo Shenzhen Venice
InterContinental Hotel Shenzhen International Convention and Exhibition Center p>
Beijing
Holiday Inn Express Beijing Lishi
Holiday Inn Express Beijing Shougang Xiuchi
Crown Plaza Beijing Lido
Holiday Inn Express Beijing Jinyu Badaling
Huayu Holiday Inn Beijing Deshengmen Hotel
Shanghai
Shanghai Sheshan Shimao InterContinental Hotel
Shanghai Dahua Jinxiu Crowne Plaza
Shanghai Jinjiang Tomson InterContinental Hotel
National Exhibition and Convention Center Shanghai InterContinental
Shanghai Hongqiao Jinchen Crowne Plaza
Why use points to redeem accommodation?
The biggest purpose of buying points to redeem free rooms is of course to save money. Let’s take a look at the benefits of redeeming points for accommodation.
- Tax-free fees and service charges. When booking a hotel through IHG official channel, you need to pay an additional tax and service fee of approximately 15% . And if you use points to redeem, there is no tax.
- Free cancellation. IHG Rewards points rooms can usually be canceled for free one day in advance, and the points will be refunded in the same way, which is very flexible.
- No blackout dates. IHG There is no restriction on the redemption date for points rooms. As long as the official website shows that the hotel is available for reservation, points can be redeemed.
- Enjoy Priority Club Rewards benefits as normal. Using points to redeem free rooms can also enjoy Priority Club membership benefits, including room upgrades, late check-out, etc.
- Membership is valid for one night. Using points to redeem free rooms can also be used to calculate the effective room nights of the membership, and can be used to upgrade or maintain the membership.
- Cheap prices. If you participate in IHG’s points-buying promotion, you can buy points cheaply and then redeem them for free rooms, which is much cheaper than booking directly with cash.
How to buy IHG points?
- Open the points buying site.
- Log in to your IHG Priority Club membership account.
- Select the points you want to purchase and submit credit card payment.
- Points will be credited to your account within 72 hours after payment.
In addition to purchasing points, what other ways can you get IHG points?
EarnInterContinental Priority ClubIHG points through accommodation
After registering as an InterContinental Priority Club member for free, Earn 10 base points for every $1 spent at your hotel every time you stay.
On this basis, if you are a Silver Card or above member, there will be corresponding additional points rewards, such as Silver Card+20%, Gold+40%, Platinum+60%, Diamond+100% . In other words, if you are an InterContinental Diamond member, you will earn double points every time you stay at a hotel.
In addition, members automatically receive 1,000 points every year on their birthday.
IHG points are valid for 12 months. If there is no change (increase or decrease) in the points in the account within 12 months, all points will expire. There are two ways to solve the problem of points expiration:
- In the new membership plan, as long as the silver card level or above is reached, the points in the account are permanently valid.
- Points will not expire as long as there is any change in the number of points. Even if you don’t stay in the hotel to accumulate points, you can still use the points to redeem items or miles online, and the validity period of the points will be automatically extended for 12 months.
This suggestion applies to any hotel group. Every expenditure at the hotel must be recorded on the room account, so that you can get more reward points when checking out.
Earn IHG points through promotions: Bonus points package price< /h2>
Priority Club Rewards Points Packages, now renamed as Priority Club Rewards Points Packages (Bonus Points Packages), actually You can purchase an additional 1,000 to 5,000 points on top of the room price, which is especially suitable for use when upgrading or maintaining levels.
Reservation entrance: https://www.ihg.com.cn/content/cn /zh/deals/packages/bpp-elite
Why use a bonus points package?
- The bonus points package is Tier Points. Under normal rules, you’ll earn 10 base points for every $1 spent at the hotel. And through this bonus points package, you can easily get thousands of points for upgrading or maintaining your level.
- In the new plan of IHG One Rewards, it is more difficult to upgrade members. But if you use the bonus points package to earn 5,000 points per stay, at least12You can earn60,000 points at night and upgrade toIHGIntercontinental Platinum Members.
- This bonus points package is especially suitable for those traveling to the company. The cost of purchasing points can be hidden in the room rate. After the company reimburses you, the points earned can be used to upgrade yourself, exchange for free rooms, etc.
- IHG sometimes launches discounts for purchasing points. According to the maximum discount, the minimum price for purchasing IHG Rewards Club points is 5USD < strong>/Thousands. If the rewards points package you purchase costs less than this price, it’s worth it.
How to book an InterContinental Bonus Points package?
When you book an IHG InterContinental hotel and select the time and room type, several prices will appear:
- Accommodation only prices
- +price after breakfast
- Price +1000 points
- +2000 points price, etc.
Just choose the corresponding package price according to your needs. After checking into the hotel, points will be automatically accumulated into your account.
