Two reasons why I mention IHG Rewards Club 80% bonus points on points purchases by March 28. First reason is to tell you to wait for Daily Getaways sales in April for lower priced IHG points purchases, likely under $6.00 per 1,000 points. Second reason is you might want to buy some IHG Rewards Club points now for an IHG hotel reward stay booking in the next few weeks or for the option to buy cheaper points than this 80% sale with IHG Points and Cash stays.
IHG Rewards Club 80% Bonus Points Offer ends March 28
10,000 – 60,000 points = 80% bonus.
Buy 11,000 to 25,000 points and the regular IHG points price = $12.50 per 1,000. This 80% bonus points offer reduces the price to $6.95 per 1,000 points.
- $137.50 buys 19,800 IHG points
- (11,000 points at $12.50 per 1,000 + 8,800 bonus points.)
- Buy Points rate = $6.95 per 1,000 points.
- $299.00 buys 46,800 IHG points
- (26,000 points at $11.50 per 1,000 + 20,800 bonus points.)
- Buy Points rate = $6.39 per 1,000 points.
These are the two price points with the best purchase rates at lowest spend.
Daily Getaways will likely sell IHG Rewards Club points at $5.65 to $6.00 per 1,000 points in April 2017
U.S. Travel Association, the national organization representing the United States travel industry, has offered an annual Daily Getaways sale since 2011 sometime between March and June with five weeks of Monday through Friday travel brand promotional sales since 2011. This year’s 2017 Daily Getaways promotion offers begin Monday April 10, 2017.
IHG Rewards Club is one of the major hotel, airline, car rental and destination brands participating in Daily Getaways, along with several other major hotel chains, offering travel discounts on points purchases and hotel stays.
IHG often fills 2 of the 25 days of Daily Getaways offers. They offer so many points for sale that they generally do not sell out on those days. Sometimes they are even still available for a couple weeks on the Daily Getaways unsold offers page after the five weeks of offers, until the sale site is shut down for the year.
Last Year’s Daily Getaways 2016 IHG Rewards Club offers
- $90 for 15,000 points = $6.00 per 1,000 points (1,000 sets for sale, buy up to 5x).
- $150 for 25,000 points = $6.00 per 1,000 points (1,000 sets for sale, buy up to 4x).
- $293 for 50,000 points = $5.86 per 1,000 points (1,500 sets for sale, buy up to 4x).
- $565 for 100,000 points = $5.65 per 1,000 points (3,850 sets for sale, buy up to 3x).
2017 Daily Getaways preview of offers will post Monday April 3.
Does buying IHG Rewards Club points even make sense for most travelers?
My parents ask me several times a year if they should buy IHG Rewards Club points after I write a buy points article. My reply is only if you have immediate need or flexibility in travel to take advantage of promotional IHG PointBreaks hotel reward bargains at 5,000 points per night.
Each year there seem to me to be fewer hotels among the nearly 5,000 IHG properties worldwide where buying IHG Rewards Club points makes sense for standard rewards.
IHG hotels in most cities are priced in the 20,000 to 30,000 points range or higher. That is $125 to $187.50 for a room night if buying points with 80% bonus points. Room rates are often far lower than that for these same hotels.
IHG PointBreaks deals are fantastic travel bargains, if you can stay at a hotel for 5,000 points per night. I landed 4 nights at Crowne Plaza Vilnius in April 2016 for 20,000 points.
I was in Krakow, Poland on January 30 when the most recent IHG PointBreaks list posted and Hotel Indigo was available that night for 5,000 points. Unfortunately, I was already staying on a paid rate at Holiday Inn Krakow, where I earned around 20,000 points for a $100 hotel night.
Loyalty Traveler – IHG PointBreaks Hotel List Jan 30-April 30, 2017
I stayed at Hotel Indigo Krakow on Christmas Day 2016.
Hotel Indigo Krakow, Poland Christmas 2016
There are some good IHG Points & Cash Reward options
Points & Cash reward nights offer another opportunity to buy IHG Rewards Club points at a lower rate than this 80% bonus points promotion. But you need some points to book Points&Cash stays.
I loved staying at the InterContinental Amstel in Amsterdam in February 2016. This hotel is frequently over $400 per night. This is a hotel where IHG Rewards Club points offer good value, especially if you earned points from promotions like IHG Accelerate.
Loyalty Traveler – IHG Accelerate 2017 Achieved 44,323 points on 2 stays for $317
InterContinental Amstel Amsterdam
392 EUR room rate = $426.46 USD (Prepaid, nonrefundable)
460.60 EUR room rate = $501.12 USD (flexible cancellation).
50,000 points Standard Reward (flexible cancellation).
- $319.50 USD to buy 50,000 points per reward night during 80% bonus points offer ($6.39/1,000 x 50,000 = $319.50.
30,000 points + $125 Points & Cash reward night (flexible cancellation).
- $316.70 USD to buy 30,000 points for $191.70 (pro-rated from $299 for 46,600 points purchase) + $125 to buy 20,000 points at time of Points & Cash booking. That is a lower $6.25 per 1,000 points rate compared to $6.39 rate with 80% bonus points offer.
Buying points makes sense if you have a plan and a need for IHG points.
My personal strategy for IHG is earn points on cheap hotel stays during high-value promotions like Accelerate 2017.
