IHG Rewards Club has an offer for 20% off the cash portion of a Cash & Points stay booked by July 22 for stays through September 16, 2019.
In the past this would have been a welcome deal by me as a way to buy 20,000 points for $92 at a hotel with a $115 rate like InterContinental Monterey. Points & Cash 20% off promotion was a way to buy points for $4.60 per 1,000 points.
However, Points & Cash rates have gone up significantly across the world. I can’t find any hotel today where the Points & Cash 20% discount rate is even as low as buying IHG points at $5.00 per 1,000 points, a rate available for some members with the current 100% buy points promotion.
InterContinental Monterey today shows $144 to buy 20,000 points at the non-discount rate when not signed into my IHG account. That makes the 20% discount rate $115.20 to buy 20,000 points. That is $5.76 per 1,000 points.
Basically the new higher Points & Cash rates now only reduce the cash portion to the former Points & Cash rates after a 20% discount.
In fact, I can make a direct comparison based on an analysis I wrote on May 7, 2019 using Holiday Inn Express Fort Lauderdale Airport — Cruise Port for sample rate comparisons on July 18, 2019.
Originally posted in IHG Points and Cash variable pricing is here (May 7, 2019).
Thursday July 18 Points and Cash rates
Advance Purchase Rate = $136.80
Best Flexible Rate = $146.30
40,000 points = standard rate
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35,000 points + $39 = $7.80 per 1,000 points to buy 5,000 points
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30,000 points + $75 = $7.50 per 1,000 points to buy 10,000 points
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25,000 points + $95 = $6.33 per 1,000 points to buy 15,000 points
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20,000 points + $115 = $5.75 per 1,000 points to buy 20,000 points
Here are the Points & Cash rates on July 17 for a Points & Cash stay at this same Fort Lauderdale hotel on July 18 with the 20% discount rate.
Points & Cash non-discounted rate
- 40,000 points = standard rate
- 35,000 points + $54 = $10.80 per 1,000 points to buy 5,000 points
- 30,000 points + $84 = $8.40 per 1,000 points to buy 10,000 points
- 25,000 points + $108 = $7.20 per 1,000 points to buy 15,000 points
- 20,000 points (Not Offered)
Points & Cash 20% Discount Rate
- 40,000 points = standard rate
- 35,000 points + $43.20 = $8.64 per 1,000 points to buy 5,000 points
- 30,000 points + $67.20 = $6.72 per 1,000 points to buy 10,000 points
- 25,000 points + $86.40 = $5.76 per 1,000 points to buy 15,000 points
- 20,000 points (Not Offered)
The only reason I booked a Points & Cash stay earlier this month paying $42 to buy 5,000 points was to ensure I earned 4,500 points for completing an IHG Accelerate promotion task and my Accelerate Achievement Bonus for 12,600 points.
What makes this Points & Casg 20% discount offer even less desirable now is IHG Rewards Club also currently has an offer for 100% bonus points for purchases through August 23, 2019. The buy points promotion makes it possible to buy IHG points for $5.00 per 1,000 points when you make a $260 purchase and buy 52,000 points. You can potentially buy 200,000 points for $1,000 with this 100% bonus offer.
The 100% buy points promotion is a member targeted offer. Your account may not be eligible for the 100% bonus. You can login to your account and see what your own buy points discount offer reveals.
I received the 100% bonus points offer.
