InterContinental Hotels: Priority Club & Inter-Continental Ambassador - points vs. paying - how do you decide?

ok - i am going to stay at a HIX express in georgia -- rate shows $67 or 20k points... how do you all determine when to use points? i have 75k points right now.

also - unrelated question - im plat - if i use the AAA rate will i still get a room upgrade?

thank you :)

allen

For that rate, I'll pay$$$. 20K does not equal $67.

Personally, I would not use 20K for a HIX.
As a comparison, I used 25K for CP in Seattle and the price was $189

Personally, I'd use 25K for a CP in NYC, where the rates are around $250+

I generally use a penny a point as my threshold.

Personally, I'd use 25K for a CP in NYC, where the rates are around $250+Absolutely. Pay when so cheap, use points when room costs loads ! Of course, if you will never be staying in such expensive properties, burn the miles now. (Some HIXs still only cost 10k points btw, and Cand. Suites are a bargain at 11k).

Personally, I come in contact with quite a few HIX that only need 10k points. Even though the price is pretty cheap at $75-$90, points are easy to come by. Usually I only do this for a single day last minute deal. Weild thing about it is that I often feel bad about using the points, and change the booking to a paid rate anyway. It has to be a disease!!!

[I]t has to be a disease!!!

The other day I heard that hoarding is a disease, where people collect so much stuff that their lives is runned over by the things they hoard.

So, I guess some of us might have a points hoarding disease. :D

I only use my points for vacation at the expensive hotels, like IC
and hi-end CP. You feel much better using 30K points on a $1000 room
than 20K points on a $60 room. How about 30K points for
$3000 President suite ;-)

Put me down as using the penny per point threshold in general as well, depending on what promotions are currently on at the moment (if I needed the stay for a stay x get 10,000 points, I'd be paying the cash). But outside of promo times, it's a good time to use points (especially when status is secured for the year too ^ ).

I'd never use points when a hotel room is below $100, and like others tend to use the penny-a-point rule. I have used points at an HIX in London that was available for 10K a night because it was listed at £85+VAT. That's over C$200 so a very good use of points. And a good value in London where most HIXs are 20K, HIs and CPs 25K, and ICs 30K.

For CPs and ICs, the room rate would have to approach $300 to make points a reasonable alternative. Many ICs can go for $500 a night, and as some note, you can occasionally even book a suite that would go for twice that nightly rate. [And of course, we RAs will get moved up to a suite, so it is extra valuable to us.]

During bonus periods, one must also factor in the lost benefit of bonus points when opting to pay with $s rather than points.

It really depends on one's situation. I would not, however, spend 20K for a $67 room.

Recently I spent 60K for two nights at the IC in Sao Paulo where the room would have been around $180. Not the best use of points but when you have more than 300K points in your account why not to spend them every now and then.

Also I have been travelling since 23rd of August and will continue my trip until 15th of October (vacation) so I have to consider the $$$ outlay every now and then too.

This coming weekend I will spend three or four Hilton certificates for a three/four night stay at the Hilton Diagonal Mar Barcelona where the room would have cost 350 euros a night. For the record I would NEVER pay 350 euros/night for ANY hotel.

how do they determine which hotels get which rates for reward nites? if you all are saying some hix have 10k, but this one is 20k???

thanks

There are also some obviously bad choices.
In France and Italy you need 25K points for a free night in HI,
while IC is still 30K and CP is 25K. In Switzerland you still
need 15K points for a free HI night...

how do they determine which hotels get which rates for reward nites? if you all are saying some hix have 10k, but this one is 20k???

thanks

It's marked on their website.

Most likely, it's due to the popularity of the location or city. For example, Los Angeles, New York, etc., have higher reward nite requirements for their HI-Ex and HI's.

I have just booked 2 nights at a new Holiday Inn Express at Hemel Hempstead north of London. It suits my early October travel plans, and the alternative was paying GBP 95 per night or approx US$170. This works for me in using PC points.

Personally, I'd use 25K for a CP in NYC, where the rates are around $250+

if you can find a room....I have tried to book rooms in NYC 8 months in advance with no luck...crap

if you can find a room....I have tried to book rooms in NYC 8 months in advance with no luck...crap
Did you try the Jersey City (right next to the PATH train across the river to Manhattan) Candlewood Suites? It's regularly available for just 11k points a night!

