IHG One Rewards typically is not as effectively cherished within the factors and miles neighborhood as packages like Marriott Bonvoy and World of Hyatt. However IHG motels and resorts can be found in lots of locations, and it is easy to get good worth when redeeming IHG factors.
Incomes IHG factors can also be comparatively straightforward. For instance, new candidates for the $99-annual-fee IHG One Rewards Premier Credit score Card can earn 140,000 bonus factors after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. And new candidates for the no-annual-fee IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit score Card can earn 100,000 bonus factors after spending $2,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.
So, let’s focus on methods to maximize IHG One Rewards redemptions.
Calculate your IHG redemption price to maximise factors
IHG started utilizing dynamic award pricing in 2020. Now, IHG costs all of its award stays dynamically, which means the variety of factors you may must redeem for a keep varies based mostly in your reserving date, the property you select, your keep dates and different elements.
However even with dynamic pricing, getting good worth out of your IHG One Rewards factors continues to be potential. TPG’s November 2024 valuations peg the worth of IHG factors at 0.5 cents every, however you possibly can typically get a better redemption price when redeeming IHG factors.
For instance, let’s assume you wish to e book a normal room with one king mattress on the Vacation Inn Savannah Historic District for the night time of Aug. 15. You might e book a price with free cancellation till a couple of days earlier than your keep for $418 or 69,000 factors. For those who redeem IHG factors for this night time, you may get a redemption price of 0.61 cents per level.
That stated, you will not at all times get a great redemption worth. So, at all times evaluate the money price to the factors price and calculate your redemption price. In case your redemption price is low, contemplate reserving a paid price in your keep and saving your factors for a higher-value redemption.
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Maximize IHG factors by being versatile
One other technique to maximize your IHG factors is to be as versatile as potential. For instance, you can save factors (or cash) within the above situation by shifting your keep to different dates. Particularly, you can redeem 58,000 factors or pay $353 when you shifted your one-night keep per week earlier.
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Likewise, if you’re versatile as to the place you keep in a metropolis — and even town you go to — you might be able to redeem fewer factors. For instance, you may determine to save lots of by staying out close to the Savannah airport for the one-night keep mentioned within the earlier part. By doing so, you can redeem 33,000 factors or pay $212 in your keep.
In brief, being versatile can assist you redeem fewer factors in your stays and maximize your factors.
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Verify Factors & Money redemptions
It is also price checking Factors & Money charges. Because the title suggests, Factors & Money charges allow you to mix IHG factors and cash to stretch your factors additional. You possibly can see these redemption choices by choosing “Factors & Money” as soon as you choose a lodge from the search outcomes.
As with all redemptions, run the numbers to see if a Factors & Money reserving is sensible. Within the above instance, you can e book an evening that will price $212 or 33,000 factors for:
- 33,000 factors and $0 (redemption price of 0.64 cents per level)
- 28,000 factors and $36 (redemption price of 0.63 cents per level)
- 23,000 factors and $69 (redemption price of 0.62 cents per level)
- 18,000 factors and $99 (redemption price of 0.63 cents per level)
- 13,000 factors and $126 (redemption price of 0.66 cents per level)
- 8,000 factors and $149 (redemption price of 0.79 cents per level)
If you make a Factors & Money reservation, you are shopping for factors utilizing the money portion of the reserving. Ought to it’s good to cancel, your refund will come totally in factors fairly than the mix of money and factors you initially used.
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Use the IHG fourth-night-reward perk
You probably have the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit score Card, IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit score Card or IHG One Rewards Premier Enterprise Credit score Card, you possibly can profit out of your card’s fourth-night-reward perk on stays of 4 nights or extra if you e book your keep totally with IHG factors. This perk successfully drops the price of each fourth night time on award stays of 4 nights or longer to zero factors.
To make use of this perk, log in to an account related to an eligible IHG bank card, seek for a keep of 4 nights or longer and decide to redeem IHG factors. You may see the discounted charges in your search outcomes.
There is no cap on what number of instances you should use this perk yearly. And you may even get multiple fourth-night reward on a single keep. For instance, you’d get two fourth-night rewards on a keep of eight to 11 nights and three on a keep of 12 to fifteen nights.
Associated: Why you must get (and preserve) the IHG One Rewards Premier card
Verify for IHG worth drops
You can even maximize your IHG factors by periodically checking for drops in award pricing in your upcoming stays.
To take action, do a brand new award seek for your dates and see if the charges are decrease. If they’re, cancel your keep and rebook (or, if in case you have sufficient factors in your account, e book the brand new keep after which cancel the higher-priced keep). Sadly, I have not discovered a technique to reprice IHG award stays with out making a brand new reserving.
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Earn IHG elite standing
Incomes IHG elite standing might provide you with extra perks in your stays. One of the best perks — like the choice to decide on breakfast as a welcome amenity at full-service and select-service manufacturers — are solely out there for top-tier Diamond Elite members. You possibly can earn Diamond Elite standing by staying 70 qualifying nights, incomes 120,000 qualifying factors or spending $40,000 in your IHG One Rewards Premier Credit score Card or IHG One Rewards Premier Enterprise Credit score Card in a calendar 12 months.
Even when Diamond Elite standing is out of attain, it is nonetheless straightforward to earn Platinum Elite standing. This standing sometimes requires 40 qualifying nights or 60,000 qualifying factors in a calendar 12 months. Nevertheless, you will get Platinum Elite standing as an automated perk via the InterContinental Ambassador program or by holding both the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit score Card or the IHG One Rewards Premier Enterprise Credit score Card.
If you wish to get extra advantages when redeeming IHG factors for stays, you may seemingly discover snagging IHG elite standing worthwhile. Plus, when you join InterContinental Ambassador, you may get further perks at InterContinental and Six Senses properties taking part in IHG One Rewards.
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Backside line
It is comparatively straightforward to maximise redemptions with the IHG One Rewards program. By checking redemption charges earlier than reserving and opting to redeem factors when the redemption price is excessive, you may get stable worth out of your IHG factors. And when you do not have already got an IHG bank card, contemplate including the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit score Card, IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit score Card or IHG One Rewards Premier Enterprise Credit score Card to your pockets.
