Mabepoolppol

Hi guys,

I’m completely new to this so appreciate your advice.

We are heading to California (near San Francisco along the Pacific Coast) in end-Dec (peak period) and are booking 2 nights in a IHG hotel for 24Dec - 26Dec. I know Christmas is some time away but it’s peak period and we just want to lock in the prices/dates.

Should we buy IHG points now? Current promotion - Up to 80% bonus on purchased points (until 7 June)

Or should I wait for a promotion (probably July?) for “up to 100% bonus”?

My concerns

- Do IHG hotel redemption points for touristy hotels in California typically increase as the year progresses (like prices) or is it more consistent throughout the year?

- It is also not guaranteed that my account will be eligible for the 100% bonus next time? I read that some accounts are sometimes not even eligible for these offers during promotion periods, and some accounts are only eligible for up to 80% or 100% bonus.

We just don't want to end up in a situation where the points required to make a booking rises by 25% (due to peak Christmas period) and we are still not eligible for the highest tier of promotion (i.e. 100% bonus points)

edit to add: we have about 16k points now. We need to buy ~130k more points for 2 nights.

Appreciate any advice. Thank you!

guv1976

Welcome to FlyerTalk!

What is the current cash cost (including taxes and fees) of the room you want to book?

You may very well be able to buy IHG points at half price via the U.S. Travel Association's annual "Daily Getaways" promotion which returns on June 12. Previews of the available offers should be viewable starting on June 5. More information here:

https://onemileatatime.com/deals/daily-getaways/

("Daily Getaways Promo Returns June 2023")

Unfortunately, I do not know whether the Daily Getaways are available to non-U.S. residents. But I expect that you will be able to find that out on June 5 in the U.S. (tomorrow).

Hard to predict whether the points cost of a particular property will go up or down over time. It might depend on whether the property fills up as quickly as originally anticipated.

Good luck!

Mabepoolppol

Thanks so much.. looked interesting but oh dear, looks like those annual deals are available to only U.S. resident, age 18 or older!

The current cash cost for 2 nights is: USD 1,083 (including taxes etc). The points for 2 nights: 151,000 points.

As a non-US resident, I feel like I should just pull the trigger, buy the points today, and make the reservations before the annual sale opens to US resident. What do you think?

guv1976

Is the property in question a Mr. and Mrs. Smith property, by any chance? If so, better take a look at this post -- and the ones that follow it -- before you book a room with IHG points:

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/35298659-post108.html

("Hyatt's acquisition of Mr and Mrs Smith closed today, so they're officially Hyatt owned")

I personally never buy IHG points for more than 0.5¢/each, but your situation is a little different, since you know that you could save some money even buying points at the slightly higher rate that the 80% bonus would yield. So I don't think that there's clearly a right or wrong answer here.

SkyLich

Pull the trigger.

Short of economic collapse, rates for a holiday period are extremely unlikely to go lower.

N0LID

I generally wait until the 100% bonus points sales before I pull the trigger unless I need the points now.

craigthemif

It is hard for non-US creditcard holders to access Daily Getaways. Payment is declined on some international cards, but not all.

Residence is irrelevant for the receipt of points into your accounts...

Mabepoolppol

Hmm.. think I need the points now.

1) I'm willing to pay a little more now for peace of mind and uncertainty. Otherwise, I'll be refreshing the pages almost every other day, and hoping that prices/points don't increase during this time. It's too stressful.

2) I don't have a backup choice. The rest of the hotels in that area are even more overpriced and I don't want to stay in inns.

Should I go ahead and pull the trigger? I think I've already come to my conclusion but just seeking validation from more experienced travellers haha.

Repooc17

Does it have to be IHG? Just pulled up Hyatt for Christmas time, and around $200/night can be easily obtained for hotels in city center. Probably similar for Hilton and Marriott. These are not inns or motels.

Short of large scale conferences (e.g. Salesforce), hotel rates of $500+/night seem very high.

Mabepoolppol

Without giving too much away, we'd be staying near the coast (during Christmas). Our preferred alternatives are Marriot and Hyatt, which are more expensive.. The cheaper options are inns or BnBs or local resorts (even more expensive than the international chains!)

Given the occasion, I think it's worth the treat!

Anyway I've bought the points and I'm really glad.. Gonna stop checking the site haha

craigthemif

As long as it is a hotel that is unlikely to leave IHG before your stay, then go ahead.

Next week you will have Daily Getaways at a 100% bonus however... That's a 10% savings if you are willing to wait a week...

UKtravelbear

How much is it to buy the ~130k points you need?

If you were to cancel a points booking you’d just get the points back not the cash used to buy the points.

If you buy a refundable cash rate room you’d get your cash back.

guv1976

At this point, it's all moot. From Post #10:

"Anyway I've bought the points and I'm really glad.. Gonna stop checking the site haha."

SkyLich

Are you Diamond? If not, keep a close eye for promotions that'll get you there Most have been pretty undemanding. Breakfast alone will be worth the effort.

sfozrhfco

The 24-26 December time period is not at all the high season in San Francisco. If you are talking about the Mr. & Mrs. Smith Olema House, that is very unlikely to be a part of IHG by the end of the year so your points reservation may well not be honored once they exit IHG. Be prepared to make alternative arrangements once that happens,