Originally Posted by
freebee
IHG notified me today that its HIE in Bend, OR has been reflagged as a Best Western, which leaves three members of my family, all booking on points for an August trip, out of luck. What really ticks me off is that in early August a new HIE in Bend will open with very high rates and no reward night availability, but has IHG made a deal with them to allow guests to use points? Not on your life. Although the Best Western is offering good rates, the idea in these challenging times was not to have to lay out money and instead burn some of our points.
Book the BW at the $90 (how bad can it be? that is a fantastic deal in Bend in the summer) and then once the new HIE opens up you can book it on points if you like the points cost (probably higher than the old one was but who knows). That is how it works with IHG. For new hotels you cannot book with points until the hotel is actually open. It is too bad as I was hoping to do a points stay at the MSP IC but when I was looking to book it was not open yet and I called them and was told this is how it works with IHG, no points transactions until the hotel is actually doing business under the IHG brand as in open for business not just taking reservations. I did not understand. Hilton does not work that way.