Apr 12, 2018, 8:50 pm
Last edit by: beachmouse
Another quarter, another Accelerate. Answers to some Frequently Asked Questions below:
For newcomers to IHG promotions, note that Holiday Inn Express and Holiday Inn (including Holiday Inn Resorts) are two different brand categories for these things. If your dashboard says 'stay at a Holiday Inn Express' as one of the tasks and you stay at a Holiday Inn, it will NOT credit for the Holiday Inn Express task. (and vice versa)
For a task that says 'Stay X number of times at a Holiday Inn Express' (or Holiday Inn, Intercontinental, etc.) each stay must be at a different property for it to fully credit rather than staying at the same property multiple times.
An award stay only counts toward a task that specifically requires an award stay and will not count toward other tasks and night requirements for the purposes of the promotion. (Award stays do count toward general elite qualification, but that's outside this promotion)
'Redeem points' award nights only count for the 'redeem points' task and no other tasks. (example- an award night does not count toward 'Stay X number of nights')
At IHG, points + cash stays are simply points stays where you bought some of the points at the time of the reservation. Once you finish the reservation, a points + cash stay shows as a points stay. Thus points + cash stays only count for tasks where they are specified, and not other tasks.
Doing a points + cash booking and then cancelling it does NOT trigger a 'buy points' task completion. A 'buy points' task is a points transaction that is processed through points.com
The 'pay with your IHG credit card' task has typically been very slow to post. If it does within about two weeks of completing a stay, that's relatively quick, and it will often be several weeks beyond that, depending on when your statement closing date is and how IHG's system sweep is timed.
Some offers require booking within the promotion period in addition to staying during the promotion period.
Registration & dashboard link:
https://www.ihg.com/content/us/en/offers/q2accelerate2018
For newcomers to IHG promotions, note that Holiday Inn Express and Holiday Inn (including Holiday Inn Resorts) are two different brand categories for these things. If your dashboard says 'stay at a Holiday Inn Express' as one of the tasks and you stay at a Holiday Inn, it will NOT credit for the Holiday Inn Express task. (and vice versa)
For a task that says 'Stay X number of times at a Holiday Inn Express' (or Holiday Inn, Intercontinental, etc.) each stay must be at a different property for it to fully credit rather than staying at the same property multiple times.
An award stay only counts toward a task that specifically requires an award stay and will not count toward other tasks and night requirements for the purposes of the promotion. (Award stays do count toward general elite qualification, but that's outside this promotion)
'Redeem points' award nights only count for the 'redeem points' task and no other tasks. (example- an award night does not count toward 'Stay X number of nights')
At IHG, points + cash stays are simply points stays where you bought some of the points at the time of the reservation. Once you finish the reservation, a points + cash stay shows as a points stay. Thus points + cash stays only count for tasks where they are specified, and not other tasks.
Doing a points + cash booking and then cancelling it does NOT trigger a 'buy points' task completion. A 'buy points' task is a points transaction that is processed through points.com
The 'pay with your IHG credit card' task has typically been very slow to post. If it does within about two weeks of completing a stay, that's relatively quick, and it will often be several weeks beyond that, depending on when your statement closing date is and how IHG's system sweep is timed.
Some offers require booking within the promotion period in addition to staying during the promotion period.
Registration & dashboard link:
https://www.ihg.com/content/us/en/offers/q2accelerate2018
Accelerate 1 May 2018 - 31 July 2018
Apr 17, 2018, 4:55 am
#76
Join Date: Nov 2010
Programs: IHG Platinum
Posts: 1,066
I always register but only stayed 3 nights in nov/2017, usually I always get the "3 nights + 3 nights + 3 nights..." and so on promo.
I did not achieve anything on Q1.
I got this great set of tasks !! For me, at least. I have a trip to Florida and I have 3 nights to book, if I do it correctly I can get over 50,000 points ! Very excited:
Earn 55,500 bonus points.
1,000 Happy Birthday bonus. Stay once. (OK !)
5,000 Stay More, Earn More. Stay 5 nights (this is the only one I'm not doing)
21,200 Discover Our Brands. Stay at 3 brands (Holiday Inn, HIX, and some other... one night each)
3,200 Travel with the IHG App. Book 2 stays (OK ! Will miss the AA portal bonus but I'm ok because of Achievement bonus)
6,600 Earn More, Faster. Book 1 bonus Points Package stay (some hotels offer 1,000 points for +$5, so why not?)
