5000 points rebate for IHG Points with Cash Reward stay by Dec 31

Last night I received an email from IHG with the subject line “Get 5,000 Points Back in Your Account”. The deal is receive a 5,000 points rebate on a Points with Cash Reward stay by December 31, 2014. That is like getting a $35 rebate since a Points and Cash Reward night is $70 to buy 10,000 points.

Make the most out of your points and book a Reward Night using a combination of your IHG Rewards Club points and cash. With the Points and Cash program you can book your next Reward Night, at any of our 4,700 hotels worldwide, without waiting to accumulate more points. Plus, stay now through December 31st and we will refill your account with 5,000 points.

IHG Rewards Club email November 12, 2014

I checked IHG hotel rates for several cities where I plan to be in the next six weeks and found lots of low room rates around $80 to $110, which makes a Points with Cash reward unfeasible. A hotel reward rate of 20,000 points takes 10,000 points + $70. Net cost after rebate is $70 + 5,000 points. That is not a savings on hotels with a room rate below $100 and a small savings on hotel rates up to $120 after tax.

Best deal is if you can find a low category hotel of 15,000 or 20,000 points per night with a high room rate. Second best deal is a high category reward rate with a high published rate.

InterContinental San Francisco

$296.89 advance purchase nonrefundable rate is $345.35 after tax.

IHG Rewards Club Standard Reward Night = 45,000 points for a redemption value = $7.67 per 1,000 points.

IHG Rewards Club Points with Cash Reward Night = 35,000 points + $70 with a rebate of 5,000 points. Net rate = 30,000 points + $70. Redemption value = $285/30,000 points = $9.50 per 1,000 points.

Our household needs three or four paid nights at IHG hotels to earn our Into the Nights promotion for two free nights in our accounts. This IHG Points with Cash rebate offer for 5,000 points is a promotion bonus I will keep in mind when searching hotels for stays by December 31, 2014. It remains to be seen if I will find a use for this offer.

Check you email for this IHG promotion subject line: “Get 5,000 Points Back in Your Account”.

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Ric Garrido of Monterey, California is writer and owner of Loyalty Traveler.

Loyalty Traveler shares news and views on hotels, hotel loyalty programs and vacation destinations for frequent guests. Check out current hotel loyalty program offers across all the major chains in Loyalty Traveler’s monthly hotel promotions guide.

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