High Value of IHG Points Purchase for Our European Travel

I purchased 300,000 IHG points through the Daily Getaways sale on Monday this week for $1,500. My IHG account balance showed 304,000 points on Tuesday morning. An hour later my IHG account balance was back down to 13,000 points after booking 16 nights at InterContinental Hotels in Europe for 291,000 points.

Most bloggers and credit card sites value IHG points at $6.00 to $7.00 per 1,000 points. I find this number too low for my IHG nights using points. An average value for hotel points disregards the consumer’s ability to choose when and where to redeem hotel loyalty points. 

In all, I redeemed 607,000 points for 36 hotel nights in four European countries using the IHG Mastercard Chase 4th night free benefit. Nine stays on two trips to Europe in the autumn and winter months when hotel rates are low. Travel dates mattered. I specifically planned my route to four different cities in Germany to take advantage of dates with lower rates since two of the hotels I booked varied in price by 2x-3x as many points per night for dates one week compared to another week during the dates of my trip. I did not purchase airline tickets until after I had determined the best dates for arrival and departure to and from Europe based on the dates for the low hotel rates I found.

Overall, my IHG points redemption value is $8.95 per 1,000 points for points I purchased for $5.00 per 1,000 points. This IHG points value is based on buying 36 hotel nights priced at $5,432 best flexible rate for the lowest-priced room category at each hotel for 607,000 IHG points. 

The personal value of these IHG points for my stays will likely exceed $10.00 per 1,000 points since I currently hold IHG Diamond and IHG Ambassador status with complimentary breakfast for my wife and me, with a reasonable expectation for a room upgrade from the lowest room rate category and IHG Club lounge privileges for 2023 and 2024 from the IHG Milestone selection I chose in January 2023 after completing 40 nights with IHG in 2022.

IHG Points Rate Analysis

This analysis mentions only the hotel brand, lowest best flexible room rate for dates we will be staying, and the IHG points rate for that same room. I do not provide the specific hotel name for the places we will be staying. I aim to provide data-driven IHG points value for 9 hotel stays while maintaining some sense of privacy. Each of the hotels we plan to stay at is a new place for us. Hotel reviews after our trips will provide the specific IHG points details for these stays. While I could show a rate analysis cherry-picking great IHG redemption opportunities, my aim is to show readers there are significant hotel rate discount opportunities using IHG points for stays at multiple hotels during real vacations.

Hotel Stay 1: InterContinental 

• Lowest Best Flexible Rate = $192/night x 4 nights = $768.
• 4th Night Free Rate = 19,750/night x 4 nights = 79,000 points = $395.
• Savings = $373.
• IHG Redemption Value: $768/79 = $9.72 per 1,000 IHG points.

Hotel Stay 2: Crowne Plaza 

• Lowest Best Flexible Rate = $175/night x 4 nights = $700.
• 4th Night Free Rate = 21,000/night x 4 nights = 84,000 points = $420.
• Savings = $280.
• IHG Redemption Value: $700/84 = $8.33 per 1,000 IHG points.

Hotel Stay 3: InterContinental 

• Lowest Best Flexible Rate = $133/night x 4 nights = $532.
• 4th Night Free Rate = 15,000/night x 4 nights = 60,000 points = $300.
• Savings = $232
• IHG Redemption Value: $532/60 = $8.87 per 1,000 IHG points.

Hotel Stay 4: Holiday Inn

• Lowest Best Flexible Rate = $147/night x 4 nights = $588.
• 4th Night Free Rate = 16,250/night x 4 nights = 65,000 points = $325.
• Savings = $263.
• IHG Redemption Value: $588/65 = $9.05 per 1,000 IHG points.

Hotel Stay 5: InterContinental

• Lowest Best Flexible Rate = $192/night x 4 nights = $768.
• 4th Night Free Rate = 20,250/night x 4 nights = 81,000 points = $405.
• Savings = $363.
• IHG Redemption Value: $768/81 = $9.48 per 1,000 IHG points.

Hotel Stay 6: Holiday Inn Express

• Lowest Best Flexible Rate = $103/night x 4 nights = $412.
• 4th Night Free Rate = 14,000/night x 4 nights = 56,000 points = $280.
• Savings = $132.
• IHG Redemption Value: $412/56 = $7.36 per 1,000 IHG points.

Hotel Stay 7: InterContinental

• Lowest Best Flexible Rate = $172/night x 4 nights = $688.
• 4th Night Free Rate = 18,250/night x 4 nights = 73,000 points = $365.
• Savings = $323.
• IHG Redemption Value: $688/73 = $9.42 per 1,000 IHG points.

Hotel Stay 8: Holiday Inn

• Lowest Best Flexible Rate = $108/night x 4 nights = $432.
• 4th Night Free Rate = 12,750/night x 4 nights = 51,000 points = $255.
• Savings = $177.
• IHG Redemption Value: $432/51 = $8.47 per 1,000 IHG points.

Hotel Stay 9: InterContinental

• Lowest Best Flexible Rate = $136/night x 4 nights = $544.
• 4th Night Free Rate = 14,500/night x 4 nights = 58,000 points = $290.
• Savings = $254.
• IHG Redemption Value: $544/58 = $9.38 per 1,000 IHG points.

Total:

• 36 Hotel Nights

• 607,000 points = $3,035 to buy IHG points.

• $5,432 best flexible rate for the lowest category room available.
• $2,397 saved on the lowest hotel rate using IHG points.
• 44.1% discount using IHG points compared to paying lowest rate.
• $84.31 average nightly room rate for 36 IHG hotel nights with 20 nights at InterContinental Hotels.

Our stay at a Holiday Inn Express provides the lowest redemption value of the 9 stays. It will also be the hotel stay with the least likelihood of a room upgrade or extra benefits received from having IHG elite status. Perhaps I will substitute a different city for an IHG hotel stay where we can get better value from 56,000 IHG points.