(Deal Gone) Hot Deal for Priority Club Reward Nights

[Update: Deal Gone 10:00am EST 1/16] Getting a $250 to $300 per night room for 5,000 Priority Club points + $70 is a real deal. I am surprised to see a muted reaction on threads discussing InterContinental and Crowne Plaza hotels that suddenly dropped to 15,000 points on January 15 from their former reward rates of 35,000 and 40,000 points per night.

I posted a brief and quick post yesterday afternoon Priority Club Rewards Deep Discounts: Act Flash to share the great value of checking Priority Club Reward Nights for hotels that were 35,000 and 40,000 points on Monday that are still available today at much lower rates:

• 5,000 points + $70 Points & Cash
• 10,000 points + $40 Points & Cash
• 15,000 points standard award night

First check LoyaltyLobby.com for a list of reduced points rate IHG hotels John O. found yesterday compared to his master list of Priority Club reward night rates he posted last Friday. 

Two InterContinental Hotels in Toronto that were 40,000 points per night two days ago show up at 15,000 points per night now. I doubt these two hotels with rates over $250CAD per night in summer 2013 will be listed as Category 2 hotels for reward nights at 15,000 points once the new Priority Club Reward Nights list comes out Friday, January 18, 2013.

Here is a detailed example of hotel rate savings at a $329 per night Crowne Plaza hotel in Key West if you have 5,000 Priority Club points or more to spend.

Key West, Florida – Crowne Plaza La Concha

Crowne Plaza La Concha was 35,000 points per night on Monday and now is listed at 15,000 points.

Published rates start at $329.00 per night for February 18-21 holiday week.

Or you can book Points & Cash right now for three nights at 15,000 points per night. Or you can spend 5,000 points per night + $70 to buy 10,000 points for each night of your reservation.

Points & Cash reward stay for three nights costs 15,000 points + $210.

Compare 15,000 points + $210 Points & Cash reward stay rate to the published rate after tax for this same stay.

$1,110.39 after tax for three night stay at Crowne Plaza La Concha, Key West during peak season February 18-21, 2013.

Redemption rate value for 15,000 Priority Club Rewards points is $900.

That is a phenomenal $60 value for every 1,000 Priority Club points redeemed.

This hot Priority Club Rewards deal is still alive at the moment.

Is Priority Club really lowering the rate of Crowne Plaza La Concha Key West to 15,000 points per night in the new scheme? And are both InterContinental Hotels in Toronto actually dropping to 15,000 points per night?

I seriously doubt these low standard reward night rates at 15,000 points for some of these newly discounted hotels will be around much longer. Priority Club stated its new reward chart comes out Friday, January 18 and we will see.

Now only if Priority Club had posted a list of the hotels in the nine new hotel categories before the January 18 changes, then members would know if this is a reward night anomaly for select hotels that suddenly dropped by more than 50% in standard reward cost.

Or is this truly a high value new world order for Priority Club Standard Rewards we will see posted on Friday, January 18?

My bet is the former scenario.

I cleaned out my Priority Club account yesterday booking high value reward nights for InterContinental and Crowne Plaza hotel stays in 2013.

Ric Garrido, writer and owner of Loyalty Traveler, shares news and views on hotels, hotel loyalty programs and vacation destinations for frequent guests. You can follow Loyalty Traveler on Twitter and Facebook and RSS feed.