16,000 Achievement Bonus. Complete 4 of 5 previous offers (Check !)
1,000 May Bonus Offer. Stay once in May (will stay in June, but this is the one that updates each month)
1,500 Exclusive Brand Bonus. Stay once at IC, Indigo or Even (not sure about this, I do have to stay on a different brand the 3rd night, but might as well be a Courtyard / Staybridge / Candlewood and avoid the $80-$100 price difference).
I was planning on staying 2+1 nights, but I can easily change to 1+1+1 nighs and change hotels every night.
I will wait until 05/01 to book these 3 nights, so I fully comply with booking & staying within promo dates.
It gives me time to analyze the best options.
49,000 or 50,500 points (depending I do the last task or not) for some nights / stays I had to book anyway ? YESSSSS
I did not achieve anything on Q1.
I got this great set of tasks !! For me, at least. I have a trip to Florida and I have 3 nights to book, if I do it correctly I can get over 50,000 points ! Very excited:
Earn 55,500 bonus points.
1,000 Happy Birthday bonus. Stay once. (OK !)
5,000 Stay More, Earn More. Stay 5 nights (this is the only one I'm not doing)
21,200 Discover Our Brands. Stay at 3 brands (Holiday Inn, HIX, and some other... one night each)
3,200 Travel with the IHG App. Book 2 stays (OK ! Will miss the AA portal bonus but I'm ok because of Achievement bonus)
6,600 Earn More, Faster. Book 1 bonus Points Package stay (some hotels offer 1,000 points for +$5, so why not?)
16,000 Achievement Bonus. Complete 4 of 5 previous offers (Check !)
1,000 May Bonus Offer. Stay once in May (will stay in June, but this is the one that updates each month)
1,500 Exclusive Brand Bonus. Stay once at IC, Indigo or Even (not sure about this, I do have to stay on a different brand the 3rd night, but might as well be a Courtyard / Staybridge / Candlewood and avoid the $80-$100 price difference).
I was planning on staying 2+1 nights, but I can easily change to 1+1+1 nighs and change hotels every night.
I will wait until 05/01 to book these 3 nights, so I fully comply with booking & staying within promo dates.
It gives me time to analyze the best options.
49,000 or 50,500 points (depending I do the last task or not) for some nights / stays I had to book anyway ? YESSSSS
I will be waiting for 1st of May to book them as well. The cheaper 2 will be booked via IHG app and the most expensive hotel using Topcashback UK portal (hopefully they offer the additional £2.50 cash back bonus on any purchase of £5 or more like during last year Labour Day)
I only see the 2,000 for May stay bonus but when I printed it out, I saw:
2,000 Stay once in June
2,000 Stay once in July
2,000 Stay once during the final week of Accelerate.
Apr 17, 2018, 10:30 am
#77
Join Date: May 2005
Location: 1A
Posts: 1,350
1 Stay Once 2,000
2 6 Nights 12,000
3 IHG APP X 3 9,600
4 2 Weekends (SAT) 28,800
5 1 Bonus Points Package 6,600
6 2 Countries 12,000
7 Redeem 1,000
ACHIEVMENT(6/7) 30,000
May stay 2,000
Total - 104,000 Points
Not bad....
2 6 Nights 12,000
3 IHG APP X 3 9,600
4 2 Weekends (SAT) 28,800
5 1 Bonus Points Package 6,600
6 2 Countries 12,000
7 Redeem 1,000
ACHIEVMENT(6/7) 30,000
May stay 2,000
Total - 104,000 Points
Not bad....
Apr 17, 2018, 2:33 pm
#78
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: New York
Programs: SQ Silver, Hilton Gold, IHG Spire RA
Posts: 71
I have one task: "Renew Your InterContinental® Ambassador Membership"
But I became RA this year and cannot renew Ambassador membership during the timespan of this campaign...???
That coupled with a "stay at two Holiday Inns" means that this one is a no-go
But I became RA this year and cannot renew Ambassador membership during the timespan of this campaign...???
That coupled with a "stay at two Holiday Inns" means that this one is a no-go
Apr 18, 2018, 2:38 pm
#79
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: BRU
Programs: A3 *G & FB G
Posts: 639
I am very disappointed with mine this quarter... It is my second Accelerate I join and completed the first.
