Maximizing redemptions with the IHG One Rewards program

IHG One Rewards usually is not as nicely beloved within the factors and miles group as packages like Marriott Bonvoy and World of Hyatt. However IHG motels and resorts can be found in lots of locations, and it is simple to get good worth when redeeming IHG factors.

Incomes IHG factors can be comparatively simple. For instance, new candidates for the $99-annual-fee IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card can earn 165,000 bonus factors after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. And new candidates for the no-annual-fee IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card can earn 100,000 bonus factors after spending $2,000 on purchases within the first three months.

So, let’s focus on learn how to maximize IHG One Rewards redemptions.

IHG began using dynamic award pricing in 2020. Now, all IHG award stays are priced dynamically, which means the variety of factors you may must redeem for a keep varies primarily based in your reserving date, the property you select, your keep dates and different elements.

However even with dynamic pricing, getting good worth out of your IHG One Rewards factors continues to be attainable. TPG’s valuations peg the worth of IHG factors at 0.5 cents every, however you may usually get a better redemption price when redeeming IHG points.

For instance, let’s assume you wish to guide a regular room with one king mattress on the Vacation Inn Savannah Historic District for the night time of Nov. 8. You might guide a price with no breakfast however free cancellation till two days earlier than your keep for $357 or 47,000 factors. For those who redeem IHG factors for this night time, you may get a redemption price of 0.76 cents per level.

That stated, you will not at all times get an excellent redemption worth. So, at all times examine the money price to the factors price and calculate your redemption rate. In case your redemption price is low, contemplate reserving a paid price to your keep and saving your factors for a higher-value redemption.

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Be versatile

One other option to maximize your IHG factors is to be as versatile as attainable. For instance, you possibly can save factors (or cash) within the above instance by shifting your keep to different dates. Particularly, you possibly can redeem 43,000 factors or pay $340 in the event you shifted your one-night keep a number of weeks later.

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Likewise, if you’re versatile as to the place you keep in a metropolis — and even town you go to — you might be able to redeem fewer factors. For instance, you may resolve to save lots of by staying out close to the Savannah airport for the one-night keep mentioned within the earlier part. By doing so, you possibly can redeem 32,000 factors or pay $247 to your keep.

In brief, being versatile will help you redeem fewer factors to your stays and maximize your factors.

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Examine Factors & Money redemptions

It is also value checking Factors & Money charges. Because the identify suggests, Factors & Money charges allow you to mix IHG factors and cash to stretch your factors additional. You possibly can see these redemption choices by choosing “Factors + Money” as soon as you choose a resort from the search outcomes.

As with all redemptions, run the numbers to see if a Factors & Money reserving is smart. Within the above instance, you possibly can guide an evening that may value $357 or 47,000 factors for:

• 47,000 factors and $0 (redemption price of 0.76 cents per level)
• 42,000 factors and $33 (redemption price of 0.77 cents per level)
• 37,000 factors and $66 (redemption price of 0.79 cents per level)
• 32,000 factors and $99 (redemption price of 0.81 cents per level)
• 27,000 factors and $124 (redemption price of 0.86 cents per level)
• 22,000 factors and $149 (redemption price of 0.95 cents per level)

Once you make a Factors & Money reservation, you are truly shopping for factors utilizing the money portion of the reserving. Ought to you’ll want to cancel, your refund will come fully in factors relatively than the mix of money and factors you initially used.

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In case you have the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card, IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card or IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card, you may profit out of your card’s fourth-night-reward perk on stays of 4 nights or extra if you guide your keep fully with IHG factors. In apply, this perk drops the price of each fourth night time on award stays of 4 nights or longer to zero factors.

To make use of this perk, log in to an account related to an eligible IHG credit card, seek for a keep of 4 nights or longer and decide to redeem IHG factors. You may see the discounted charges in your search outcomes.

There isn’t any cap on what number of instances you should utilize this perk yearly. And you’ll even get a couple of fourth-night reward on a single keep. For instance, you’d get two fourth-night rewards on a keep of eight to 11 nights and three on a keep of 12 to fifteen nights.

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You too can maximize your IHG factors by periodically checking for drops in award pricing to your upcoming stays. To take action, do a brand new award seek for your dates and see if the charges are decrease. If they’re, cancel your keep and rebook (or, when you’ve got sufficient factors in your account to take action, guide the brand new keep after which cancel the higher-priced keep). Sadly, I have not discovered a option to re-price IHG stays with out making a brand new reserving.

Associated: How rebooking hotel stays can help you save on award nights

You possibly can buy IHG points for as little as 1 cent per level if you buy 26,000 IHG factors or extra. Though you may generally get greater than 1 cent per IHG level, I do not suggest shopping for IHG factors at this price since IHG limits the factors you should purchase every calendar 12 months. As such, every level you buy at 1 cent is some extent you may’t buy throughout IHG’s periodic promotions that allow you to purchase factors for as little as 0.5 cents per level.

Shopping for factors at 0.5 cents every matches TPG’s valuation for IHG factors and is decrease than the redemption price I normally get when redeeming IHG factors. So, in the event you normally get greater than 0.5 cents per level in your IHG award stays and discover your steadiness getting low, contemplate shopping for factors subsequent time IHG presents a 100% bonus.

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Incomes IHG elite status might provide you with extra perks in your stays. The most effective perks — like the choice to decide on breakfast as a welcome amenity at full-service and select-service manufacturers — are solely accessible for top-tier Diamond Elite members. You possibly can earn Diamond Elite standing by staying 70 qualifying nights, incomes 120,000 qualifying factors or spending $40,000 in your IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card or IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card in a calendar 12 months.

Even when Diamond Elite standing is out of attain, it is nonetheless simple to earn Platinum Elite standing. This standing sometimes requires 40 qualifying nights or 60,000 qualifying factors in a calendar 12 months. However you may get Platinum Elite standing as an automated perk of InterContinental Ambassador, the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card or the IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card.

If you wish to get probably the most worth out of your IHG factors, you may seemingly discover snagging IHG elite standing worthwhile. Plus, in the event you join InterContinental Ambassador, you may get further perks at InterContinental and Six Senses properties collaborating in IHG One Rewards.

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It is comparatively simple to maximise redemptions with the IHG One Rewards program. By checking redemption charges earlier than reserving and opting to redeem factors when the redemption price is excessive, you may get strong worth out of your IHG factors. And in the event you do not have already got an IHG bank card, contemplate including the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card or IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card to your pockets whereas they’re providing elevated sign-up bonuses.