Maximizing redemptions with the IHG One Rewards program

IHG One Rewards typically is not as effectively beloved within the factors and miles neighborhood as packages like Marriott Bonvoy and World of Hyatt. However IHG lodges and resorts can be found in lots of locations, and it is easy to get good worth when redeeming IHG factors.

Incomes IHG factors can also be comparatively straightforward. For instance, new candidates for the $99-annual-fee IHG One Rewards Premier Credit score 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 score Card can earn 100,000 bonus factors after spending $2,000 on purchases within the first three months.

So, let’s focus on easy methods to maximize IHG One Rewards redemptions.

IHG started utilizing dynamic award pricing in 2020. Now, all IHG award stays are priced dynamically, that means the variety of factors you will must redeem for a keep varies primarily based in your reserving date, the property you select, your keep dates and different components.

However even with dynamic pricing, getting good worth out of your IHG One Rewards factors remains to be attainable. TPG’s valuations peg the worth of IHG factors at 0.5 cents every, however you’ll be able to typically get the next redemption charge when redeeming IHG factors.

For instance, let’s assume you need to e-book a regular room with one king mattress on the Vacation Inn Savannah Historic District for the evening of Nov. 8. You can e-book a charge with no breakfast however free cancellation till two days earlier than your keep for $357 or 47,000 factors. In the event you redeem IHG factors for this evening, you will get a redemption charge of 0.76 cents per level.

That stated, you will not all the time get a great redemption worth. So, all the time evaluate the money charge to the factors charge and calculate your redemption charge. In case your redemption charge is low, contemplate reserving a paid charge to your keep and saving your factors for a higher-value redemption.

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Be versatile

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

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Likewise, in case you are 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 would possibly resolve to avoid wasting by staying out close to the Savannah airport for the one-night keep mentioned within the earlier part. By doing so, you could possibly redeem 32,000 factors or pay $247 to your keep.

Briefly, being versatile might help you redeem fewer factors to your stays and maximize your factors.

Associated: What bank card do you have to use for IHG stays?

Verify Factors & Money redemptions

It is also value checking Factors & Money charges. Because the title suggests, Factors & Money charges allow you to mix IHG factors and cash to stretch your factors additional. You may see these redemption choices by deciding on “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 sensible. Within the above instance, you could possibly e-book an evening that might value $357 or 47,000 factors for:

• 47,000 factors and $0 (redemption charge of 0.76 cents per level)
• 42,000 factors and $33 (redemption charge of 0.77 cents per level)
• 37,000 factors and $66 (redemption charge of 0.79 cents per level)
• 32,000 factors and $99 (redemption charge of 0.81 cents per level)
• 27,000 factors and $124 (redemption charge of 0.86 cents per level)
• 22,000 factors and $149 (redemption charge 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 it’s good to cancel, your refund will come totally in factors fairly than the mixture of money and factors you initially used.

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You probably have the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit score Card, IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit score Card or IHG One Rewards Premier Enterprise Credit score Card, you’ll be able to profit out of your card’s fourth-night-reward perk on stays of 4 nights or extra once you e-book your keep totally with IHG factors. In follow, this perk drops the price of each fourth evening 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 bank card, seek for a keep of 4 nights or longer and choose to redeem IHG factors. You may see the discounted charges in your search outcomes.

There isn’t any cap on what number of occasions you need to use this perk yearly. And you may 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 can even 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, if in case you have sufficient factors in your account to take action, e-book the brand new keep after which cancel the higher-priced keep). Sadly, I have not discovered a strategy to re-price IHG stays with out making a brand new reserving.

Associated: How rebooking resort stays might help you save on award nights

You may purchase IHG factors for as little as 1 cent per level once you buy 26,000 IHG factors or extra. Though you will typically get greater than 1 cent per IHG level, I do not advocate shopping for IHG factors at this charge 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’ll be able to’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 charge I normally get when redeeming IHG factors. So, if you happen to 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 provides a 100% bonus.

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Incomes IHG elite standing might offer you extra perks in your stays. The very best 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 may 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 score Card or IHG One Rewards Premier Enterprise Credit score Card in a calendar 12 months.

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

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

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