Buying IHG Rewards Club Points Promotions and Discussions
 

Your Order
Number of Points100,000
Bonus Points100,000
Total Points200,000
Cost of Points$1,000.00 USD
Total Charge$1,000.00 USD

Is this worth it? I tried to do some searches but didn't find much. I'm mostly an HHONORS guy...I've got about 500,000 points in there and been a diamond for about 5 years now. I do occasionally use IHG, but not familiar with how to keep points, how many a good vacation hotel uses, etc. I tried to paste the images, not allowed. Says they are URL's which is not correct.

Thanks

That is the the best-rate points sale IHG offers (or, fairly close to it). They have these sales at $0.005 per point multiple times a year, though, so this is not a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

This can be pretty good value if you need a bunch of rooms at dates where prices are through the roof. I have a stay in Boston coming up. Found a Kimpton property which is available for 60k points per night--cash would be north of $500. That's a pretty good value (even though, in constrast to Hilton, Kimpton is gonna make you pay the effed up $25 + tax amenity fee).

If you can do an award redemption for the 200k points that would normally cost you more than $1000 then it's a good deal. If not...no.

I think if you are aiming for something specific then it can be worth it, for example IC Da Nang is $438 including tax or 70k points per night. Using points for 3 nights would save about $88 a night and give a fully flexible booking. At this price I think it very much depends on what you are planning to do with the points.

I am often tempted to cash and points bookings, which helps spread the costs a bit. One just has to do the maths and see if it works. But if you have a lot of points, then it is worth saving money.
One question, though: is this a points deal at the moment, where they offer 100% bonus? I know Hilton has one at the moment, but I didn't know IHG did.

The problem is you have to be really lucky to find a good deal with cash and points. I have seen many cases where cash and points even turned out to be more expensive than advance rates :(

Sure. And you waive all RA amenities, cashback and the points you would get for a revenue rate. Your example is certainly not the best one

Agreed, it was late and I was being simplistic. However, not everyone has elite status and I don't recall the OP mentioning he was a RA?

Another thing to factor in to points bookings is most have zero taxes and resort fees. If you total up the cost of a cash booking with those added the cost of buying points really makes sense. For a 5-night (4-night for IHG) points booking you get one free night, adding more value. I purchase points (with 100%) bonus from IHG and Hilton and always use the points when staying there. Have always saved over a straight cash booking

TD

I was able to get 2.2 cents per point for a 4 night redemption at the Hotel Indigo in Barcelona using 4th night free. 3k paid stay price for 135k points. sweet!

When considering the elite benefits and the points you get on a paid stay it is VERY difficult to find rooms when you use 0.5 cents per point as value. Not even considering that it can be difficult to find rooms on points cash rates most of the time are better.
I would only buy at that price when I have something specific I want to use the points for.

We bought for Thalasso Bora Bora and Kimpton Seafire free nights. Since the Kimpton was in high season, rooms were 900+. Thalasso is 1,200+. Great value for us.

100,000 points for £800 ?
I exchange my 100,000 points for around £200 Gift Cards usually. Poor Value but I don't want to spend them on anything else at the moment and have a lot of points!
Is the website you stated affiliated to IHG? Or is it a trading place for points? I'm slightly frustrated that I am currently getting a poor amount of ££ for giving up my points if there's a better way!
EDIT: Having a look on our favourite search engine seems it's not possible. Damn it is frustrating though how much extra people are willing to buy points for :(

Sure good value for points on a super inflated rate which the hotel is famous for, especially for days further out. Though anyone that would pay 750€ a night for the Indigo in Barcelona would need their head examined in the first place

Unless you'r going to use it QUICKLY don't do it. IHG prints points as fast as Argentina prints their peso and you know how that goes. Keeping $1K in cash is better than keeping IHG points for any length of time in your account.