IHG points can be insanely good value these days, especially if you're US-based and hold the Chase credit cards that give 4th night free and 10% points rebate. For instance, I just booked 4 nights at IC Singapore for 104.4k points. Cheapest nonrefundable cash rate would be SGD1732 (=$1290 USD). Even if you get 10% cashback on that, buying points at .5cpp still means that you're paying less than half of what you'd be paying in cash (and of course the award rate also is refundable, so really better than the $1290 cash rate). I could list dozens of similarly amazing redemption deals. However, IHG points can also be truly terrible -- 74k for a mediocre Holiday Inn Express that sells for $200. Personally, I happily bought all I could get my hands on, but it's not for everybody -- highly dependent on one's travel and redemption patterns.

Had the mistaken amount (one of each package) post some 6 hours ago, but now it appears to be correct. Was worried about having to chase points, but thankfully it has worked out. Quite surprised it was so quick!

Deal hunting for travel space savings may be in overdrive along with the revenge travel spending still going on in the country for those who did way better than average during the pandemic.

Personally, I am trying to grab to more hotel points on the relative cheap than ever before. And one of my prime objective deals this time around has a lot fewer packages than it has had in prior years, so it’s going to be interesting to see how many we can grab this time to maximize savings on the lodging expenses.

Oh, I concur and hold both Chase cards for the 10% rebate and 4th night free myself! That was really why I had planned (not too well however) a pre-emptive purchase to get around the annual points purchase limits because I certainly make use of the recurring sales IHG does otherwise at US$0.005 per point. A busier day at work and relying on past years' precedent where the IHG offers didn't sell out well into the Daily Getaways promo made me miss out this time.

Curious which Chase credit cards offer 4th night free? Also haven't heard of Chase doing rebates (I know a Citi Rewards+ card can give 10% points back when transferring to partners).

All Chase IHG credit cards offer this benefit.

Hilton points have been credited sometime in the last 24h. :tu:

And the original Chase IHG Select credit card (no longer available for new applicants) grants the 10% rebate on points used for award nights.

choice points purchase
 

Was able to get 4 of the lowest offer (14K points)
nothing else is available.

And I was on at 12:59 pm

I am nursing what may be the last one or two of those 14k packages.

Within the first minute, every package except the 14ks seemed to have been taken into at least one basket already. Some got released later, but this was the fastest I’ve seen the lots locked up in a basket when it comes to Choice packages.

At around 1:38pm NYC time, a first offer had sold out. At around 1:45-1:48pm a second offer had sold out. By 1:54-1:56pm the third offer had sold out.

The remaining 14k offer is still tied up at 2:16pm with one package nursed by me and perhaps a couple of others being nursed by some other(s) still. But they’ve been as good as locked up since at least 1:30pm or so except for the re-released.

am i the only one completely shocked and confused by this purchasing frenzy behavior? not just choice pts. we talking ALL packages that get nuked like taylor swift era tix. makes no sense. all prior years, we would still see plenty IHG and HH. its almost like a broker is purchasing these via bot. this doesnt make sense. i suspect something is up. i havent been able to load up on anything this year.

I wish I could say I’m shocked by what’s going on, but I am convinced that “Deal hunting for travel space savings may be in overdrive along with the revenge travel spending still going on in the country for those who did way better than average during the pandemic.”

It doesn’t help when an offer has “a lot fewer packages than it has had in prior years”. I will try for the Hyatt ones, but I’m betting that I catch zero on that.

but i would have expected similar purchasing behavior in the past. this year is truly unprecedented. everything is being sold out ASAP like a broadway show. not to mention, i had expected hospitality companies to raise capital from nothing via selling even more pts and packages then devalue given our current economic climate. but they are offering less. im confused.

No I was thinking the same. Just crazy and taking all the fun and usefulness out of it. Only thing I can say is whoever/whatever is buying everything seems to be too stupid to realize what is a good deal and what isn't

I'm wondering if Daily Getaways is just buying the Hyatt points at the regular price and selling them at a lower cost just to keep some of us paying attention. That would explain the basically useless quantities.

Feels like just a way to dump extra amusement park and Vegas inventory this year.

exactly. i did a double take and started reading blogs/reddit and doing my own math for cents per pt calculation to verify i didnt miss some insane deal cuz i was so confused. doesnt look like anyone else in the comments section noticed anything because they prob didnt even care.

wyndham and BW are coming up. if those get nuked in a few seconds, we know something doesnt smell right. maybe some broker bot just buying everything.