Originally Posted by
sdsearch
I know it may not seem like it, relative to the cost of the hotel without it, but the IHG Rewards version is simply a slightly discounted way of buying points, nothing more. And thus works the same whether it seems to be a good value or not, if you want to use less points.
True, and that is why I have used it in the past. But I do believe that IHG increased the price for their C&Ps a year or so ago. It used to be worth "purchasing" those points quite often. Now it depends. If a particular rate is high enough, but I don't have enough points (or just don't want to use up all my points) for a particular stay, I will still use the C&P as that initial use of points covers the bulk of the paid rate, but still allowing me to use awards for all nights.