Deep redemption discounts in some locations & dynamic award pricing
Jun 22, 2020, 8:24 am
#91
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Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Bregenz, Austria
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I would say there's zero chance that dynamic pricing will work out in our favor in the long run. I fully expect that, once the travel market is back to normal, we will see lots of hotels priced above their "standard" rate. That doesn't mean that there won't still be occasional deals, but I think the time to use IHG points was a week ago (or now, for those who didn't make reservations last week).
Moral of the story: if you spot a good deal, grab it.
Unfortunately I didn't take my own advice and dilly-dallied. So I'm still stuck with some points, which I will now probably end up burning at $5/1,000 at middle of the road HIs.
Jun 22, 2020, 8:50 am
#92
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Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Brighton. UK
Programs: BA Gold / VS /IHG Diamond & Ambassador
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Depends what you mean by a 'good deal' ad IMHO it's certainly not dead but there are still some good offers out there
Example - Kimpton De Witt Amsterdam is normally 55k per night.
Last Monday I got it for 35k per night for a long weekend in May. Checked last night it’s now up to 52.5k so not quite full whack. Cash rates have remained the same.
Easter next year Thursday 1st April 2021 is 30 K points and Friday 2nd and Sat 3rd are 35k and Sunday 4th is 52.5k
I have a cash booking in December and the points rate is average of 33.7k per night. Still pretty good in my book.
There are some mid week nights for January for 27.5k
So not perhaps not the total end of dynamic pricing.
Example - Kimpton De Witt Amsterdam is normally 55k per night.
Last Monday I got it for 35k per night for a long weekend in May. Checked last night it’s now up to 52.5k so not quite full whack. Cash rates have remained the same.
Easter next year Thursday 1st April 2021 is 30 K points and Friday 2nd and Sat 3rd are 35k and Sunday 4th is 52.5k
I have a cash booking in December and the points rate is average of 33.7k per night. Still pretty good in my book.
There are some mid week nights for January for 27.5k
So not perhaps not the total end of dynamic pricing.
Jun 22, 2020, 8:50 am
#93
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2010
Location: WAS
Programs: Lotz
Posts: 1,534
Clearwater Beach
I've spent 4 nights at Clearwater Beach (Florida) twice this summer. Normally 35K , I paid 20K/night during the week with 4th night free and 10% rebate Came out about 14K night.
Also stayed at Klimpton, Sarasota on a sunday night for 15K.
Weekends were more.
Also stayed at Klimpton, Sarasota on a sunday night for 15K.
Weekends were more.
Last edited by tassojunior; Jun 22, 2020 at 9:33 am
Jun 22, 2020, 10:05 am
#94
Join Date: Nov 2006
Programs: Marriott Platinum, Hilton Diamond, IHG Platinum
Posts: 3,722
The high end properties may have increased, but some limited service hotels are still half off.
For example, HIE Bishop in the Eastern Sierra is normally 40k. It was still 20k on some dates as of yday.
Jun 22, 2020, 10:31 am
#95
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Join Date: May 2010
Location: WAS
Programs: Lotz
Posts: 1,534
It a computer program. Once the cheaper rates are taken for a certain number the rates go up. Especially weekends. It's worrying if there seems to be evidence IHG uniformly is raising lowest rates. So far we haven't seen gouging rates for special events etc which is the downside of dynmaic pricing. But IHG has always been good at availability for even NYC on New Year's Eve on rewards so maybe.....
Jun 22, 2020, 1:47 pm
#96
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: DUS/AMS/HAM
Programs: HH-D / IHG-Sp / Marriott-P / LH-SEN / BA-S
Posts: 215
Or... It could be IHG members hoarding all high-end properties...
Jun 22, 2020, 4:23 pm
#97
Join Date: Nov 2006
Programs: Marriott Platinum, Hilton Diamond, IHG Platinum
Posts: 3,722
With US infections going up and lots of people simultaneously not giving a toss, we probably don't need to worry about the market recovering any time soon. In fact, I now worry my August booking onward won't materialize because the country will be locked down again. We'll see.
Jun 22, 2020, 4:25 pm
#98
Join Date: Feb 2019
Posts: 5,867
With US infections going up and lots of people simultaneously not giving a toss, we probably don't need to worry about the market recovering any time soon. In fact, I now worry my August booking onward won't materialize because the country will be locked down again. We'll see.