(Candlewood is the only part of the Priority Club system that's still always 11k points a night no matter what the location. HIX used to be 10k most places, but in the last year they've moved it to 20k in many areas, tho in some less "popular" areas you can still find them for 10k a night.

ok - i am going to stay at a HIX express in georgia -- rate shows $67 or 20k points... how do you all determine when to use points? i have 75k points right now.

also - unrelated question - im plat - if i use the AAA rate will i still get a room upgrade?

thank you :)

allen
Besides comparing to room rates, also compare to how you value airline miles. I see your main FF program listed as Delta. 20k PC points can be converted any time to 5k Delta miles. If you only use Delta miles for cheap domestic tickets then 5k miles is probably not worth much more than $67 to you. But if only you use them for upper class international flights, they might be worth much more than $67 to you.

Keep in mind that a night at any Candlewood Suites anywhere (including Jersey City, right next to the PATH train that goes across the river to Manhattan) is still 11k a night at this point. (Most HIX's used to be 10k a night until earlier this year, and that that point 10k might have been better than $67. But now that most are 20k, it's dubious.)

Meanwhile, on your upgrades question: Many HIXs don't have much to upgrade to. And domestically most HI and HIXs rarely seem to upgrade ANYONE at ANY rate. (It happens, but only on a fraction of frequent stayer's stays.) So on a single stay I wouldn't count on it (just be pleasantly surprised if it happens).

In one HIX I've stayed at a few times, the first time I stayed when I checked mid-evening in I was told that as a Platinum that I "would have been upgraded but we're sold out tonight". But then I've stayed there a handful of times since when they weren't sold out (but other people were on duty) and I never noticed an upgrade. (I never did figure out what they COULD have upgraded me to -- maybe a nicer view than the wall next door :) ?)

As with any of these points/miles vs. paying calculations, it entirely depends on what your alternative use is for the points.

$67 vs. 20k points...well if all you are going to be doing is staying at a HIX that cost $67 and have no alternative for the points (either transferring into airline miles or using as CP or IC or higher priced HI's), then go ahead and use the points. In this situation, the points would just rot in your account and you would be out the $67.

But, if you have an alternative use for the points where you can get higher value for them, then spend the $67. As many posters here will tell you, for 20k points you can get much more value than $67. IIRC, for 30k points (just 10k more points), you in theory can book a room at the IC Bora Bora which costs a WHOLE LOT MORE than $67.

If I were facing the same choice, I'd save the points. You never know when you will be facing the dilema of staying at the IC Bora Bora and being able to redeem 30k points or spending 100's of $$ per night. :D

Weild thing about it is that I often feel bad about using the points, and change the booking to a paid rate anyway.
I know what you mean. I also find it difficult to use points given the continual PC point promos. Could this be a nefarious plot on the part of PC to keep us from using our points? ;)

As to the value of a PC point, I also place it at a penny a point, especially in light of the fact that one can buy 10,000 PC points/yr at present for $100. So, if I had no points available, yet found a property (HIX value destination--10,000 point award) with awards available, or a paid room for considerably more, it would be a relative no-brainer to buy the points for the award (assuming of course that a paid stay would not earn you any large bonus points).

I know what you mean. I also find it difficult to use points given the continual PC point promos. Could this be a nefarious plot on the part of PC to keep us from using our points? ;)

As to the value of a PC point, I also place it at a penny a point, especially in light of the fact that one can buy 10,000 PC points/yr at present for $100. So, if I had no points available, yet found a property (HIX value destination--10,000 point award) with awards available, or a paid room for considerably more, it would be a relative no-brainer to buy the points for the award (assuming of course that a paid stay would not earn you any large bonus points).

Personally If I have achieve the Plantinum status(60K pts) for the year I stop paying for my stays. Same goes for HHonors and SPG. It just happen that everything works out well, by the end of September I have retain status in all my hotel frequent stayer programs. The last quarter I burn all my pts and start fresh next year. In the exception of a known vacation, then I will save just enough pts from various programs for it.

I will usually burn 30K pts for IC stay and skip HI and HIX properties.

.........HIX used to be 10k most places, but in the last year they've moved it to 20k in many areas, tho in some less "popular" areas you can still find them for 10k a night.

This makes all of Germany a less "popular" area. :D
Worked out to my advantage recently when I spent a night at a HIX in Frankfurt during the IAA (International Automobile Fair) for 10K points, while the regular rate was 165 EUR.