IHG One Rewards program: How to maximize award redemptions

IHG One Rewards usually is not as effectively cherished within the factors and miles neighborhood as packages like Marriott Bonvoy and World of Hyatt. However IHG accommodations 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 simple. For instance, new candidates for the $99-annual-fee IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card can earn 140,000 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 from account opening.

So, let’s talk about methods to maximize IHG One Rewards redemptions.

IHG began using dynamic award pricing in 2020. Now, IHG costs all of its award stays dynamically, that means the variety of factors you will have to redeem for a keep varies based mostly 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 November 2024 valuations peg the worth of IHG factors at 0.5 cents every, however you possibly can 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 Aug. 15. You would guide a price with free cancellation till just a few days earlier than your keep for $418 or 69,000 factors. In case you redeem IHG factors for this night time, you will get a redemption price of 0.61 cents per level.

That mentioned, you will not all the time get an excellent redemption worth. So, all the time 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 on your keep and saving your factors for a higher-value redemption.

Associated: The best IHG hotels in the world

Maximize IHG factors by being versatile

One other technique to maximize your IHG factors is to be as versatile as attainable. For instance, you might save factors (or cash) within the above situation by shifting your keep to different dates. Particularly, you might redeem 58,000 factors or pay $353 if you happen to shifted your one-night keep per week earlier.

Each day Publication

Reward your inbox with the TPG Each day publication

Be part of over 700,000 readers for breaking information, in-depth guides and unique offers from TPG’s specialists

Likewise, in case you are versatile as to the place you keep in a metropolis — and even town you go to — you could possibly 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 might redeem 33,000 factors or pay $212 on your keep.

Briefly, being versatile may help you redeem fewer factors on your stays and maximize your factors.

Associated: Which credit card should you use for IHG stays?

Verify Factors & Money redemptions

It is also price 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’ll be able to 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 sensible. Within the above instance, you might guide an evening that might price $212 or 33,000 factors for:

• 33,000 factors and $0 (redemption price of 0.64 cents per level)
• 28,000 factors and $36 (redemption price of 0.63 cents per level)
• 23,000 factors and $69 (redemption price of 0.62 cents per level)
• 18,000 factors and $99 (redemption price of 0.63 cents per level)
• 13,000 factors and $126 (redemption price of 0.66 cents per level)
• 8,000 factors and $149 (redemption price of 0.79 cents per level)

Whenever you make a Factors & Money reservation, you are shopping for factors utilizing the money portion of the reserving. Ought to it’s essential to cancel, your refund will come solely in factors relatively than the mix of money and factors you initially used.

Associated: Now you can transfer IHG points to others for free: Here’s how

When you have the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card, IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card or IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card, you possibly can profit out of your card’s fourth-night-reward perk on stays of 4 nights or extra while you guide your keep solely with IHG factors. This perk successfully 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 choose to redeem IHG factors. You will see the discounted charges in your search outcomes.

There is not any cap on what number of occasions 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.

Associated: Why you should get (and keep) the IHG One Rewards Premier card

You can even maximize your IHG factors by periodically checking for drops in award pricing on 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, you probably have sufficient factors in your account, guide the brand new keep after which cancel the higher-priced keep). Sadly, I have not discovered a technique to reprice IHG award stays with out making a brand new reserving.

Associated: Should you buy IHG points or transfer rewards from Chase?

Incomes IHG elite status 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 out there for top-tier Diamond Elite members. You’ll be able to 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 usually requires 40 qualifying nights or 60,000 qualifying factors in a calendar 12 months. Nonetheless, you may get Platinum Elite standing as an computerized perk by way of the InterContinental Ambassador program or by holding both the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card or the IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card.

If you wish to get extra advantages when redeeming IHG factors for stays, you will seemingly discover snagging IHG elite standing worthwhile. Plus, if you happen to join InterContinental Ambassador, you will get additional perks at InterContinental and Six Senses properties collaborating in IHG One Rewards.

Associated: IHG Milestone Rewards: Earn confirmable suite upgrades, points and more

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 will get strong 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 Card, IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card or IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card to your pockets.