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IHG Rewards Club is a phenomenal scheme for points enthusiasts – or at least it used to be. Frequent ‘Accelerate’ promotions allowed us to rack up points quickly and cheaply and top-tier redemptions were just 30,000 points per night when I first started getting into points/miles!
Over the last few years, IHG devalued, and devalued, and devalued. The latest move increased top-category redemptions from 60,000 points a night to 70,000 points in 2018.
It now seems that IHG has sneaked in another devaluation. A stealth devaluation of sorts. The new InterContinental Maldives costs a staggering 100,000 points a night:
The InterContinental Maldives is not an isolated example. The two new InterContinental properties in Macao are selling for 75,000 points a night:
Since IHG Rewards Club hasn’t actually made an announcement, we have no idea whether other properties are about to be devalued. They probably will be. And worse, we don’t know whether we will receive some advance warning, or whether this new pricing will be implemented overnight.
Bottom Line
It looks like IHG is sneaking in another devaluation without telling us. If you have any holiday plans, or even just the germ of an idea for a holiday, make a speculative points booking TODAY!
Award nights are almost always completely refundable, so you have nothing to lose. That said, don’t go buying IHG points today – the regular price will cost much more than the often-discounted price – but do try to put any existing IHG points balance to good use…
Are you aware of other hotels where the points rate has gone up? Let us know in the comments. Of course we’ll update you when (and if) IHG makes a formal announcement…
HT: Loyalty Lobby
Availability is zero now so can’t see the 100k offering
Some reward nights are not refundable – i recently had one for an express in bridgwater – it stated if i failed to show up or cancel i would lose the points.
Most, if not all, hotel reservations say you forfeit points and/or cash if you fail to show up or cancel before the cancellation deadline. That doesn’t make them non-refundable.