InterContinental Hotels-AMEX 15,000 points for 6 Nights May 1 – July 31, 2012

This is a targeted offer, but since when was that an impediment to Priority Club bonus points?  You can try your luck.

Stay six nights at InterContinental Hotels in the Americas from May 1 to July 31, 2012 and pay with any American Express card to receive 15,000 Priority Club bonus points, 10% off Best Flexible Rate and Priority Club Gold status.

Priority Club promotion registration required before credit nights will be earned.

The nights do not need to be consecutive nights. You can spread this bonus out over six hotel stays if you want.

What: Register and stay any six nights to earn 15,000 bonus points and get 10% off Best Flexible Rate.

Where: InterContinental Hotels & Resorts in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean. This offer is not valid at InterContinental Alliance Resorts which knocks out The Venetian and The Palazzo in Las Vegas and Montelucia Resort in Scottsdale, AZ for bonus points.

When: Register and stay anytime between May 1 and July 31, 2012.

InterContinental Ambassador

My best advice is sign up for InterContinental Ambassador if you do not hold that membership. Cost is $200 or 32,000 points. You receive a 5,000 points certificate with membership payment. Read the Ambassador benefits and you will see that after six nights at InterContinental Hotels you will have received that amount back in value-added benefits from your hotel stays.

• Ambassador members receive free internet. Potential $15 to $35 savings per night, depending on hotel. Free internet is not a regular benefit of Ambassador membership. There are specific hotels where Ambassadors will have internet included when booking a special rate code that is same as Best Flexible rate.
• Room upgrade – potential $30 to $100 per night added value, depending on hotel.
• 4 pm late checkout. 4 pm gives you time when you need to hang around, almost like a full day to work, rest or play.
• Fresh fruit and mineral water.
• Free weekend night (Buy One Get One). Potential $200+ value.
• 5,000 Priority Club points reduces the actual cost to 27,000 points or $200 for one year membership InterContinental Ambassador. Renewal is only $100 per year.

Sign up for this Ambassador Accelerator promotion to earn an additional 20,000 points after 15 nights. This promotion now appears to be more of a recognition benefit for Ambassador members since it has been running continuously now for the past couple of years. Ambassador Accelerator is only available to Ambassador members who register for the offer.

Ambassador membership offers valuable tangible benefits at InterContinental brand hotels. There is little hotel benefit to being Ambassador for stays in other IHG brands like Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, Hotel Indigo, Staybridge Suites, Candlewood Suites and Holiday Inn Express.

Webpage critique of Priority Club InterContinental/AMEX 15,000 points after 6 nights promotion.

Here are observations I made on the promotion page layout. There is a picture on top of the page with the tagline “Stay, Earn and Live The InterContinental Life”. And then the meat of the promotion.

What: Register and stay any six nights to earn 15,000 bonus points and get 10% off our Best Flex Rate.

Where: InterContinental Hotels & Resorts in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean.

When: Register and stay anytime between May 1 and July 31, 2012.

The Fine Print at the bottom of the page does not fully support the main offer. Here are pertinent excerpts from the text on the promotion registration page May 28, 2012.

• Offer valid when you register, book and pay with any American Express Credit or Charge Card. Registration can be completed at www.priorityclub.com/AMX15k.
• American Express Rate Code IDICH must be used at time of booking in order to secure 10% off Best Flexible Rate. Specific discounts may not be available at all hotels. You must be a points collector with a preferred alliance in order to collect points.
• POINTS: Must be a Priority Club Rewards member and must register member number in advance to participate in this promotion.
• Bonus points will be awarded after the three qualifying nights between 1 May and 31 July 2012, at InterContinental locations in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central and Latin America (excluding InterContinental Alliance Resort properties).
• Three qualifying nights do not have to be consecutive.
• 5,000 bonus points awarded after three qualified nights.
• A stay is qualified when paying qualifying rates, which include most business and leisure rates.
• Only one room per member per stay will be awarded the applicable bonus points.
• No retroactive points will be awarded for stays prior to registration.
• This exclusive offer is valid for original recipient only.

The terms in the small print are probably from an old promotion that was updated for the promotion dates and American Express code on this 15K offer without bothering to change the 5,000 points for 3 nights wording from some other offer in the past. That is just my guess.

15,000 bonus points for 6 nights at InterContinental Hotels in the Americas from May 1 to July 31, 2012, paid with an American Express card is the Priority Club main offer.

Too bad the wording on the promotion page is so confusing for Priority Club members.

Thanks to Patrick Sojka of Frequent Flyer Bonuses for passing this offer along.