It is asking me to stay more than 1/3rd of the next 3 months in an IHG hotel:
1500 – Stay Once in May
1500 – Stay Once
9520 – Stay 10 nights
17680 – Receive points after night 20
4000 – Receive points after night 24
4000 – Receive points after night 28
4000 – Receive points after night 32
20,000 – Receive points after night 36
total 62 200 points
It is asking me to stay more than 1/3rd of the next 3 months in an IHG hotel:
1500 – Stay Once in May
1500 – Stay Once
9520 – Stay 10 nights
17680 – Receive points after night 20
4000 – Receive points after night 24
4000 – Receive points after night 28
4000 – Receive points after night 32
20,000 – Receive points after night 36
total 62 200 points
Apr 18, 2018, 3:33 pm
#80
Join Date: Jul 2010
Programs: Flying Blue Platinum, BAEC Silver, Hilton Honors Diamond, IHG Diamond, Marriott Tit, Accor Plat
Posts: 246
A couple of tasks I haven't seen before. And the arithmetic seems to be wrong. There must be a missing secret task...
Earn 49,200 total bonus points.
2,000 Happy Birthday Bonus
14,000 Stay More, Earn More - 7 nights
9,600 Travel with the IHG® App - Book 3 stay(s)
3,000 Germany Getaway - Stay 1 nights at participating IHG® hotels in Germany
1,000 Earn When You Redeem - Redeem your points for anything
5,000 Become an InterContinental® Ambassador
11,100 Your Achievement Bonus - Complete 6 of the 7 offers
2,000 May Bonus Offer - Stay once in May
I'll stay 7 nights in 3 stays, but I've no plans to go to Germany. So my decision boils down to whether it's worth becoming an InterContinental Ambassador to earn 16,100 points. It seems a bit marginal to me. Any thoughts?
Earn 49,200 total bonus points.
2,000 Happy Birthday Bonus
14,000 Stay More, Earn More - 7 nights
9,600 Travel with the IHG® App - Book 3 stay(s)
3,000 Germany Getaway - Stay 1 nights at participating IHG® hotels in Germany
1,000 Earn When You Redeem - Redeem your points for anything
5,000 Become an InterContinental® Ambassador
11,100 Your Achievement Bonus - Complete 6 of the 7 offers
2,000 May Bonus Offer - Stay once in May
I'll stay 7 nights in 3 stays, but I've no plans to go to Germany. So my decision boils down to whether it's worth becoming an InterContinental Ambassador to earn 16,100 points. It seems a bit marginal to me. Any thoughts?
Apr 18, 2018, 11:25 pm
#81
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: BKK/SEL/YQG
Posts: 2,543
If I have a stay that overlaps both periods, is it check in, or check out that would count?
I'm looking at a 5 night stay 27 April - 2 May. That would qualify me for bonus points under both Q1 and Q2. But I'd ideally want it to apply for the Q2 promo since I could knock out 2/3 requirements of a 40k bonus...
I'm looking at a 5 night stay 27 April - 2 May. That would qualify me for bonus points under both Q1 and Q2. But I'd ideally want it to apply for the Q2 promo since I could knock out 2/3 requirements of a 40k bonus...
Apr 19, 2018, 12:20 am
#82
Join Date: Jan 2018
Programs: QFF, CX AML
Posts: 1
Hi all, hoping to get some advice from the community!
My Q2 Accelerate offers are :
57,800 total bonus points for: (days left = 102)
2000 - Thank you for being a loyal IHG® Rewards Club member. Stay once and earn 2,000 bonus points.
10,000 - Get closer to the rewards you want when you stay 5 night(s) and earn 10,000 bonus points.
12,000 - Stay at 2 Holiday Inn® hotel(s)—including Holiday Inn Resort® and Holiday Inn Club Vacations®—and earn 12,000 bonus points.
9,600 - Book 2 stay(s) with the IHG® App and earn 9,600 bonus points.
6,000 - Stay with us for the weekend and earn 6,000 bonus points. A Friday and Saturday or Saturday and Sunday night stay required.
900 - Spend $38 on food and beverages when you stay at IHG® hotels and earn 900 bonus points
15,300 - Complete 5 of the 6 offers and earn (an additional) 15,300 bonus points.
2,000 - Stay once in May and get 2,000 bonus points.
I already have a booking made 2 weeks ago using the IC Ambassador FWNC for 25-27May for IC Sydney as we are heading there for a vacation.
I am looking to add 24May night on a regular paid night, and 27-28May using points or "points + cash".
I am obviously trying to maximise the benefits from Q2 Accelerate and hoping to complete these tasks in the one trip according to this plan. Is my understanding correct?