IHG often has points bonus activities. This is a way to quickly accumulate points. Unlike the bonus point packages mentioned above, these points cannot be used to maintain or upgrade. They can be used to redeem free rooms, purchase goods, etc.
For example, in the recent IHG points promotion, as long as you stay at the InterContinental Hotel for 2 nights during the promotion period, you can earn 2 times the points, and there is no cap.
Follow the travel tabloid, we will regularly update the latest Intercontinental booking discounts, points activities, etc..
Earn IHG points quickly through activitiesIHG Intercontinental Co-branded Credit Card
Earn up to 125,000 bonus points plus a free night when you sign up for the IHG Rewards Club Premier Intercontinental Credit Card.
In addition, you can get 2 points for every 18 yuan spent in hotels with the CITIC IHG co-branded credit card; you can get 2 points for every 10 yuan spent with the co-branded platinum card.
Using the Guangfa China Eastern Airlines Intercontinental three-party co-branded credit card: Customers can earn 1 IHG Priority Club point + 1 Eastern Miles point + 6 GF points when spending 6 yuan on points-accrued purchases at designated channels of China Eastern Airlines and IHG hotels.
Related Post:
- Visa card to enjoy 20% off on IHG InterContinental hotels in Asia Pacific
- Enjoy 15% discount on IHG InterContinental hotel bookings in Asia Pacific with Mastercard
The above are a few ways to earn IHG points. You can earn points and use them wisely. Let’s talk in detail about how to use IHG Rewards Club points efficiently.
Use IHG One Rewards Points Guide: Redeem Free Nights h2>
Of course the most useful thing about points is to redeem free accommodation. The number of points required to redeem free rooms at each hotel is dynamic, and the approximate value is as follows:
Holiday Express: 10,000 – 20,000 points
Holidays: 10,000 – 25,000 points
Crown: 20,000 – 40,000 points
Intercontinental: 25,000 – 50,000 points
Indigo: 30,000 – 50,000 points
As mentioned earlier, the lowest price for IHG points purchase activities is US$5 per thousand points. You can follow the formula we taught above to evaluate whether it is worth using points to redeem free rooms.
IHGPoints+ Book a room by cash
Also, you can choose to pay for part of your stay with points and the rest in cash. As long as you have more than 5,000 points in your IHG account, you can use them to pay for part of your stay, here’s how:
- Log in to the InterContinental Hotels Group website.
- Select a points and cash combination (rates vary by location).
- Select a room type and book your stay.
- The cash portion of Points+Cash is the points purchased and is billed in US dollars.
If a stay is canceled, all monies will be refunded in points only.
How to use IHG points to book a room?
- On the IHG InterContinental Hotel booking page, first log in to your member account.
- When booking a hotel, enter the destination, select the check-in date, and select “Reward Night” in the rate preference to view the number of points needed to redeem the hotel room.
- Select a room type with a prompt such as 1,000 points, click “Select Room”, and you can see whether you have enough points in your account to redeem a free room.
- Then just fill in the order and submit it. To redeem points, you still need to submit a credit card guarantee.
Notes on using IHG points:
1. Although you do not need to pay cash to book a points room, you still need to provide a credit card guarantee. Points will be refunded if the reservation is cancelled.
2. You cannot earn points by booking with IHG points, and you will not participate in any points bonus activities. However, points can still be earned for purchases made during the stay, such as breakfast and afternoon tea at the lobby bar.
3. You can also redeem points for a room for others to stay in, but the member must call the IHG Rewards Club Guest Care Center 7 days in advance to make a reservation. Online booking is not possible, and the guest cannot enjoy membership benefits.
4. IHG Points rooms can only be used to book standard rooms, and other room types are not applicable.
5. A maximum of 9 points-earning rooms can be booked at the same hotel and on the same check-in date. However, each order can only book 1 room, and multiple bookings are required.
UseIHG points guide: Buy Intercontinental Ambassador
InterContinental Ambassador can use 40,000 points to redeem directly to obtain benefits such as weekend gift certificates and platinum membership. For those who need to stay at InterContinental frequently, it is still worth buying.
Related Post: IHG Ambassador Intercontinental Ambassador Guide
Use IHG Points Guide: Points Bidding, online shopping, Airline Miles
InterContinental, like Hilton, also has a points bidding platform “Upai”. Points can be used to participate in auctions, redeem housing packages, concerts, local experience activities, etc.
You can also use points to make online purchases, including jewelry, electronics, or gift cards. The picture below shows the most redeemed items on the official website. See if there is anything you are interested in.
If you often stay at InterContinental hotels when traveling for business, the accumulated InterContinental points can be used to redeem airline miles, which can be used on family vacations in the future.