Jun 22, 2020, 5:04 pm
#99
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Jun 22, 2020, 8:33 pm
#100
Join Date: Feb 2019
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Jun 22, 2020, 8:55 pm
#101
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Jun 22, 2020, 9:06 pm
#102
Join Date: Jun 2020
Posts: 8
While antibodies might decrease, I doubt they disappear completely. And antibodies are just one piece of the defense system regardless. Memory cells will never forget how to rapidly produce antibodies should they come back into contact with the virus. Memory cells don’t go away. I think people are placing too much emphasis on full immunity.
Jun 22, 2020, 11:48 pm
#104
Join Date: May 2004
Location: SIN (LEJ once a year)
Programs: SQ, LH, BA, IHG Diamond AMB, HH Gold, SLH Indulged, Accor Gold, Hyatt Discoverist
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Aside from market recovery and immunity discussions, the one property where I noticed the former base rate to increase is the Indigo Hakone (Japan). The hotel used to go for 40k points normal rates and during the "dynamic pricing" initial phase was to be had for ~30-35k points depending on the dates.
Now the default has jumped to 50k a night. Now it could be coincidence as IHG has before stealthily increased redemption rates of select properties outside of the normal annual increase / decrease cycle, e.g. IC Danang, Indigo Milan Corso Monforte etc.
Admittedly, even at 40k points that Indigo in Hakone (a hot spring resort area) was a good deal as paid rates easily reached around 40k JPY (~375 USD) or more even exceeding cash pricing for Tokyo ICs that cost 55k points under normal redemption rates. So for now I wouldn't attribute this increase to dynamic pricing which would be worrying if the mechanism allows to exceed the normal ceiling points rate. YMMV.
Now the default has jumped to 50k a night. Now it could be coincidence as IHG has before stealthily increased redemption rates of select properties outside of the normal annual increase / decrease cycle, e.g. IC Danang, Indigo Milan Corso Monforte etc.
Admittedly, even at 40k points that Indigo in Hakone (a hot spring resort area) was a good deal as paid rates easily reached around 40k JPY (~375 USD) or more even exceeding cash pricing for Tokyo ICs that cost 55k points under normal redemption rates. So for now I wouldn't attribute this increase to dynamic pricing which would be worrying if the mechanism allows to exceed the normal ceiling points rate. YMMV.
Jun 23, 2020, 6:36 am
#105
Join Date: Aug 2016
Programs: Avios
Posts: 438
[QUOTE=demue;32477878]Aside from market recovery and immunity discussions, the one property where I noticed the former base rate to increase is the Indigo Hakone (Japan). The hotel used to go for 40k points normal rates and during the "dynamic pricing" initial phase was to be had for ~30-35k points depending on the dates.
Now the default has jumped to 50k a night. Now it could be coincidence as IHG has before stealthily increased redemption rates of select properties outside of the normal annual increase / decrease cycle, e.g. IC Danang, Indigo Milan Corso Monforte etc.
Admittedly, even at 40k points that Indigo in Hakone (a hot spring resort area) was a good deal as paid rates easily reached around 40k JPY (~375 USD) or more even exceeding cash pricing for Tokyo ICs that cost 55k points under normal redemption rates. So for now I wouldn't attribute this increase to dynamic pricing which would be worrying if the mechanism allows to exceed the normal ceiling points rate. YMMV.[/QUOTE
I think IHG realized that they were pricing all the Japanese properties too low and have adjusted back to higher average prices.Let us see if the higher pricing holds.I think that they will lower prices back down if demand falls off.There are many bookings for next year that will not materialize if the Pandemic is still raging.
Now the default has jumped to 50k a night. Now it could be coincidence as IHG has before stealthily increased redemption rates of select properties outside of the normal annual increase / decrease cycle, e.g. IC Danang, Indigo Milan Corso Monforte etc.
Admittedly, even at 40k points that Indigo in Hakone (a hot spring resort area) was a good deal as paid rates easily reached around 40k JPY (~375 USD) or more even exceeding cash pricing for Tokyo ICs that cost 55k points under normal redemption rates. So for now I wouldn't attribute this increase to dynamic pricing which would be worrying if the mechanism allows to exceed the normal ceiling points rate. YMMV.[/QUOTE
I think IHG realized that they were pricing all the Japanese properties too low and have adjusted back to higher average prices.Let us see if the higher pricing holds.I think that they will lower prices back down if demand falls off.There are many bookings for next year that will not materialize if the Pandemic is still raging.