2000 - Thank you for being a loyal IHG® Rewards Club member. Stay once and earn 2,000 bonus points.
>> I assume this applies to "stay dates" within the range of 1 May - 31 July, and not "booking dates"? If so, my upcoming booking for 24 May should achieve this.
9,600 - Book 2 stay(s) with the IHG® App and earn 9,600 bonus points.
>> I plan to use the IHG App to book 24 May on a paid rate. 27 May will be on points, so I suspect it will not qualify. Do I then need to cancel my current FWNC booking and rebook on the IHG App (if it's even possible)?
6,000 - Stay with us for the weekend and earn 6,000 bonus points. A Friday and Saturday or Saturday and Sunday night stay required.
>> I assume this should stack with the FWNC given 25-27 May is a Friday and Saturday night?
2,000 - Stay once in May and get 2,000 bonus points.
>> I assume this only applies to "stay dates" and not "booking dates"?
Appreciate any thoughts as I try to understand how to best make use of Q2 incentives.
My Q2 Accelerate offers are :
57,800 total bonus points for: (days left = 102)
2000 - Thank you for being a loyal IHG® Rewards Club member. Stay once and earn 2,000 bonus points.
10,000 - Get closer to the rewards you want when you stay 5 night(s) and earn 10,000 bonus points.
12,000 - Stay at 2 Holiday Inn® hotel(s)—including Holiday Inn Resort® and Holiday Inn Club Vacations®—and earn 12,000 bonus points.
9,600 - Book 2 stay(s) with the IHG® App and earn 9,600 bonus points.
6,000 - Stay with us for the weekend and earn 6,000 bonus points. A Friday and Saturday or Saturday and Sunday night stay required.
900 - Spend $38 on food and beverages when you stay at IHG® hotels and earn 900 bonus points
15,300 - Complete 5 of the 6 offers and earn (an additional) 15,300 bonus points.
2,000 - Stay once in May and get 2,000 bonus points.
I already have a booking made 2 weeks ago using the IC Ambassador FWNC for 25-27May for IC Sydney as we are heading there for a vacation.
I am looking to add 24May night on a regular paid night, and 27-28May using points or "points + cash".
I am obviously trying to maximise the benefits from Q2 Accelerate and hoping to complete these tasks in the one trip according to this plan. Is my understanding correct?
2000 - Thank you for being a loyal IHG® Rewards Club member. Stay once and earn 2,000 bonus points.
>> I assume this applies to "stay dates" within the range of 1 May - 31 July, and not "booking dates"? If so, my upcoming booking for 24 May should achieve this.
9,600 - Book 2 stay(s) with the IHG® App and earn 9,600 bonus points.
>> I plan to use the IHG App to book 24 May on a paid rate. 27 May will be on points, so I suspect it will not qualify. Do I then need to cancel my current FWNC booking and rebook on the IHG App (if it's even possible)?
6,000 - Stay with us for the weekend and earn 6,000 bonus points. A Friday and Saturday or Saturday and Sunday night stay required.
>> I assume this should stack with the FWNC given 25-27 May is a Friday and Saturday night?
2,000 - Stay once in May and get 2,000 bonus points.
>> I assume this only applies to "stay dates" and not "booking dates"?
Appreciate any thoughts as I try to understand how to best make use of Q2 incentives.
Apr 19, 2018, 2:10 am
#83
Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 91
I too have a credit card task (to apply for one, in my case) which mysteriously doesn’t appear on the dashboard.
Apr 19, 2018, 3:45 am
#85
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: West Yorkshire
Programs: UA Plat 2.2MM, AA nobody, IHG Gold, HH Silver
Posts: 276
Mine is rubbish - suspect I can only achieve one of the tasks. 17 nights, 7 bonus point stays, 4 stays on the app, become an ambassador, get the crappy credit card... So stay once get 1500 points it is...
Apr 19, 2018, 5:03 pm
#86
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: SJC/SFO
Programs: WN A+ CP, UA 1MM/*A Gold, Mar LT Tit, IHG Plat, HH Dia
Posts: 6,284
My target is so easy to hit I'm almost embarrassed to share it.
2,000 - Stay once
9,600 - Book two stays via app
1,500 - Pay for stay with IHG Rewards credit card
8,400 - Stay at two Holiday Inns
10,000 - 5 nights
10,800 - Complete any 4 of the above 5.
In addition there's a 2k bonus for staying once in May. Thus with just two carefully arranged nights I can earn 34,300 bonus points. Heck yeah!
