InterContinental Warsaw was stay #2 of 3 stays I planned for IHG Rewards Club ‘Free Nights Faster’ promotion to maximize bonus points earned with hotel stays in Warsaw, Poland over the past week.
When rates dropped to $99.73 for advance purchase on February 6, I figured that was a great day to book IC Warsaw, however, one of my tasks for Free Nights Faster is book two bonus points package rates to earn 6,600 bonus points. You have to book a flexible rate to access bonus points package rates. The real deal turned out to be InterContinental Warsaw was only charging $9.19 for 5,000 bonus points on a $110.82 flexible room rate. Total room rate at checkout came to 488.12pln = $128.49usd.
InterContinental Warsaw Free Nights Faster points earned 12,997 points for $128.49 hotel stay
- 1,198 base points
- 599 elite bonus points as IHG Rewards Club Platinum member
- 5,000 bonus points package ($9.19 extra)
- 5,600 bonus points (Free Nights Faster Task: Stay 2 times)
- 600 bonus points (Welcome amenity points as IHG Platinum member)
- 12,997 total IHG Rewards club points earned for $128.49
Since I consider IHG Rewards Club points to be worth a minimum $5.00 per 1,000 points for future hotel stays in my travels, I consider 13,000 points to be a $65 rebate on this hotel stay.
Stay #3 for Free Nights Faster will be the big bonus when I pick up 20,000 bonus points for completing two more tasks including second stay booked as a bonus points package rate and stays in three different brands. I am in my IHG Free Nights Faster stay #3 room as I write this article.
Ultimately I will earn 43,000+ points for about $292, which I consider a $215 rebate for future IHG hotel reward nights.
Theoretically, IHG Rewards Club Spire Membership can be cheap through Bonus Points Package Rates
IHG Rewards Club bonus points purchased through bonus points package rates count for elite status. In theory, a person could qualify for highest level IHG Rewards Club Spire status at 75,000 elite qualifying points with as few as 14 hotel nights similar to this stay, instead of the normal 75 nights. In fact, add IHG credit card payment and you could earn 75,000 elite points with 12 or 13 nights like this in a calendar year. Bonus points packages are something to consider if you frequent IHG properties.
Although, most hotels charge more in the range of $5 per 1,000 points for bonus points package rates. Warsaw happens to have exceptionally low bonus points package rates.
InterContinental Warsaw photos
I don’t really feel too comfortable in big city business and luxury hotels. They are not my style. That is one of the reasons why I took 600 bonus points as a Platinum member welcome amenity rather than a complimentary drink at the bar.
There are certainly advantages to this kind of hotel. Cardio boxing workout with an English speaking instructor for 50pln/$13usd might be just the kind of hotel recreation deal you desire.
I did not even bother going to the 43rd floor for photos of the fitness room and pool due to the hotel having check-in staff at the doors there.
After check-in, I went to my room on the Floor 33, snapped photos, then headed back out to walk around Nowy Swiat and Old Town. My unhealthy habits motivated me to work in a large fried schnitzel, french fries and drink a liter stein of Pilsner Urquell for dinner at 9:00pm.
The soft pillows were to my liking. Holiday Inn Warsaw City Centre pillows were too foamy hard for me.
Fruit and water were a nice amenity. Reading back over my review from when I stayed at InterContinental Warsaw in 2017 reminded me that I received chocolate that trip. Fruit is more appreciated by me. I ate the banana for breakfast and packed the rest for consumption while I was in Chania, Crete, where I flew the following day.
I remembered the bathroom scale from my previous trip. Seems kind of funny to me to see an old scale in an InterContinental. A modern clear glass scale for $15 would look more appropriate for the setting.
My room view from 3309 InterContinental Warsaw looked out to the Palace of Culture and Science.
The Palace is colorfully lighted at night.
The following morning I needed to print out my Aegean Airlines boarding pass after their website stated twice my boarding passes had been sent to my mobile without me ever receiving them. Beside the bar in the lobby are two computers with a printer.
At checkout I chatted with the receptionist about my plans to fly to Chania, Crete. She asked me if she could arrange a taxi for me to the airport.
No thanks. Never been my style.
Warsaw train station is five minutes walk from the hotel. The train for Warsaw Chopin Airport-WAW leaves every 30 minutes from Platform 4. The journey takes 20 minutes from city center to the airport terminal. Price is 4.40pln/$1.16usd.
IHG Rewards Club ‘Free Nights. Faster.’ promotion Jan 15-Apr 30, 2019
Deep dive into IHG Bonus Points Package rates for Free Nights Faster promotion
IHG Free Nights. Faster. Stay 1 Holiday Inn Warsaw City Centre
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