2,000 - Stay once
9,600 - Book two stays via app
1,500 - Pay for stay with IHG Rewards credit card
8,400 - Stay at two Holiday Inns
10,000 - 5 nights
10,800 - Complete any 4 of the above 5.
In addition there's a 2k bonus for staying once in May. Thus with just two carefully arranged nights I can earn 34,300 bonus points. Heck yeah!
Apr 20, 2018, 12:34 am
#87
Join Date: Dec 2016
Posts: 78
I asked about the "Travel with IHG App" terms & conditions which state "Qualifying Stays are booked via the official IHG® App and consumed between 1 May 2018 and 31 July 2018 (both dates inclusive)"
IHG customer service replied in an email that "I'd like to share that as per the promotion's guidelines, you have to be registered first on the promotion. It doesn't matter if you book the reservation in advance since the stays between 1 May to 31 July 2018 will be counted towards the promotion."
So it should be safe to book using the IHG app for stays during Q2 accelerate. At least for me, I have this email as backup in case of any dispute. I booked a June stay using the app now, because I'm afraid the price might go up if I wait until May.
IHG customer service replied in an email that "I'd like to share that as per the promotion's guidelines, you have to be registered first on the promotion. It doesn't matter if you book the reservation in advance since the stays between 1 May to 31 July 2018 will be counted towards the promotion."
So it should be safe to book using the IHG app for stays during Q2 accelerate. At least for me, I have this email as backup in case of any dispute. I booked a June stay using the app now, because I'm afraid the price might go up if I wait until May.
Apr 20, 2018, 2:05 am
#88
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 905
I didn't complete any tasks in Accelerate 1 ( only 5 award nights YTD) but got a big banger this time: 92000 for 8 tasks ( 6 nights, 3 weekends, 3 holiday inns, 5 app bookings, etc). Nothing too onerous. I gather failure to complete/participate leads to a bigger deal in the next round? Maybe not that predictable.
Apr 20, 2018, 4:21 am
#89
Join Date: Nov 2010
Programs: IHG Platinum
Posts: 1,066
I didn't complete any tasks in Accelerate 1 ( only 5 award nights YTD) but got a big banger this time: 92000 for 8 tasks ( 6 nights, 3 weekends, 3 holiday inns, 5 app bookings, etc). Nothing too onerous. I gather failure to complete/participate leads to a bigger deal in the next round? Maybe not that predictable.
Q2 is far more reasonable: Earn 65,600 for 6 tasks: Stay Once, Stay 5 nights, Stay at 3 brands, Book 2 Stays on App, Explore with confidence 2 Stays, Spend on IHG card. I will just do 3 stays to meet the achievement bonus and will just end up with 10K less for not doing the Stay 5 nights. Still a very nice deal.
Apr 20, 2018, 6:15 am
#90
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Hong Kong
Programs: Lowly CX & IHG
Posts: 382
1,000 Stay Once "Happy Birthday Bonus"
5,000 Stay 5 night(s)
9,600 Book 2 stay(s) with the IHG® App
18,000 Have 2 stays in any country in America, Caribbean, APEC (except China Mainland, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan), ME, Africa and Europe
800 Spend $38 on F&B during stay
14,700 Bonus for 4/5 offers
1,000 Bonus for Stay once in May
--
Tasks of 2018Q1 is rubbish (all x points after 5,8,11,14,17,20 nights) but I ended up staying 8 nights (I'm still at Club you know so how little I stays) This one is quite in my interest, 2 stays of a night each plus some breakfast/meal for 44100 pts (probably skips "stay 5 nights") and put me into Gold Elite. Probably because I didn't do much of 2017Q2. Let me work out some holiday plan later...
5,000 Stay 5 night(s)
9,600 Book 2 stay(s) with the IHG® App
18,000 Have 2 stays in any country in America, Caribbean, APEC (except China Mainland, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan), ME, Africa and Europe
800 Spend $38 on F&B during stay
14,700 Bonus for 4/5 offers
1,000 Bonus for Stay once in May
--
Tasks of 2018Q1 is rubbish (all x points after 5,8,11,14,17,20 nights) but I ended up staying 8 nights (I'm still at Club you know so how little I stays) This one is quite in my interest, 2 stays of a night each plus some breakfast/meal for 44100 pts (probably skips "stay 5 nights") and put me into Gold Elite. Probably because I didn't do much of 2017Q2. Let me work out some holiday plan later...
